Packing Light For Business Travel

 

All of the travel guides recommend it, and with airlines charging fees for checking bags, everyone is trying to do it – but how do you really pack light? Last year, I flew over 75,000 miles for business meetings and a thousand more for fun. When I travel for meetings, I never check luggage. I pack my carry-on bag and my personal item (laptop bag) and zip on and off the plane. Furthermore, I want my trips to be efficient and that means having everything I need – and some things I just want - close at hand.

 

Most of the time, I use a Costco brand carry-on bag which has several compartments to separate various items and fits in the overhead compartment on all except the smallest of planes.

 

In the large main bag, I pack:

·         Up to 5 shirts, underwear, handkerchiefs, and socks (less if I am staying fewer than 5 days)

·         1 pair pants

·         1 sweater if I am going somewhere cold

·         Electric razor

·         Toiletry bag containing

o   Cough drops

o   Pepto-Bismol, Claritin, Aspirin   

o   Sewing kits, Band-Aids, Q-tips

o   Travel towel, lint-free shoe shine towel

o   Small tape measure

o   Toothbrush, toothpicks, floss

o   Travel hair brush and comb

o   Deodorant

o   Prescription meds and vitamins

o   Breath mints

·         In the pockets, I keep

o   Hands-free cell phone headset and charger

o   Power chargers for my cell phone and camera

o   Small notepad

o   2 Power Bars

o   Thin magnifying card

o   Laundry detergent and fabric softener for 1 load, in Ziploc bag

o   A number of spare, clean Ziploc bags in varying sizes

o   A plastic laundry bag

·         Small point-and-shoot camera

 

In the front pouch, I pack

·         Travel umbrella

·         3 books

·         1 quart sized Ziploc bag with all of my liquids and gels (as mandated by TSA)

o   3 oz toothpaste, in refillable container (much more affordable than the travel sizes)

o   3 oz shampoo

o   2 oz hand sanitizer

o   Newskin liquid bandage, hand lotion, Neosporin, Chap Stick,

o   4 days worth of Dayquil and Nyquil gel caps

·         Snacks (either trail mix or beef jerky)

 

In the small front pockets I pack

·         Electrical tape (smaller than duct tape J )

·         Assortment of pens (different colors and a Sharpie)

·         Power Bar and a chocolate bar

·         Handi-wipes

·         Post-it notes

·         Batteries for headset

·         Breath mints

·         Business cards

 

In my laptop bag, I pack

·         Laptop & power supply

·         Security cable to tie down laptop

·         Wireless mouse and batteries (both AA and AAA)

·         Notepad

·         Power Bar, chocolate bar

·         Chocolate muffin

·         USB sticks, air-card (for network access over cell phone service)

·         Itinerary

·         Book (the one I am currently reading)

·         Business cards

 

I also use carabineers to clip on

·         A small Pelican Case containing my Bose noise-canceling headset and batteries

·         A refillable water bottle

 

That’s it. I wear my jacket and cell phone so I have easy access to them on the plane and they do not take up any space in the luggage. However, unlike those who truly pack the least amount possible, I have everything I need to handle bad weather, extended layovers, and minor problems such as a missing button.

 

For trips where I have to dress up, I switch to a garment bag instead of the carry-on and pack the suit and shoes instead of the sweater.

 

Clearly, this is not a small list – and I could eliminate many items if I had to (e.g., I really only need one sewing kit and probably don’t need the towel). However, it all fits in my carry-ons and I have ready access to anything I need. I have found that rolling clothes helps save room in the suitcase and allows for more items to be comfortably packed – I am not sure why, but it works well.

 

It would be easy to eliminate things you don’t think you will use on a given trip, but I find being prepared for the unexpected has advantages. You can also reduce the number of clothes you pack by using quick-dry clothing that you can wash in your sink. This tends to be relatively easy if you have access to water, however I only do that when I expect to be on the road for multiple weeks without easy access to a laundry (e.g. on our trip to Africa).

 

Of course, for adventure travel, or even trips where you need a variety of clothing options (e.g. from suits to hiking equipment), you will probably need to pack a broader variety of things and therefore check your luggage.  Otherwise, for standard business trips this should work fine.

 

With a little planning, you can enjoy your trips and keep your travel fees down!

 

Terence

City Escapes Nature Photography

 

P.S. – A Woman’s Perspective

 

As a woman and a photographer, I pack differently than Terence does.  For example, I have a greater variety of liquids that must fit into my one-quart bag, from conditioner and hair-styling products to sunscreen and liquid make-up items.  I also take such things as saline solution for my contacts (which does not have to fit into my one-quart bag, but will need special screening by TSA screeners), a hair dryer, a straightening iron, baby powder, etc.  These extra items do not mean, however, that I cannot also still get everything I need to fit into my two carry-on approved bags.  I simply have to be organized and discriminating about what I choose to bring, especially if I am also bringing my camera gear.  (My camera gear takes up a bag all on its own, leaving me with one carry-on sized bag in which to fit everything else.)

 

I often have to bring an extra pair of shoes, either dress shoes for a special occasion, or hiking boots for a shoot.  In order to save room in my suitcase, on the days I fly I choose to wear the biggest, heaviest pair of shoes I am bringing.  This often means that I am wearing my hiking boots on the plane.  Though my everyday slip-on shoes would be less hassle, I choose instead to opt for more room in my suitcase.  This does come at a price, of course: it is easier and faster to go through the security checkpoints at the airport wearing the slip-ons rather than my hiking boots.  Nonetheless, the extra time and effort is worth it to me.  Note, however, that many people make the exact opposite choice, Terence among them.  You will simply have to decide which works best for you.

 

Some people believe that it is impossible for a woman to carry everything she needs for a week-long trip in carry-on luggage, but I am here to say that such a belief is simply not accurate.  It may require a bit of time and planning to get it right, but it most certainly can be done.

 

 A special note on TSA and airline requirements:  all lithium batteries, regardless of size or purpose, must be included in your carry-on luggage; none may be packed in your checked bags.  On the other hand, no knives or multi-purpose tools may be included in your carry-ons; all must be checked.  I keep a multi-purpose tool in my camera bag.  Therefore, if I am traveling to a place where I cannot easily borrow one, I must either remember to remove the m-p tool from my bag, or check a bag with the m-p tool in it.  And, of course, any time that I take a full-sized camera tripod with me, I must check it.

 

Jodi

 

City Escapes Nature Photography Newsletter - May 2010

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

 

 

Newsletter

May, 2010

 

 

 

Make Time to Enjoy Nature

 

In light of the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the 30^th anniversary of the Mt. Saint Helens eruption, we would like to remind everyone to go out and actually enjoy and experience the beauty of the natural world.  These events are reminders that our landscape is constantly changing, literally overnight in some cases. Such landscapes are rarely destroyed forever; Mother Nature is nothing if not resilient.  They are, however, deeply altered for long stretches of time, in some cases requiring hundreds of years to return to their previous state, in others becoming something entirely new, never returning to their previous state. 

 

Many disasters are so devastating that the ecosystem affected is fundamentally destroyed.  While another ecosystem will eventually take the original’s place, what was once there is gone forever.  This is the most serious danger of the oil spill, and why so much effort is required to stop the oncoming devastation.  With other disasters, while the damage is extensive, the changes are not always entirely negative, and do not result in the complete devastation of an entire ecosystem.  The Yellowstone fires, for example, while destroying a great deal of forested land, also reinvigorated and renewed that same land, clearing the way for new growth and fertilizing the soil.  And they left in their wake a completely different kind of beauty.  Nonetheless, those who might have wanted to see the Park in its pre-fire glory suddenly found themselves out of time.  Were you one of those people?

 

You do not, however, have to take a long trip to a far away place to enjoy natural beauty.  Wherever you are, there are bound to be some elements of the wild, even if they have now been tamed.  Trees, shrubs, and/or cacti are ubiquitous, finding their way into cities and towns as well as the countryside and deserts, and all offer their own unique version of splendor.  A multitude of superbly hued and wonderfully smelling flowers are common, even if only in your neighbor’s yard.  Birds of all sorts roost, nest, and migrate all around us, filling the air not only with the colorful flutter of their graceful wings, but also the musical notes of their calls, songs, honks and tweets (the original tweeters!).  I have seen herds of deer in the middle of a city as large and bustling as London, been amazed at the size of a resident flock of swans in Hamburg, and eyed coyotes mere miles outside of Houston.  And yet, I have also met people living in Salt Lake City, a town that is closely bordered by glorious mountain ranges, who never notice the mountains on their daily travels.  They know the mountains are there, of course, they just never pay any attention to them – which means they miss seeing the peaks light up at sunset, and dramatic storms getting caught on the jagged edges of the mountain rims, churning in place. 

 

We urge you to pay attention to all of those natural wonders that you see, not only on vacations, but perhaps especially in your day to day life.  Nature is full of wonders and beauty, and it waits only for us to notice and appreciate it.  Don’t wait until a disaster forces you to notice it; you will miss so much if you do.

 

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

We would like to wish all of the mothers out there (ours in particular!) a wonderful Mother’s Day!  We hope that your families spoiled you rotten in celebration, as you have so often done for us.

 

 

May’s Fun Fact

 

Think nine months is a long time to be pregnant?  Try being an alpine salamander: they are pregnant for up to 38 months!  The average gestation period for this 5.5 inch salamander is two years, but the higher up on the mountain slopes the female salamander lives, the longer she carries her young before birth.  It is thought that the higher altitudes provide less food, as well as shorter periods of warmth for the salamander to be active.  This requires her to remain pregnant until she has had enough time and nourishment to completely develop her young, which are not laid as eggs, like most amphibians, but born as fully-formed salamanders.

 

 

If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com

 

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CITY ESCAPES Nature Photography, LLC

www.cityescapesphotography.com

509-396-5154

 

City Escapes Nature Photography Newsletter - April 2010

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

 

 

Newsletter

April, 2010 

 

April is full of celebrations of nature and its various gifts

 

Earth Day

One of the most well-known of these celebrations is, of course, Earth Day.  Observed annually on April 22, Earth Day is a celebration of the natural aspects of the earth, as well as a call to renew and strengthen earth-friendly practices, both at the governmental and the individual level.  How much do you know about the origin of this now widely-observed day?

 

·         The first Earth Day was in 1970. 

·         It was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.  After accomplishing significant gains in the environmental arena as governor of Wisconsin, he took his ideas to the national stage in 1962 with his election to the U.S. Senate.  Throughout the 1960s, though, he struggled to get his environmental concerns taken seriously in Washington, where pollution was considered to be synonymous with economic growth.  Senator Nelson rejected the idea that economic prosperity and environmental protection were anathema; indeed, he felt that the fights against poverty and pollution were one and the same.  Gaining little traction in Washington, he decided to take his ideas directly to the people.  Building on the successes of the university-led sit-ins and teach-ins that had previously focused on race relations and the Vietnam war, Senator Nelson proposed a nationwide teach-in day to focus on environmental issues.  His strategy worked: Earth Day became an immediate success, and the Washington establishment suddenly had to focus on environmental protections as never before.

·         Early Earth Day observances led to, among other things, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1972), and the Endangered Species Act (1973), as well as put enforcement teeth into the Clean Air Act (1970), an Act which previously had contained only measuring and monitoring provisions.

·         April 22 was chosen for a myriad of reasons, not least of which was its position in the academic calendar.  It did not interfere with mid-term exams or spring/Easter breaks; in 1970, it fell on a Wednesday, and therefore would not interfere with weekend activities; most students would have been on campus at that time; and in most of the country, the weather would have warmed up enough to allow for outdoor activities, a not insignificant consideration for an event focusing on the environment.  That April 22 is close to the Spring Equinox certainly did not hurt, either, though there is some debate as to whether that fact actually played a role in the determination of the date for the teach-in.

·         An estimated 20 million people across the country participated in the first Earth Day.

·         In 1995, the 25^th anniversary of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor available to civilians, for his work on environmental issues.

·         By 2000, Earth Day had a global reach of hundreds of millions of people, with celebrations in 184 countries.

·         This year, 2010, marks the 40^th anniversary of this now often week-long celebration.

 

Arbor Day

A less-widely known, but older April celebration is Arbor Day, a celebration of trees.  The day of observance of Arbor Day is somewhat difficult to state categorically, as National Arbor Day and state Arbor Days often fall on different dates.  National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, this year falling on April 30.  State Arbor Days vary tremendously, as many states set their celebration dates to coincide with the best tree planting weather in their region. 

 

·         While most states observe Arbor Day in March or April, the dates can vary widely: Louisiana and Florida, for example, both celebrate the day on the third Friday in January, Hawaii’s observance is the first Friday in November, and South Carolina’s is the first Friday in December!

·         The first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872.

·         Arbor Day was founded by Julius Sterling Morton, a Michigan native who had relocated to the treeless plains of Nebraska.  He recognized the importance of trees for everyday life as building materials, fuel, and shade, but also their importance to agriculture as wind breaks to reduce soil erosion.  As a member of Nebraska’s State Board of Agriculture, he proposed setting aside a day to plant trees, and had little trouble convincing his fellow Nebraskans to support the effort.  The response was tremendous: schools and counties had competitions to see who could plant the most trees, awards were given, even a parade was held.

·         An estimated one million trees were planted on that first Arbor Day.

·         Arbor Day was made an official state holiday in Nebraska in 1885.  April 22 was chosen as the day of observance to coincide with Morton’s birthday.

·         National Arbor Day was first observed in 1970.

 

To find out when your state celebrates Arbor Day, or to discover your state tree, go to http://www.arborday.org/arborday/arbordaydates.cfm.  And go plant a tree!

 

 

April’s Fun Facts

 

According to the Colorado Tree Coalition, a single mature tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year – as well as release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two people.  A tree that shades a house can reduce fossil fuel consumption by an amount equal to the carbon that fifteen forest trees could sequester!

 

 

If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com

 

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www.cityescapesphotography.com

509-396-5154

 

Now Accepting All Major Credit Cards

 

We are pleased to announce that we are now able to accept all major credit cards for payments.  We have recently updated our web store to reflect our changing of credit card processing companies from a traditional third party provider to Google Checkout. As part of this move, we have been able to expand our list of accepted cards to include American Express and Discover, as well as the previously accepted MasterCard and Visa. Additionally, customers can use debit cards to pay for their purchases if they prefer not to use a credit card.

 

We are pleased to be able to provide our customers this additional flexibility in their payment options.

 

Grouping Multiple Pieces of Art on a Wall

Whether you are grouping photographs or paintings, creating an array of art on a single wall can have a big visual impact.  Wall groupings can be used to create an atmosphere, to accent a particular feature of a room, or to simply keep a room from looking empty.  Whatever your goal for a particular space, keeping a few guidelines in mind will help you achieve your goal with minimal frustration.

 

1)    Small images can be given more visual impact by grouping them together.  This gives the images more of a visual presence, drawing the eye to them more than a single small image alone generally does.  Especially if the images are of the same shape and size, they can be hung in a tight group (2” or less apart), creating the visual sensation that each is a portion of a whole.

 

2)    When mixing large and small pictures, use the larger pieces as your anchors; put them in the middle and/or bottom to prevent your arrangement from seeming top-heavy and unstable.  A common exception to this rule is when you are including a panoramic.  These are often put at the top of an arrangement, acting as a visual “lid.”

 

3)    Combine vertical and horizontal images together in one grouping.  This adds visual punch, and helps to keep the arrangement from looking stale.

 

4)    Pictures do not have to line up neatly!  They should be evenly spaced, but play with varying their heights and horizontal alignments.  Arcing pieces, starting with the largest at the bottom (imagine the stereotypical depiction of a shooting star, including its tail), can do a magnificent job of leading the eye and creating a sensation of movement in a room.  The overall symmetry should be balanced, but that does not mean that the two sides of an arrangement need to be mirror images.  Multiple small pictures can provide the same visual weight as a single large picture. 

 

5)    Images in a group should have one or more unifying elements.  This can be things such as subject matter (family, African wildlife, French bistros, etc), all color or all black and white, matching frames or frame colors, or even just matching mats.  There should be at least one common thread running through all of the finished pieces to create a sense of cohesion.  Note that images do not need to be framed identically in order to create a successful grouping.  My first rule of thumb in framing any image is to ensure that the frame and mats complement the image.  If any particular framing job looks great in the room but does not suit the image, either the frame should be changed, or a new image should be found that works well with the frame.  Remember, the image is the art; the frame, though very important, is secondary (unless the object being framed is a mirror; in this case, the frame can, but does not have to, serve as the main portion of art.).  That having been said, if the images are similar, framing them identically can accentuate the unifying elements of them.  For example, a series of three shots of your child diving off of a diving board tell a story, and framing them identically can accentuate that narration while complementing each picture in its own right. 

 

6)    Tell stories with your groupings.  Creating visual narrations draws the viewer in and keeps them interested.

 

7)    If you are aiming to create an intimate, welcoming atmosphere, you should consider placing furniture -- especially chairs, sofas, and other items that invite spending time in the direct vicinity of the artwork -- either directly under or near the art.  This invites the viewer to come in close and allows the art to become a part of their surroundings, even if only as a background piece.  If, however, you aim to have the art be the uncontested focal point of the room, ensure that no furniture is near it, and that the view of the piece is not obstructed.  This draws the eye and holds it, but also creates a little distance between the viewer and the art.  The piece will command the viewers’ attention, but will not necessarily allow them to get cozy enough with it to allow it to fade into the background.

 

8)    Be cautious about mixing photographs and other artwork, such as paintings or charcoals.  Though it is possible for them to coincide peacefully, most of the time they will compete with each other for the viewer’s attention.

 

9)    Lastly, remember that like all decorating guidelines, these are simply guidelines.  Play.  Experiment.  You may find that breaking one or all of these “rules” will give you exactly the look you desire.  Just remember to use paper templates taped to your walls first, as discussed last month, so you don’t end up with dozens of unnecessary holes in your walls.

 

 

Jodi

City Escapes Nature Photography

http://www.cityescapesphotography.com

 

City Escapes Photography Newsletter - Mar 2010

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

 

 

Newsletter

March, 2010

 

Grouping Multiple Pieces of Art on a Wall

 

Whether you are grouping photographs or paintings, creating an array of art on a single wall can have a big visual impact.  Wall groupings can be used to create an atmosphere, to accent a particular feature of a room, or to simply keep a room from looking empty.  Whatever your goal for a particular space, keeping a few guidelines in mind will help you achieve your goal with minimal frustration.

 

1)    Small images can be given more visual impact by grouping them together.  This gives the images more of a visual presence, drawing the eye to them more than a single small image alone generally does.  Especially if the images are of the same shape and size, they can be hung in a tight group (2” or less apart), creating the visual sensation that each is a portion of a whole.

 

2)    When mixing large and small pictures, use the larger pieces as your anchors; put them in the middle and/or bottom to prevent your arrangement from seeming top-heavy and unstable.  A common exception to this rule is when you are including a panoramic.  These are often put at the top of an arrangement, acting as a visual “lid.”

 

3)    Combine vertical and horizontal images together in one grouping.  This adds visual punch, and helps to keep the arrangement from looking stale.

 

4)    Pictures do not have to line up neatly!  They should be evenly spaced, but play with varying their heights and horizontal alignments.  Arcing pieces, starting with the largest at the bottom (imagine the stereotypical depiction of a shooting star, including its tail), can do a magnificent job of leading the eye and creating a sensation of movement in a room.  The overall symmetry should be balanced, but that does not mean that the two sides of an arrangement need to be mirror images.  Multiple small pictures can provide the same visual weight as a single large picture. 

 

5)    Images in a group should have one or more unifying elements.  This can be things such as subject matter (family, African wildlife, French bistros, etc), all color or all black and white, matching frames or frame colors, or even just matching mats.  There should be at least one common thread running through all of the finished pieces to create a sense of cohesion.  Note that images do not need to be framed identically in order to create a successful grouping.  My first rule of thumb in framing any image is to ensure that the frame and mats complement the image.  If any particular framing job looks great in the room but does not suit the image, either the frame should be changed, or a new image should be found that works well with the frame.  Remember, the image is the art; the frame, though very important, is secondary (unless the object being framed is a mirror; in this case, the frame can, but does not have to, serve as the main portion of art.).  That having been said, if the images are similar, framing them identically can accentuate the unifying elements of them.  For example, a series of three shots of your child diving off of a diving board tell a story, and framing them identically can accentuate that narration while complementing each picture in its own right. 

 

6)    Tell stories with your groupings.  Creating visual narrations draws the viewer in and keeps them interested.

 

7)    If you are aiming to create an intimate, welcoming atmosphere, you should consider placing furniture -- especially chairs, sofas, and other items that invite spending time in the direct vicinity of the artwork -- either directly under or near the art.  This invites the viewer to come in close and allows the art to become a part of their surroundings, even if only as a background piece.  If, however, you aim to have the art be the uncontested focal point of the room, ensure that no furniture is near it, and that the view of the piece is not obstructed.  This draws the eye and holds it, but also creates a little distance between the viewer and the art.  The piece will command the viewers’ attention, but will not necessarily allow them to get cozy enough with it to allow it to fade into the background.

 

8)    Be cautious about mixing photographs and other artwork, such as paintings or charcoals.  Though it is possible for them to coincide peacefully, most of the time they will compete with each other for the viewer’s attention.

 

9)    Lastly, remember that like all decorating guidelines, these are simply guidelines.  Play.  Experiment.  You may find that breaking one or all of these “rules” will give you exactly the look you desire.  Just remember to use paper templates taped to your walls first, as discussed last month, so you don’t end up with dozens of unnecessary holes in your walls.

 

 

March’s Fun Facts

 

In like a lion...

 

Lions and other big cats can purr – sort of.  Their hyoid bone has elastic portions on either side, allowing the hyoid to move in a different manner than small cats.  This elastic hyoid is what allows the big cats to roar -- and to purr, as long as they are exhaling.  The big cats cannot purr while inhaling.  So, depending on your particular definition of purring (which is surprisingly contested), the big cats can indeed purr.  Or not.

 

The structure of the hyoid is one of the distinguishing characteristics that determine whether a cat is classified as a “big cat” or a “small cat”.  Size actually has little to do with the classification.  Even such large cats as the mountain lion are “small cats,” while the slightly smaller leopard is a “big cat.”  In small cats, the entire hyoid structure is hard, allowing them to purr continuously (not just on the exhale), but also preventing them from being able to roar.

 

Another distinguishing characteristic is the manner in which the iris constricts.  Small cats’ irises constrict to vertical slits, creating the “cat’s eye” look so familiar to us.  The irises of big cats, however, constrict into circles, just like human irises.

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com

 

Become a fan on Facebook at

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CITY ESCAPES Nature Photography, LLC

www.cityescapesphotography.com

509-396-5154