I hope this finds you well. I'm enjoying a break from my travels after my Yucatan scouting trip, before I head off to Peru. Karl will be wrapping up his first "Holy Week in the Philippines" photo tour next week. Up next for him is a much deserved break before his Angkor Photo Workshop in July. As always, you can visit his blog to see photos from his recent tours. Ralph is making his way from North Africa to Germany to lead our inaugural "Exploring Historic Central Europe" photo tour.
We have been busy planning new trips for the 2015 and 2016. In early 2015, I'll be running my Yucatan: The Mayan World photo tour and Karl will be leading our Southern India photo tour. In the spring, we'll be offering our "Turkey: Bridging Two Continents" photo tour which will be lead by Ralph. To see what we're working on for 2016, take a look at the bottom of this newsletter.
I hope to see you on one of our tours, soon!
Cheers,
Jim
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Trip participant galleries are here!
This is something we've wanted to implement for a some time, and it's finally a reality! We now have a site where trip participants can share images they have created while traveling with us. We have already launched a few galleries from our most-recent trips and will be adding more as the year progresses. To take a look, click here or go to JimCline.smugmug.com
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Photo Tours and Workshops this year
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Exploring Historic Central Europe: Berlin, Prague, Budapest & Kraków
May 3-16, 2014 with Ralph Velasco
Trip full, waitlist available.
To add your name to the waitlist for this tour click here, or scroll down for information on our September 2014 tour, which still has space available.
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Peru: Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley of the Incas
May 21-31, 2014 with Jim Cline
Trip full, waitlist available
To add your name to the waitlist for 2014 or interest list for 2015, click here.
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Angkor Photo Workshop July 12 - 26, 2014 with Karl Grobl
Trip full, waitlist available
To add your name to the wait list for this tour, click here.
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Exploring Historic Central Europe: Berlin, Prague, Budapest & Kraków
August 30 - September 12, 2014 with Ralph Velasco
Join award-winning travel photographer, author & international tour guide, Ralph Velasco, as you discover five of Central Europe's most exciting and photogenic cities: Berlin, Prague, Kraków, Bratislava and Budapest. Ralph's personal knowledge of these cities will provide participants with advantageous photo ops.
For more information or reserve a space, click here.
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Amazing Myanmar
September 6-20, 2014 with Karl Grobl
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 itinerary and reserve a space, click here.
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Ensenada/Tecate 3 Day Photo Tour/Workshop
October 11-13, 2014 with Jim Cline
There are a great variety of photographic subjects on this trip for just 3 days - the colorful fish market, sea-lions, mariachis, seascapes, vendors and their products, local people, the beautiful Riviera Cultural Center (formerly a casino owned by boxer Jack Dempsey), a boat trip in the morning light in the working harbor, wineries with wine-tasting, a very rustic pottery factory, and finally the tranquil town of Tecate with its typical Mexican plaza. Also during the trip, Jim will give slide show lectures on creating more dynamic photographs and on maximizing your results with digital cameras.
To view Jim's images from our January 2014 trip, click here. To take a look at some of the testimonials we received from the same trip, click here.
For the tour itinerary or to reserve a space click here.
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Bhutan-Nepal Photo Expedition
October 12 - 24, 2014 with Ralph Velasco
Bhutan provides the intrepid photographer with a unique and fascinating variety of photographic and cultural experiences and remains perhaps one of the last places on earth where can experience true Himalayan culture, seemingly unchanged for centuries. Throughout the tour, you'll find the people of Bhutan exude calm, openness, warmth and happiness. In Nepal we'll visit and photograph many of the most important and photogenic areas, including Swayambunath, the monkey temple, Kathmandu's Durbar Square, Bhaktapur,"The City of Devotees", Bouddhanth, a colossal ancient Stupa and Pashupatinath, the temple of Lord Shiva and many more intriguing spots.
For more information, or to reserve your space, click here.
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India: Pushkar & Rajasthan
Oct 23 - Nov 6, 2014 with Karl Grobl
Trip full - waitlist available
To add your name to the waitlist for 2014 or the Interest list for 2015, click here.
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Day of the Dead in Oaxaca October 27 - November 3, 2014 with Jim Cline
Trip full, waitlist available.
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Guatemala: The Living Maya
November 14-24, 2014 with Jim Cline - only 2 spaces left!
From the Spanish Colonial town of Antigua, to volcano-ringed Lake Atitlįn, to the many wonderful little villages and their energetic markets filled with indigenous locals in 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.
To view the itinerary and reserve a space,
click here.
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2015 Photo Tours and Workshops
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Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
January 17 - February 1, 2015 with Karl Grobl
This adventurous tri-country tour begins in Bangkok, Thailand's bustling capitol city, where we will explore the Grand Palace, cruise the canals, photograph vendors in the floating markets, and much more! Then it's off to northern Thailand, where we get to know and photograph hill tribes. A two-day boat journey is next, traversing and photographing largely unexplored areas down the mysterious Mekong River, while en route to Luang Prabang, Laos. Once there, we'll photograph its green hills and gold temples, and see hundreds of Buddhist monks take their morning alms walk through town. A flight to Cambodia will position our group in the bustling fascinating capitol city of Phnom Penh. Then it's onto Siem Reap, Cambodia to explore and photograph Angkor, a stunning ancient collection of over 100 temples set against the dramatic backdrop of lush jungle greenery and verdant fields.
To view the itinerary and reserve a space,
click here.
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Yucatan: The Mayan World
January 30 - February 9, 2015 with Jim Cline
The Yucatan peninsula is an area of natural wonders and a fascinating history, being the initial home of the great Mayan civilization. This photo tour offers the chance to photograph the Mayan ruins / archeological sites of Chichen Itza, (declared one of the New 7 Wonders of the World) Uxmal, and Tulum. The beautiful capital city of Merida, with its bustling plazas and colonial buildings and churches is also a noteworthy stop. We'll relax on the white, pristine beaches on the shores of the turquoise Caribbean Sea, and explore underground cave systems filled with stalactites and crystalline fresh water. This trip offers a wide variety of photography opportunities both on ancient lands, and the sea.
To view full details and reserve a space,
click here.
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Southern India
February 19 - March 4, 2015 with Karl Grobl
Trip full, waitlist available. To add your name to the wait or interest list, click here.
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Baja Gray Whales
February 24 - March 3, 2015 with Jim Cline
Every winter, thousands of California gray whales and their newborn calves migrate to Baja California. On this most memorable tour, you'll have the chance to view the whales as they blow, sound, mate, and calve in their natural habitat, sometimes within feet of the our boat! Also awaiting us is Baja's most spectacular desert scenery, the Catavina Boulderfields, where we'll shoot the world's tallest cactus, a wide variety of photogenic desert flora and massive granite boulders. Rounding out this tour is the charming palm oasis town of San Ignacio with a colonial atmosphere, friendly inhabitants, and one of the most beautiful missions in Baja.
To view the itinerary and reserve a space,
click here.
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Vietnam Explorer
March 17 - 31, 2015 with Karl Grobl
Trip full, waitlist available
To add your name to the wait list
,
click here.
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Turkey: Bridging Two Continents
April 18 - 30, 2015 with Ralph Velasco
This intriguing tour begins in Istanbul, where participants will experience and photograph many renowned sites- including the Basilica Cistern and magnificent Hagia Sophia. We'll cruise the Bosphorus, visit Ephesus -the largest ancient city ever uncovered and explore the deep canyons and fertile valleys of Cappadocia (via optional hot air balloon if you'd like), as well as other important, historical sites of the Ottoman Empire. Photo opportunities will be vast; from the local people, farms and villages, to breathtaking landscapes, to the fascinating architecture of the Byzantine era not to mention the world's largest bazaar. This trip is one not to be missed.
For full details or to reserve your space, click here.
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Tours in the works ~ interest lists forming
If any of the tours below are of interest to you, send us an email and you'll be notified when more information becomes available.
2015
Philippines
with Karl Grobl in May - June
Chiapas
with Jim Cline in November
2016
Colonial Mexico: Land of the Aztecs: Highlights of Mexico City, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende
with Jim Cline
The Wonders of Baja: Cabo San Lucas, La Paz,
Loreto and Mulege
with Jim Cline
Holy Week in the Philippines
with Karl Grobl in April
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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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Photography Seminar
Jim will be giving the one hour version of his "Secrets of Successful Travel Photography" seminar on Saturday, June 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA. It will take place at the Photography Exhibit in the Main Grandstand. Admission is free with paid admission to the fair. It will be informative and fun, and the photo exhibit is terrific every year!
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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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New Website!
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JimClinePhotoTours.com is up and running. It offers a more streamlined and functional experience for you. (For those of you that take multiple trips with us, you now have the option to create an account that will store all of your pertinent information so you won't have to enter it every time you sign up for a trip.) We hope you'll take a look (and bookmark) the new site and let us know what you think!
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Past Newsletters
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(click on month to view)
September 2013
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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!
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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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"Thank you for a marvelous trip, it was fantastic! The photo opportunities were excellent and varied; I got some shots that I'm very happy with and my photography improved. Jim did a great job of attending to people's needs both photographic and logistic. The local guides that Jim works with provided a great deal of information and both were congenial and really seemed to be involved in the group's activities. If someone wants a vital experience with another culture, solid instruction photographing people and places in that milieu and an out-and-out good time, this is the trip to take."
- Louis Sasso, Peru tour participant
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"Karl, you are an experienced leader and run a great trip. I see why you have a loyal following. i appreciate the help and photo advice. All I had to do was listen and remember when to show up. I think taking people pictures will be easier for me now."
-Chuck Thompson, Vietnam tour participant |
"It was a great trip, Jim was wonderful. He was well prepared, patient and has a
good sense of humor. He was very easy to travel with; I feel like I'm traveling with a friend. The individual attention is so valuable...I learned several things ... that helped me to get better photos. I really liked the opportunity to interact with and photograph the locals. Jim's many relationships with locals is what makes the trips special and will keep me coming back again and again. Jim did a great job."
-Terri Huizinga, Guatemala tour participant
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"There are many choices for photo tours to India, but I felt this [tour] was well-priced. The locations were ideal for northern India and Karl's photographic expertise and personality made this THE only choice for me."
-Barbara Colbert - India tour participant |
"The Day of the Dead festival was truly amazing. I am definitely traveling with you again. The tour was perfect and Jim was great; really easy going, organized, attentive and generous. I enjoyed everything being centered around photography and travelling with other photographers. Jim would let us be if we wanted ,and if we wanted more instruction, he was there to help. I learned a lot (technique and equipment-wise) and got shots that I was really happy with. I had a great time ... and would definitely recommend this trip to my friends."
-Chantal Levesque, Oaxaca-Day of the Dead participant |
"My overall feedback: Outstanding! Extraordinary value and highly recommended. I have never been on a photo workshop that offered so many different photographic opportunities in such a short period without feeling rushed: coastal scenery, colorful fish markets, harbor scenes, and markets; underground winery bottle and barrel storage; night photography overlooking a harbor and later of neon signs against setting sun; pottery factory lit by rays of light through eerily dusty interior; urban and rural landscapes; colorfully attired cultural events; and wildlife in seals and birds on a dawn harbor cruise. The trip was paced well, offered a good selection of food and accommodation; clean, comfortable van and driver used. Excellent knowledge of the area was shared by trip leader Jim, who has personal relationships with many of the locals we encountered. I will go with this trip leader again."
-Dale Thompson, Ensenada/Tecate tour participant
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"This is my second time traveling with you [Jim], and as before, I had a marvelous time. Your planning and execution of the itinerary is excellent. Your knowledge of the area and the personal relationships with the people there truly make your trips exceptional. It all adds up to a truly enjoyable travel and photographic experience. Thus, I always highly recommend you to anyone with interest in the areas that you visit. I'll look forward to traveling with you again at some point in time. Thank you!"
-Rita Florea, Chiapas tour participant
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"There is no way that this trip would have been so wonderful if it wasn't for all Karl's efforts on all of our behalf; his taking the time to teach, and his ability to be even handed at all times. He opened our eyes to photography in such a way and in such a short time. We feel that we got way more than we expected from the tour and Karl. We were deeply indebted to all the work done to make that trip (and every other trip) as satisfying as possible."
-George & Joan Saba, India Pushkar participants
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...One of the things I love about trips through Jim Cline is the standard of food and accommodation. After a day in the mud or dust of the streets of Asia or bumping over rough rails or roads, it is such a pleasure to retreat to a private and comfortable space!
I don't think you can do better than with a trip with Karl and Jim Cline photo tours."
-Ursula Wall, multi-trip participant |
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"I loved the trip and it was packed full of fun places to see with excellent photography instruction. The trip was not too long either which sometimes is really nice. Short, sweet and jam-packed full of learning! I liked the selection of places visited where the photo opportunities were terrific: the fish market, the evening view of Ensenada, the harbor cruise, the blow hole and markets, the winery, pottery factory, roadside tamale shops and the Tecate sign.
Jim was so helpful both in his presentation and while we were shooting. I liked learning new camera techniques and the opportunity to use a tripod. I got some great shots and learned so many techniques. The visit to the art gallery where Jim's photos were displayed was excellent. Talking about how each picture was captured was extremely valuable.
Again, it was a short trip so not everything can be accomplished and I thought Jim did a remarkable job packing in so much. Jim was terrific and made such an effort to be sure EVERYONE was happy. He wanted everyone to enjoy the trip and to learn new things about photography and he took every effort to make this happen. He has a great sense of humor and was flexible but kept the program on time.
I thought the entire trip was great -- definitely a TEN [highest]! Absolutely I feel the tour is good value for the money and would absolutely suggest it to others. Jim Cline provides high quality tours [4x tour participant] with loads of photography instruction, individual help, wonderful places to see, and Jim succeed to get our group to these places at the right time of day for the best pictures. Thank you." -Bonnie Stewart, Ensenada/Tecate tour participant
"I would rate the trip as an 11 (out of 10)! Karl could not have been better guide, and the local guide was great. I definitely improved my photography skills. I really enjoyed the cultural experience, seeing the sites, smelling the smells, being in the mix as much a big American could be in Myanmar. I had a great time and received good value for the money." -Kit Smith, tour participant
"It was a wonderful trip and it certainly exceeded all my expectations from each photo shoot, every hotel, our local Indian guide, Dv, the pace...all contributed to the success of the trip. Best of all, Karl was a most accommodating, patient, instructive, talented, good-natured, entertaining, tireless leader AND definitely well-connected. My only regret was not going on the extension. Thanks for everything." -Sally Bucko Pushkar tour paricipant
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