A Month In The Life Of A Flying Fish

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

20/05/2008 - A Month In The Life Of A Flying Fish

Every once in a while someone will ask me "What makes you a Flying Fish?"

The answer to the first part of this question is simple; I have been called "Fish" since I was a young child. It is a nickname that has stuck with me throughout my life.

What makes me a "Flying Fish?" Rather than tell you what makes me a "Flying Fish," I'd rather review my last month of work and let you find our for yourself.

From 4-April to 4-May, In the course of shooting assignments and other commissioned photo projects, I flew 32,306 miles; crossed the Atlantic Ocean 3 times; crossed the North American Continent 3 times; crossed the Pacific Ocean once; crossed through Immigrations 9 times; flew through 7 countries; flew on airlines bearing the flags of five different nations (from three different continents); shot projects in 12 cities; worked on three continents..............and in one trip during this month, I flew completely around the world in 3.5 days, shooting projects in four cities, in four countries, on three continents.

My experience as a business traveler is fairly extensive. My travel is diverse from short-haul regional flights, to frequent 'mid-haul' transcontinental travel and extremely hectic long-haul intercontinental flights. Along the way I have paid attention, taken notes and most of all watched, waited and watched some more.

Coupling my in-depth knowledge of traveling as a commercial airline passenger with the information I gained while working as a news photographer, having spent 3.5 years documenting 'homeland security' both domestically and abroad, I have created an extensive personal data base of information. Now, I pass along this information to the public in an effort to make everyone's life just a little bit easier when heading to the airport to catch a flight to the see a loved one a few hundred miles away or a new client half-way around the world.

For you new readers of Flying With Fish......Welcome!

For you readers familiar with Flying With Fish, thanks for your support. There are some new things I have in the works for the future and I hope you stick around to see them as I start to roll them out.


For those of you interested in my work, outside of Flying With Fish, I am ending this post with 15 images from my work between the 4th of April 2008 and the 4th of May 2008. These images are all dated and posted in chronological order.

.........and now it's time to pack for the next trip. In two days I take off for a 16,000+ mile journey to photograph a wedding in Hong Kong. The total time I'll be away for this trip? 70 hours round-trip.


Happy Flying!

--Click Images To Enlarge Them--















.....and the last photo shot this month is shot by me (with the aid of a timer), of me, sleeping on a very comfortable couch at Amsterdam-Schiphol Int'l Airport (AMS).

Tell Me Your Best Packing Tips & Win A PacSafe Carry Safe 100 Camera Strap!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

14/04/2008 - Tell Me Your Best Packing Tips & Win A PacSafe Carry Safe 100 Camera Strap!

I spent last Friday afternoon with the folks at PacSafe in their Global Headquarters in Hong Kong. During this meeting I had an excellent opportunity to provide PacSafe's executives with some real world insight into ways they can improve on their excellent camera straps, and on creating practical camera bags for photographers on the road and in the field.

As a result of my meeting with PacSafe they have generously offered me the opportunity to pass along some of their products to you folks who read Flying With Fish!

I could just run a simple contest, but this site is all about educating those who work on the road, and also passing information onto the occasional traveler as well. In an effort to add to the educational content of Flying With Fish, rather than running a contest I've decided to go with the topic I discussed with PacSafe for the first giveaway. This topic is packing tips. Mundane? Nope, practical!

E-Mail your favourite packing tips to: traveltips@flyingwithfish.com , and the top three best packing tips will not only be posted on Flying With Fish, but if your tip is selected you will receive a PacSafe Carry Safe 100 strap!

I will select the three winners on Tuesday, 22-April-2008.

Happy Flying!

Airline Merger Creates The World's Largest Airline : Saying Goodbye To An Airline I've Had A Love/Hate Relationship With

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

14/04/2008 - Airline Merger Creates The World's Largest Airline : Saying Goodbye To An Airline I've Had A Love/Hate Relationship With

Well, some of us have been waiting for this day for quite some time. We've been watching the all the potential out comes,wondered about fleet integration, but the day has arrived today, the 14th of April.

What is this day? Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines have announced their merger. Pending government approval Northwest Airlines will no longer exist, and Delta will become the world's largest airline.

No merger goes smoothly. Delta and Northwest have been part of the same airline alliance which helps, they both fly a significant Boeing 757 fleet, which will make seat maps more confusing,but it makes front line service easier. Delta and Northwest even shared Terminal 2 at New York's JFK International Airport for years,and still share a terminal at New York's LaGuardia, after that the similarities end. The two airline pilots unions did not agree to the merge and cannot agree on seniority issues, there are overlapping "hub" issues, and of course the merging of employees, the consolidating of flight schedules, the merge of frequent flyer programs, the handling of reservations, etc etc.

How does any of this really affect you? Well, for those of you who have purchased tickets very far in advance on either Delta or Northwest need to start checking your flights as this merger gets closer and closer to coming together in reality. The two airlines will merge fleets, they will divest routes, trim overlapping schedules and this will mean we as travelers will face reduced capacity on our flights. Reduced capacity means less seats are higher fares. One factor that the Government will look at when approving (or denying) this merger is the monopoly of routes and the elimination of jobs. So this is not set in stone, but most airline mergers who get the far, with this much preparation, don't get denied

On the global scale this merge is massive. Northwest Airlines has a long established relationship with KLM. The relationship is so close they fly an aircraft fleet that can almost entirely be integrated, they both have their Business Class names "World Business Class," they both use Amsterdam (AMS) as their main Euro hub, their web sites are interlinked as well as various other integration points that make them a full working partner that manages to avoid Antitrust laws.

On a larger scale KLM is owned by Air France (Air France-KLM). Air France is likely to invest as much as it legally can in the "new" Delta after the merge. Delta, Northwest, KLM, Air France are four of the eleven member of Sky Team (well 10 members once DL and NW merge, well 9 members if you count KLM and Air France as one airline....hmmmm). This makes the world of looking for competitive airfares a little more difficult for those of you shopping for flights.

So Long Northwest. You've Been Loved. You've Been Hated. You'll Be Missed.

Flying With Fish Really Takes Off In The First Quarter Of 2008!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

01/04/2008 - Flying With Fish Really Takes Off In The First Quarter Of 2008!

April Fools Day, normally a day for playing tricks, but for me it is a day to look back at the first quarter of 2008. So far all I can say is..................Wow, what a great start to 2008 Flying With Fish has experienced!

When Flying With Fish was first conceived of and placed online in December of 2006 it was as a small knowledge base for a handful of photographers. Throughout 2007 Flying With Fish stayed under most people's radar as a small site with basic information. My goal half-way-through 2007 was to help 50-100 flying photogs per day if I was lucky..............it seems my site has grown well beyond it's original purpose and it's message has started to reach the masses.

Looking back at the 1st quarter of 2008, starting on January 1st 2008, Flying With Fish has been written up and recognized by some significant publications and web sites for photographers. This is a quick look back at 2008's first quarter "press" for Flying With Fish:

January 1st 20008 : Written up on the Strobist (I love reading David Hobby's Strobist site)
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-years-day-notes.html

January 11 2008 : Written up on Popular Photography's web site
http://flash.popphoto.com/blog/2008/01/what-the-travel.html

January 11 2008 : Written up by Scott Kelby on his Blog. Scott is the editor and publisher of Photoshop User Magazine (I am also a big fan of Scott's Blog)
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2008/archives/901

February 2008 : The National Press Photographers Associations magazine "News Photographer" writes up Flying With Fish as a resource for photogs on the road.

February 1 2008 : Popular Photography asked me to respond to their "reader mail"
http://flash.popphoto.com/blog/2008/02/letter-of-the-4.html

March 7 2008 : Scott Kelby chose to write up my No Jet Lag Photo Workshops
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2008/archives/1122

March 29 2008 : I was interviewed live on Photo Talk Radio about traveling as a photog. You can click the link to hear my segment!
http://phototalkradio.com/media/ptr080329b.mp3

April 2008 (OK, April is the start of the 2nd quarter) : Popular Photography has a small write up extolling the virtues of Flying With Fish (check out page 16)........Sweet!!


I'd like to thank all of you regular readers and you first time readers. It's nice to know folks out there appreciate the time and effort I put into Flying With Fish. My goal is simple, to keep photogs on the road informed. If my information can help inform those who aren't not traveling photogs it's just a nice bonus for me. I strive to keep the information on this site updated and relevant to both first time flyers and experienced road warriors.

For those of you interested diving head first into an intensive learning experience for photogs on the road, and those want to learn more about being a photog on the road, checkout the Flying With Fish No Jet Lag Workshops. The No Jet Lag Workshop proceeds go towards keeping this site free, and free of advertising. You can learn more about the No Jet Lag Workshops at www.comeflywithfish.com

As always, if you have any questions or a topic suggestion, drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com

Happy Flying!

Flying With Fish On Photo Talk Radio - Tomorrow, March 29th Starting at 8:00am PST/11:00am EST

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

28/03/2008 - Flying With Fish On Photo Talk Radio - Tomorrow, March 29th Starting at 8:00am PST/11:00am EST


Tomorrow morning, Saturday March 29th, you'll have the opportunity to call into Photo Talk Radio and ask me questions about traveling as a photographer live!

I have been asked to be the featured guest on Photo Talk Radio during their hour long program from 8:00am PST/11:00am EST. You can listen to Photo Talk Radio live online at http://www.phototalkradio.com/ptr080329.html , and even see galleries of my image. The majority of the images in my gallery on Photo Talk Radio's site are of my travel equipment and how I pack my bags

This is a call in show, with a toll free number for listeners in the United States and Canada, so don't be bashful, call up and ask me your questions.......I'm yours for the hour!

Happy Flying!

Travel Rituals and Superstitions

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

03/02/08 - Travel Rituals and Superstitions

The more I travel the more I find my travel habits are less like habits and more like rituals and superstitions.

The more I travel the more I realize these different idiosyncrasies that manifest themselves during my packing process and my travel process. For starters there is my wife's favourite ritual........the batteries. I will charge and check my batteries obsessively before a trip. I can be taking a 50min flight down to Philadelphia (PHL) for 3 hours on the ground or taking a 4 day, 20,000 mile journey around the world, and I will do the same obsessive checking and rechecking of my batteries.

Once my bag of gear has been laid out, inventoried checked, rechecked and packed, I will check my bag's contents probably 3 or 4 more time before I walk out the door. Why? I have no idea, I know my kit is complete when I walk out the door, from gum to DVDs to laptop and cameras and gaffers tape, I know it is all in there. Does that stop me from waking up at 1:00am to stick my head in the bag again? Nope.

When I have an early flight in the morning and I am waking up between 3:00am and 9:00am to catch a flight I will get out of bed at least a dozen times over the span of 15 minutes to check the alarm and make sure it is on and the time is correct. I'll get in bed, pull the covers up, stick my head on the pillow and promptly pop back up , walk across the room and check that the alarm is on and the time is correct again.

Once I have arrived at the airport I have few rituals or superstitions. The one consistent ritual that has taken place on every single flight I have taken since late 1991 is listening to the same song. As soon as I get into my seat I cue up the start of Van Halen's "Top of he World." It was a tape at first, then a CD, now an iPod, but it's always the same song, in the same spot ready to go...........ready to go for what? I'll tell you. As soon as I hear the engines go full-speed-ahead once we're on the runway, the break gets released and I can feel the plane starting to roll down the runway I hit play. Every flight, no matter how short the flight, no matter what, the plane
starts to roll and all I hear is Van Halen's "Top of the World."

I figure I have always listened to "Top of the World" and none of my flights have had anything go terribly wrong. Why change this ritualistic superstition, right?

What are your rituals and superstitions? Come on, you know you have some, post them in the comments and let's hear 'em!

Below is a YouTube video of Van Halen's "Top of the World"

Happy Flying!

Buy Girl Scout Cookies For The Troops Overseas

10/01/08 - Buy Girl Scout Cookies For The Troops Overseas

Do you love Girl Scout Cookies? Want to bring a smile to Troops serving in the Military overseas? Consider purchasing Girl Scout Cookies to be donated to those serving in the Military!

My daughter Lauren just came home with her first packet of Girl Scout Cookies (she's a Brownie Scout) and would love to have people purchase these cookies to be donated to the Troops who are away from home.

Sometimes it's the small simple pleasures of home that make those serving far away from home happy...........and one box of cookies can bring a smile to a Serviceman or Servicewoman serving tour of duty half-way around the world.

If you'd like to help Lauren in her goal of selling 100 boxes of cookies to be donated to The Troops , drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com or e-mail Lauren directly at lauren@fishfoto.com

Cookies are US $4.00 per box by check. For PayPal users, the cost is US$4.42 per box.

All checks (which are preferred) would be made out directly to the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and all PayPal payments will go directly to the Girl Scouts of Connecticut as well.

Thanks.........and Happy Flying!

-Fish

31-December-2007 : So Long 2007

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

31-December-2007 : So Long 2007!

It's been a fun first year for Flying With Fish and discussing airlines, travel and packing for the photographer on the road.

As 2008 approaches in a few hours I am still looking over my plans for the new year change my blog up a little bit. The first change you'll notice? My headlines will no longer have dates in them. Following that, I am planning to post weekly on a regular basis , I'm going to try and add a links post on a regular basis. I am still sorting out how I'll do this, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. The big change? If possible, I am going to try and add some video to my Blog. At first I am probably going to make basic videos on packing equipment and condensing what you need to travel with. From there? Who knows.

2007 saw the birth of my 3rd child Simon, my daughter Lauren turning seven (and you fantastic folks donating to her walk to fund research for Juvenile Diabetes) and my 2nd child Max turning 3 and continuing his obsession with trains. 2007 also was my first round-the-world sprint, where I flew around The Globe one-and-a-half times in 5 days in a single legal carry on backpack. For traveling and packing this year saw my switch from traditional camera bag companies Lowe Pro and Think Tank to hiking focused company Mountainsmith (although I have used the Mountainsmith Tour for years for general shooting). The end of 2007 has seen my decision to primarily leave the Canon 1D series bodies behind for the smaller and lighter Canon 5D series bodies. With smaller batteries, smaller chargers and lighter cameras the trade off in systems should be more beneficial than detrimental.

I started 2007 as a Platinum Elite with both Delta Airlines and US Airways, a United Airlines Premier Executive and a World Perks Gold flyer with Northwest Airlines. As I move into 2008 I know that as of 29-February-2008 I'll be left with my status as Gold (highest tier) on BMI (British Midlands International) and Gold (just below highest tier) on Air France/KLM. Why is this? Simple, I spent much of 2007 flying around using frequent flyer miles and flight vouchers from bumped seats. When you use miles or get bumped you accrue no miles. Some of my travel was also in conjunction with photographing for an airline, when they buy the tickets, you get no miles.

So from starting the year as an elite with four U.S. airlines and ending the year as an elite on two European airlines, there have been some changes in my travel habits. I hope to document these travels and continue to bring all of you the information that can make your traveling easier throughout 2008.

Coming up in early January I'll continue to address the new U.S. restrictions on flying with Lithium batteries. I will also be testing out a new ultra compact tripod that should take up virtually no space in your bag.

Love to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the next? You can celebrate New Years all over again with me during the No Jet Lag Intensive Photo Workshop, Feb 5 to Feb 8 when we'll fly over to Hong Kong to shoot the Chinese New Year! Feel free to check out this workshop at www.comeflywithfish.com
Limited seats are still available

If anyone has any suggestions for topics or any questions please, as always, feel free to drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com

Happy Flying and a Happy and a Healthy New Year!

-Fish

27-December-2007 : Show The World Where You're Coming From............Show The World Where You've Been!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

27-December-2007 : Show The World Where You're Coming From............Show The World Where You've Been!

OK, fellow photog, fellow former news photographer, fellow Connecticut resident Seshu Badrinath (www.seshu.net) must be having a lot of free time during the holiday season because he is just finding subjects for me to write about this week here on Flying With Fish!

Today Seshu sent me a link to some of the coolest total flyer nerd clothing available out there, Hub Wear (www.hubwear.com). Hub Wear has a cool little interface that allows you to customize your own "route shirts" The front of the shirt has where you're coming from and headed to, the back lists the return route.

The shirts only have point to point routes, not full routes, but I guess it would be lengthy for a shirt to have
PVD-ATL-SFO
SFO-LAS-CVG-PVD
(the route I have flown most in the past 3 years)

From New York and like to get away, take a holiday from the neighbourhood. Maybe Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood? (Thank you Billy Joel)
Why not JFK-FLL (Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport)?

The most common single flight I take now is one I refuse to put on a shirt, HVN-PHL / PHL-HVN , I am not putting the Philadelphia International Airport on my shirt! Great city, but wow that airport needs some serious help.

Anyway, show some pride in your home airport and the airport you frequent most!

Happy Flying!

17-November-2007: Care To Go Around The World With Me? Well Now You Can!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

17-November-2007: Care To Go Around The World With Me? Well Now You Can!

Have you ever dreamed about taking mad dash around the world? Have you watched "The Amazing Race" and wished you could take a more civilized photo version of that journey? If you have, I may have the most intense photo workshop you have ever envisioned in store for you.

I am in the process of setting up the logistics for a workshop aimed at giving photographers the opportunity to learn how to handle nearly every aspect of complex travel assignments. My travel assignments for clients are not to go to an area and spend a few days or weeks seeking out images, I am constantly in motion, often on the ground for less than half-a-day, then crossing a continent, spanning an ocean, or at times flying over two continents, only to cross another ocean on my way home.

The "Flying With Fish No Jetlag Photo Workshop" will teach you how to press yourself to your limits not only visually, but also physically and mentally. You will learn how to travel effectively, efficiently, pack lighter, maximize your time not only on the ground shooting, but also while in transit and in flight...........and of course, you will travel completely around the world, shooting pre-determined assignments on at least four continents, in at least six countries, be given real-time deadlines to adhere to and be home in less than two weeks.

I could run a workshop that involves completely flying around the world one-and-a-half times in five days, but really that wouldn't be any fun, now would it?

If you are interested in learning more about this workshop as the details and logistics are nailed down please drop me an e-mail at fish@flyingwithfish.com

The workshop will be limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

Happy Flying!

--Click On Image To Enlarge It--

14-October-2007 : The Rules That Change Daily With Airport Security

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

14-October-2007 : The Rules That Change Daily With Airport Security

When you travel in the United States have you noticed many inconsistencies from airport to airport and even agent to agent regarding what you have to unpack from your bag? If you have not noticed this you are either lucky or aren't traveling enough.

It is becoming an increasing problem. Many photographers now report being required to remove their DSLR bodies from their bags and have them screened in a bucket, just like their laptop. For the record you are not required to remove your DSLR camera. Officially the following items are what need to be removed from your bag for TSA screening

- Laptops
- Video cameras that use video cassettes
- Full-size video game consoles
- Full-size DVD players
- CPAP breathing machines

The last think you want to do is argue with a TSA screener over something as simple as removing your DSLR from your bag. The TSA screener has the ability to detain you and pull apart all your bags, or send you off to secondary screening which can delay you to the point of missing your flight.

A big factor in the inconsistent nature of TSA screenings is the high turn over of screeners in the agency. The people you see on the front lines are not paid well compared to the task they are assigned to, which is keeping our flying public safe.

A second factor in the inconsistent nature of the TSA's seemingly random changing of the rules daily, is that not all airports use the TSA for screening! That's right when the TSA was formed, it was created to eliminate private security at U.S. commercial airports. The concept was a unified and consistent level of security from small airports like New Haven (HVN) that are only serviced by one airline flying to one destination to the massive international gateways like San Francisco's SFO. But wait................... the screening of passengers and baggage at SFO is not performed by the TSA! All the screeners at the TSA checkpoints at SFO are employed by a private security firm. You will notice at SFO that the patch on the screeners sleeves are not those of the TSA and the backs of the uniform shirts are embroidered with "Team SFO." This denotes that you are not dealing with the TSA, but a private firm, with the TSA was established to eliminate.

The TSA and some airports outsource the functions of the TSA to save money. Outsourcing is usually a less costly option, unless of course you realize the average TSA screener is earning approximately $26,000 per year, or less than $2,200 per month, or less than $550 per week. Now this salary might be OK for screeners based in small regional airports, but for screeners who work at Los Angeles' LAX, New York's JFK, Boston's Logan or Chicago's O'Hare this is an almost impossible salary to live in. Also keep in mind that the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most expensive place in the United States to live and on average SFO's screeners are paid less than Federally employed TSA agents.

So next time you are asked to remove you gear be polite. The more polite you are the more polite the screener usually is. Keep in mind these folks are just trying to earn a living and that for the tasks they are assigned to they should certainly be paid more than they are.

If they ask you to pull your DSLR out, do it. It takes 10 seconds before the screening or it can take 5 minutes after the screening when they pull your bag off the belt and yell "Bag Check On Five!"

Interested in a hands on learning experience that will teach you how to travel quickly, efficiently , effectively and work through your jet lag? Please visit www.comeflywithfish.com

Happy Flying

--Click On Images To Enlarge Them--

Early Morning Security At PVD

5-October-2007 : You Can Help A Photographer Carry The Olympic Torch In China!!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

5-October-2007 : You Can Help A Photographer Carry The Olympic Torch In China!!

We've all see the photos of the runners striding through the city streets and up the rural mountain passes holding the Olympic Torch high over their heads. The few, the hand picked and the proud who have bee chosen to carry the torch that leads up the dramatic entry into the Olympic Stadium to start the Opening Ceremony of The Games. Well now you can help a flying photographer be one of those few who can proudly carry the Olympic Torch!

David McIntyre, who is based in Beijing and Hong Kong is not only a former newspaper photographer and a contract photographer with Black Star but he is also the staff photographer for Cathay Pacific Airways! (yea, you were wondering how I would tie flying into this weren't you?). David is seeking to carry the torch for the 2008 Games in Beijing and he needs YOUR VOTE to do it!

To vote for him please click this link, vote often, have your friends vote often!
http://pub1.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/torch/members.shtml?mid=347

There is a security code to block computers from voting, so please carefully enter the upper and lower case characters when you place your vote.

You can check out some of David's work at www.davidpix.com

Go David Go!

Happy Flying!

4-June-2007 : Just When You Think Carry-On Restrictions Can't Get Any Worse

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

4-June-2007 : Just When You Think Carry-On Restrictions Can't Get Any Worse

So, there I am at 5:00am standing at the U.S. Airways check in counter at my local airport, New Haven,Connecticut (HVN), when I glance over at the Pan-Am Airways check in counter. Right below the check in counter is the smallest carry-on template box I have ever seen. I thought I was bleary eyed and looking at this template box from a weird angle, so I decided to investigate after checking my baggage.

It turns out that I was not bleary eyed, the carry on baggage template is about three times smaller than my standard carry on gear bag, a Pelican 1514 (22Lx14Wx9D). While I didn't have the chance to measure the psychotically small carry on baggage template I did shoot a photo of it in relation to my Pelican 1514

(FYI: Pan Am Airways is now owned by the B&M Railroad and is NOTHING like how anyone envisions the legendary Pan Am that used to dominate the global airways.............and the Pan Am sticker you see on my case is in remembrance of the once great airline not for the airline currently flying Pan Am's colours)


Happy Flying!

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

31-March-2007 : Planning For Things To Go Wrong, A Humourous Look At The Past Day

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

31-March-2007 : Planning For Things To Go Wrong, A Humourous Look At The Past Day

Well I arrived in my hotel on the out skirts of San Francisco International Airports (SFO) around 11:PM PST (2:AM EST for my body clock) last night, I did the usual things. I plugged in my chargers, checked my next day's itinerary, and in my final planning I padded in extra time in the morning. This time padding was really for traffic delays, because there was no way to plan for the double delay I faced this morning on my way to photograph a wedding.

I was supposed to be in Walnut Creek, Calif, at 10:AM so I left my hotel room a little after 8:AM to head back to SFO and the rental car center to pick up my rental car. The shuttle for my hotel is scheduled to run about every 15 minutes so I went to the lobby and inquired when the next shuttle was and was met with this answer "Sometime after 2:00 in the afternoon." I stood stumped and repeated my question and got the exact same answer. It turns out the hotel's shuttle bus was involved in an accident that morning and would be out of service until sometime after 2:PM!!

OK, this is irritating, but not a problem, I called a cab and a few minutes later, and $20 lighter, I was at SFO's rental car facility. As I entered the complex I was promptly met by a Police Officer who asked me if I heard the fire alarms and he pushed me out. In all honestly I didn't hear the alarms and airports always have false alarms. I was a tad taken back when two engines and a ladder all showed up (standard response to this building) but with the crews dressed in full turnout gear , air masks on, carrying portable fire extinguishers. It turned out that a rental car was on fire in the rental car center. This further delayed me an additional 20 minutes

Had I not padded my time, as I always do, I would have been very late for my bride's prep photos. Instead I was only 10 minutes late (due to the traffic I had padded my time for) and when I arrived I found my bride on the steps reading the paper, seems as if no one was awake but her in the house, so I had time to kill upon arrival.

While I was terribly stressed this morning, looking back at my time allowance planning while on the road , I am now finding this whole situation funny. Seriously what are the odds of your hotel shuttle bus being in an accident and there being a car fire in the car rental facility in the span of 30 minutes when you are in a hurry?

Below are two photos shot from the balcony of my hotel this morning.....who needs an alarm clock when you are facing Tandem Arrivals from commercial airplanes?


.........................what's with the landscape shot of San Francisco after midnight? (shot shortly after midnight on April 1), well I flew into SFO and I knew I was flying home out of Oakland (OAK), however I forgot this while leaving the wedding and was headed back to SFO! Once I remembered where I was heading (unfortunately after I paid the toll) I drove around a bit looking for a nice photo and I came up with this shot of the San Francisco skyline.


-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Images-

9-February-2007 : Kicking Back Wondering Where You've Been........For No Particular Reason

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

9-February-2007 : Kicking Back Wondering Where You've Been........For No Particular Reason

Have you ever wondered what your travels look like?

There is a fun site online called the Great Circle Mapper. Using the Great Circle Mapper you type in your point-to-point flights (using airport codes) you can create a map of your flying.

You can find the Great Circle Mapper here : http://gc.kls2.com

I took 10 minutes to rack my brain and entered the routes I have flown over the past two years or three years (some trips blur from one year to the next and some trips I make a few times a month). I am sure some routes are entered twice, I tried not to enter the route trip route (such as JFK-SFO , so I don't enter SFO-JFK), I am sure I messed up and entered a few a few round trips and duplicated some routes, but this isn't scientific. This web site is just a fun place to see where you have been

This is a link to my Great Circle Mapper for the past two years (could be three years for some routes) : http://FlyingWithFish.notlong.com


Darn it, now that I look at the routes I know I left quite a few out......oh well, too late......Have Fun!

Happy Flying

30-January-2007 : It's A Boy! Yea!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

30-January-2007 : It's A Boy! Yea!

My wife and I started our morning in a wonderful way, we welcomes our third child, and second son, into the world Simon Rye Frischling. Simon arrived at 7:40am at 7lbs 15oz and 20" long with curly black hair.

I hope to make Simon, and his sister Lauren and brother Max, into world travelers so they can experience the wonders of the world. In the process I hope take some time to relax and actually stop to see the world with my kids as well.

Below is a photo of Simon getting ready to take to the skies.

-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

24-January-2007 : You Can Help A New Airline Fly!

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

24-January-2007 : You Can Help A New Airline Fly!

People complain about airline service and quality everyday. Yes, even me (OK, especially me depending on the day). Well Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Atlantic, has been trying to get Virgin America off the ground for sometime and is being blocked by trivial U.S. laws and lobbyists from from major U.S. "legacy" carriers (Delta, United, Continental, Northwest).

Virgin produces an outstanding product all over the world, with Virgin Atlantic for the long hauls out of London and smaller "regional" airlines operating in Europe, Australia and Nigeria (yes, even Nigeria, they have really cool green paint on the engines). I think the product Branson wants to unveil in the U.S. would be an asset to all flyers in the U.S. He has the space at San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO) he has the Airbus A 319 and A320 aircraft (I have seen them parked and waiting in Montreal (YUL)) , he just needs the U.S. Gov't to say OK.................so what can you do? You can go here and sign a petition to let Virgin America fly!
http://www.letvafly.com

I have been a fan of Virgin Atlantic since I was 16.I have flown Virgin between the U.S. and London in every class of service and find them all to be fantastic. I have had the pleasure of flying in a Virgin Atlantic 747 with less than 40 passengers and sitting and chatting with Branson for 3 hours on a private flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Basrah, Iraq (BSR). This guy knows how to run an empire and run an airline.......and he has even listened to frequent flyers by installing standard 110v power outlets in every seat, in both classes of service!

I say LET VIRGIN AMERICA FLY! ( http://www.letvafly.com )


-Click On The Photo Below To Enlarge The Image-

A Photo of Richard Branson From My Trip With Him At Basrah Int'l Airport in Iraq

16-January-2007 : Countries With No Airports? What Am I To Do?

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

16-January-2007 : Countries With No Airports? What Am I To Do?

Today I was asked a question by a fellow photographer I had the answer to, but never really thought about. What do you do when you are flying to a country with no airport? In this case it was traveling between the United Kingdom and Monaco.

Monaco is a Principality with more per-capita money that almost any nation on the earth (with limited exceptions such as Brunei) . This is a nation that is only 1 square miles (2 square kilometers), a nation that has been made famous by a massive casino and a harbour that often contains the most expensive luxury yachts in the world.........but not even a private airport

Well, should you have a spare €2,000,000 to drop at the tables your best bet is to fly into Nice (NCE) in France, which is only about 15 miles from the Monte Carlo Casino. There are more seasonal flights to Nice in the spring/summer, but there is still regular service to NCE all year round from London Heathrow (LHR) Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS) , Munich (MUC) and Rome (FCO). So what do you do when you want to travel here?

Make friends with a billionaire and take their private helicopter in.

Happy Flying!

3-January-2007 : Mystic, Connecticut

Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@fishfoto.com

3-January-2007 : Mystic, Connecticut

Wow, how does the world function at 8:AM? For me 8:AM means either sleeping in my bed, changing planes somewhere, or settled into my seat chewing some gun, trying to sleep with an iPod and noise canceling headsets blocking out the world.

So anyway, this morning I had the great opportunity to be the first speaker at a gathering of wedding photographers from the Digital Wedding Forum. My topic, you guessed it, travel. I was not discussing how to get jobs that require traveling, but more the nuts-and-bolts of traveling. As I have discussed on here before, travel for me is not something that I generally do for relaxation, it is something I do to get my job done as quickly as possible and get home as fast as I can.

Passing this information was a lot of fun and I hope those who were awake for my presentation were able to pick up some useful information from me and apply it to their own business and travel.

Below is a photo of me speaking, shot by Walter Van Dusen , a wedding photographer who is based not far from me in Southeastern Connecticut ( http://www.waltervandusen.com )

-Click On The Photos Below To Enlarge The Image-