Greetings!
I hope you all are doing well. I'm just back from South America on a scouting trip in the Amazon region. Meanwhile Karl has just wrapped up his fall Amazing Myanmar trip. Ralph is in Europe, from there he will be going on to Kathmandu to start our Nepal/Bhutan photo tour. I'm excited to say we currently have 110 people signed up for upcoming trips, with more (listed at bottom) to be released very soon! Thanks for your help making Jim Cline Photo Tours a success.
Cheers,
Jim
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Numerous participants receive awards!
We love it when we hear that an image you've taken on one of our trips has won an award and/or is being featured in an exhibit or gallery show. The past several months have been extraordinary in that regard. So, instead of featuring one image this month, we are featuring all that we've received since we last published our newsletter in July. They can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Click here to jump to the bottom. Congratulations, all! |
New Photo Opportunity ~ SPAIN!
We are considering running "The Heart of Spain" photo tour with Ralph Velasco in June of 2014. This is a trip he has run before, so he knows it well. Some of the highlights are Madrid, Segovia, Toledo and Barcelona. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the Interest List for this trip!
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Day of the Dead: Oaxaca, Mexico
Oct 28 - Nov 5, 2013 with Jim Cline - trip full, wait list available
Visiting Oaxaca during Day of the Dead is an experience like no other. Full of color, celebration, tradition and ritual - Day of the Dead offers a rich assortment of subjects and environments to photograph.
To add your name to the 2013 wait list or 2014 interest list,
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India: Pushkar & Rajastan
November 3 - 17, 2013
with Karl Grobl - trip full, wait list available
India is a fascinating country with incredible photo opportunities and wonderfully warm people. Best for the truly adventurous, flexible and enthusiastic traveler with a desire for off-the-beaten-track places, our India photo tour will leave you with images and stories to ponder for decades.
To add your name to the 2013 wait list or 2014 interest list click here then select the wait list tab.
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Nepal & Bhutan
 November 10 - 23, 2013 with Ralph Velasco - still 1 space left!
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small country nestled in the cradle of the Himalayas, the highest mountains on earth. Nepal is where the ice-cold Himalayas meet the steamy heat of the Indian plains. It's a land of yaks and yetis, stupas and Sherpas and the home of three great mini-kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley. This will be a photo tour of amazing opportunities and experiences.
For full details and to reserve the final spot click here.
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Chiapas, Mexico: The Mayan World
 November 12 - 21. 2013 with Jim Cline - still 3 spaces left!
Chiapas is located right in the heart of the Mayan world. We will experience many of the mystical Mayan traditions and ceremonies, and explore exotic Mayan ruins, beautiful landscapes, and the superb colonial city of San Cristobal de las Casas. A fascinating and exciting place to visit, the photographic opportunities are endless on this unique journey.
For more information or to reserve your spot, click here.
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Photo tours coming in 2014
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Ensenada/Tecate Photo Tour & Workshop
January 11-13, 2014, with Jim Cline
Ensenada lies just over an hour south of San Diego's border, yet few people have discovered all of it's wonderful photographic opportunities. With a bustling fish market, colorful shops, harbor scenes filled with boats and wildlife, there is something for everyone. In Tecate you'll find a picturesque central plaza filled with local people who come to socialize and listen to the mariachis play. Both towns offer much for the photographer. During the trip, Jim will give slide show lectures on creating more dynamic photographs and on maximizing your results with digital SLR cameras.
To view the full itinerary and reserve your spot click here. |
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Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
January 18 - February 2, 2014 with Karl Grobl - trip full,
wait list available
Southeast Asia has long been a favored destination for adventurous travelers. On this trip we visit some of the most interesting and photogenic locations in the region. From the Kingdom of Thailand with its irresistible combination of breathtaking natural beauty and inspiring temples, to Luang Prabang, Laos with one of the most beautifully preserved French colonial towns in Asia to Cambodia and the ancient temples of Angkor set in lush jungle greenery. Southeast Asia has something for everyone.
To add your name to the 2014 wait list or 2015 interest list, click here then select the wait list tab.
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Amazing Myanmar
February 17 - March 3, 2014 with Karl Grobl - only 2 spaces left!
Join us as we explore what is perhaps the least discovered country in Southeast Asia and is truly one of the few "authentic" destinations there. Our itinerary includes Yangon's Schwedagon Pagoda, the ancient city of Bagan where the landscape is dotted with more than one thousand temples, and Inle Lake wherein life seemingly unchanged for centuries. Each location affords a wide variety of photographic opportunities including street photography, landscape photography, environmental portraiture and still life.
To view the full itinerary or to reserve your spot, click here
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As recommended in the 2010 Moon Handbooks
Baja guidebook:
Baja Gray Whales Tour
February 18-25, 2014 with Jim Cline - trip full, wait list available
We'll spend three days on the lagoon photographing the whales, plus two days photographing the desert scenery in Catavina, and two days in the quaint town of San Ignacio, home to Baja's most beautiful missions and friendly people. Over the last few years, we've had curious whales come right up to our boat!
To check out some of the scenes we saw on a previous trip click here To add your name to the 2014 wait list or 2015 interest list, click here then select the wait list tab.
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Vietnam Explorer
March 18 - April 1, 2014 with Karl Grobl - only 2 spaces left!
Southeast Asia's "skinniest country" Vietnam is a country rich with photographic opportunities. The diverse landscape includes the roughly 1000 mile long and beautiful coastline, magnificent mountain ranges and karstic rock formations to capture the eye. Newly developing in the modern world, traditional lifestyles are still very part of daily life of the Vietnamese. There is no doubt that Vietnam offers the adventurous traveler a unique opportunity to experience and photograph an exciting mix of landscapes, people, places, philosophies, cuisines, crafts, and religions.
To view tour details, or to book the remaining spots click here
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Exploring Historic Central Europe:
Berlin, Prague, Budagest & Krakow
May 3-16, 2014 with Ralph Velasco - trip full, wait list available
Join award-winning travel photographer, author and international tour guide Ralph Velasco as you discover five of Central Europe's most exciting and photogenic cities; Berlin, Prague, Krakow, Bratislava, and Budapest. Ralph's personal knowledge of these cities will surely make for some great photo opportunities.
To add your name to the wait list or September 2014 interest list click here t hen select the wait list tab.
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The Philippines
 May 17-31, 2014 with Karl Grobl
The Philippines is the hidden gem of Southeast Asia. It boasts a fantastic landscape including its amazing rice terraces, colonial architecture and palm-fringed, white-sand beaches on a scale and beauty that one might have expected to find in Hawaii decades ago. Beyond the scenic beauty, you'll find it's the Filipinos themselves who make the country such a joy to visit. Photo friendly and full of smiles, the people open themselves and their lives to visitors on a scale only matched by places like India and Myanmar.
For more information on this tour and to reserve your spot, click here. |
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Peru - Machu Picchu & the Sacred
Valley of the Incas
May 21-31, 2014 with Jim Cline - trip full, wait list available
Peru deserves its reputation as a mystical travel destination: From the beautiful colonial gem of Cuzco, to the incredible Inca site at Machu Picchu, to the Sacred Valley surrounded by the Andes, beauty abounds. With its picturesque towns and Majestic Inca ruins, to Lake Titicaca, with its traditional inhabitants living on islands on the lake, Peru is home to an incredible mix of photo opportunities.
To add your name to the wait list or September 2014 interest list click here then select the wait list tab.
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Angkor Photo Workshop
 July 12-26, 2014 with Karl Grobl The purpose of this hands-on instructional workshop is to push yourself to the limits of your ability and imagination, to have an outstanding and unusual cultural experience and to enjoy and learn from the company of others. The workshop includes a multitude of activities including lectures, one-on-one instruction, critiques, assignments, and exploration of all things photographic. During the course of the workshop you will learn new skills and techniques, then apply them in real-life situations. Your results will be reviewed and then you will go back out and improve your craft. If you're looking to improve your photography skills in a big way, this workshop is for you.
For more information or to add your name to the interest list for this tour, click here.
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Guatemala; the Living Maya
 November 2014 with Jim Cliine
From the Spanish Colonial town of Antigua, to volcano-ringed Lake Atitlán, to the many wonderful little villages and their energetic markets filled with indigenous locals in their colorful dress, you'll find plenty of subjects to explore with your camera in Guatemala.
The Mayan traditions are alive and well in this sometimes mysterious and always captivating country.
For more information or to add your name to the interest list for this tour, click here. |
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Tours in the works ~ interest lists forming
For the tours below which sound enticing to you, just email us to be included in the initial tour launch. Those on the list will be emailed first, once the trip is open for booking.
Summer in Spain
Tentatively in June 2014 with Ralph Velasco
Peru, Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley
September 2014 with Jim Cline
Amazing Myanmar
September 6 - 20, 2014 with Karl Grobl
Southern India
including Kochi, Madurai & Chennai
October 2014 with Karl Grobl
Yucatan: The Mayan World
Tentatively in winter 2015 with Jim Cline
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Participant Spotlight
 | | "Novice Priest Before Entering Monastery" by Theo Goodwin. Best color print for the 2nd quarter competition with Sierra Camera Club, Sacramento. Theo also has solo show of his work in Sacramento titled "Portraits of Guatemala" with photos taken on our 2013 Guatemala photo tour. |
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 | | "Mayan Shirt Seller" by Joan Saba. Best Image of the Year from the Baltimore Photo Club. Photo taken on our 2012 Guatemala trip. |
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 | | "Daily Lessons" by Barb Earles. Second Place at the 74th Annual Photo Competition of the Iowa State Fair. Taken on our Feb. 2013 Myanmar photo tour. |
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 | | "Evening Prayers" by Dean Teeter. Best in Show - Adult Category, 74th Annual Photo Competition of the Iowa State Fair. Taken on our Feb. 2013 Myanmar photo tour. |
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 | | "Jump into the Action" by Bonnie Stewart. Editor's Pick, 2013 National Geographic Photo Contest. Taken on our Sep. 2012 Myanmar photo tour. |
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 | | "Girls with Poster" by Karen Levy. Selected Artist, World Affairs Council 2013 Global Visions photo exhibit. Taken on our 2013 Philippines photo tour. |
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Jim Cline Photo Tours LLC
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Who we are:
Where to find us:
info at jimcline dot com
11387 Ocean Ridge Way
San Diego, California 92130
(858) 350-1314
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2014 Journey Down Baja Calendar |
Last year, Jim and his friend, Jim Hendricks, put together a calendar to highlight the beauty of the Baja Peninsula. They decided to do it again for 2014. The calendar is an 11x14 sized art calendar. In addition to the beautiful photos, each month includes a paragraph or two written by Jim (Cline) about the area featured that month. Jim's love of Baja is evident throughout. For more information or to purchase your copy, click on the photo above or use this link: www.TheBajaCalendar.com
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Testimonials!
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We are very proud of
the testimonials we've received.
I hope you'll take a look at
what some of our participants
have had to say about
our tours. Click here to read or take a look below.
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Recent Newsletters
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(click on month to view)
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Karl's Blog
In spite of his busy schedule, Karl does a great job of keeping his blog up to date. You can follow him on his journeys at his blog address:
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We're in Rough Guides! | 
We are already listed in Moon Handbooks and Frommer's guidebooks. Now we have been written up in Rough Guides as well!
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"This Philippines trip was Fantastic- ranked as a 10 [most favorable]! It was a life-changing/enhancing experience for me, as I tend to be a traveler with trepidations. I enjoyed the people in our group, many were more advanced, and very generous to me with tips and instruction. And, of course, there was much learning from viewing the work of the others. The local guides were helpful and Karl is a great guy. We were well taken care of. Throughout the trip, I really enjoyed meeting, conversing with, and photographing the Filipinos. They ware warm, congenial, and handsome. I particularly liked photographing the children, and shot some great pictures. Thanks for the opportunity." -Lawrence Ballon, tour participant 2013 "Karl was Awesome! I learned a lot from him that really helped me a lot. I knew after a few days that I would want to go on another trip with Karl leading in the future. He is a very talented photographer and at the same time genuine and extremely conscious of the group's well being and enjoyment. I was very impressed with how the tour was handled from the start - very organized, well run, and Karl is very experienced in the country. I want to return to India because the photography is just too awesome." -Jennifer Dooley, India tour participant
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"Our trip was absolutely fantastic! It exceeded all expectations, and mine were quite high. I can't wait to travel with you again. Jim was the best ever and the local guides were excellent, very knowledgeable and fun too.
This trip definitely offered a good value for what we paid, for example, I couldn't believe the high quality of the food and I liked all the hotels, they were good choices in great locations. I'm happy with the pictures I took. Thank you for a fabulous trip!"
~Judy Bonderman, Peru tour participant 2013 |
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"Your 2012 Chiapas Tour was an incredible photographic experience, beyond my greatest expectations. Critical to our enjoyment was the meticulous attention to planning, organization and execution regarding your selection of the quality hotel accommodations, restaurants and local guides. The combination of your proficiency with the Spanish language and inter-personal skills, resulted with a unique inter-action with the local people and many fabulous photo opportunities throughout our journey. Now, I realize why you have attracted so many repeat participants from your other amazing tours, as was evident with your Chiapas venue."
~Chapman Soloman, Mountain View, California
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"Just so you know, when we got off the airplane in Atlanta, I wanted to turn around immediately and go back to Peru. That's how much I enjoyed your wonderful trip. Thank you so much for everything that you did for us."
~Carol Rothschild, Peru tour participant
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"I wanted to thank you and Karl for putting together such phenomenal trip to Vietnam. I am so excited about my pictures and I have been able to produce shots I never imagined I could. Karl was so on-target with teaching all of us new ways to
use the camera and it made the
experience so enjoyable."
~Anietra Hamper, Vietnam
tour participant
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"We are definitely hooked on your tours and adored traveling around with Karl in Southeast Asia. I do believe that along with being among the most charming of 'fearless leaders' , Karl ranks among the top of the most patient, kind, well organized and competent people I have ever traveled with."
~Nina Hauser & Widd Schmidt, Thailand, Laos & Cambodia tour participants |
"I have to give Karl a TON of credit, my photographs are so hugely improved after your course (Angkor Photo Workshop), like night and day, I still cannot thank you enough for putting together such an amazing Cambodia program."
~Jenny Krasner,
Angkor Photo Workshops participant |
"I want to let you know how much fun we had on the Copper Canyon tour. Ralph was a great leader and got us to a lot of interesting places...The train ride was relaxing and shooting out the backs of the cars gave us many opportunities to capture the small stations along the route. The Tarahumara people are especially colorful to photograph and their handicrafts were beautiful and inexpensive... I hope that next year that the tour participants will have as great of time as we did."
~Ed Fitzgerald, Copper Canyon participant
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"It was exciting, an adventure (and) this was not the first photo trip that I have taken, but by far Karl was the best leader and instructor that I have ever encountered... This was a memorable trip to an unforgettable country.... I loved having the time and freedom to photograph on my own and not be compelled to "stay with the group" as on other tours-but if I needed help Karl was right there to help....There was not a single disappointment! The whole experience was wonderful. India is a total assault on the senses-sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, colors, crowds-absolutely exhilarating! A photographer's paradise.... I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to take this trip. We were introduced to an India that I don't think most tourists see with their regimented itineraries. It was an intense photographic experience and far exceeded my expectations. Well done!"
~Sing Baker, India trip participant |
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"The trip was phenomenal!!!! In every respect the photo tour surpassed my expectations. This was largely due to the expertise that Jim and Karl have in arranging and guiding these incredibly unique an customized tours."
~Bonnie Stewart - Myanmar tour particpant |
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