tropical Archives - Photo Tips, Creative Photography + Travel Guides - The Wandering Lens

Photographing the Colours of the Cook Islands

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:30:14 +0000

Photographing the Cook Islands of Rarotonga + Aitutaki The Cook Islands are a bright, visual playground of tropical tones. From the sea to the sky, you’re spoilt for ever changing landscapes to photograph and if you’re a beach person, this is one place to add to your list! Having visited this corner of paradise three times before, I had a few spots in mind that I wanted to revisit and capture some new creative landscape images Island landscapes are a subject I’ve grown very familiar as my photography career has developed. Having lived on Hayman Island in Australia’s Whitsundays for six years, palm trees and clear water became kind of routine…if that’s even possible!? Always beautiful, but it was necessary to think outside the box to make the palm trees look different every time I photographed them. The same happens when I revisit a destination, I love to look for new angles, new locations and bring some creativity to capturing them in a new light. Luckily the Cook Islands have a kind of mystery to them. Especially the island of Rarotonga which is always offering different conditions no matter how many times I visit. With a lush interior rising in...

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Lagoon Life in Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Lisa Michele Burns — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 00:00:44 +0000

Travel Inspiration – Cook Islands They’re known for tropical sandy shores, clear water lagoons and friendly locals with smiles as big as the sun that shines over the palm trees. The Cook Islands are the kind of place you need to visit at least once in a lifetime. With a warmth in both culture and climate, the islands are the essence of paradise and having even just a few days to experience island life will change the way you see the world. Rarotonga is the most populated island of the group and it’s where you’ll find the international airport and arrive to the sweet serenade of Papa Jake who has greeted every single flight for the past 30+ years . With a volcanic peak at it’s core and dense, lush jungle to the water’s edge, Rarotonga is the perfect place for a first taste of the Cook Islands. You can drive around the island in an hour or so but getting around my bicycle means you get to smell the salty air, hear the choirs as you pass churches and listen out for chickens, piglets and the sound of waves crashing over the reef. The eastern and southern part of...

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Glamping in the Cook Islands: Ikurangi Eco Retreat

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 05:23:47 +0000

Let’s begin with the thought of camping…now add in all the little luxuries you could ever want for a night sleeping outdoors. Furthermore add visions of a tropical island lagoon, lush rainforests and twinkling star filled skies. The place you’re imagining exists. It’s called Ikurangi Eco Retreat on the island of Rarotonga. Waking to the sound of roosters, a gentle sea breeze wafting over the sheets and the smell of fresh pastries outside the tent I thought quite possibly I was dreaming. When did camping get so plush? As the first glamping site in the Cook Islands, Ikurangi has set the bar high up in the coconut palms. There’s no roughing it, here you get to experience all the outdoor magic of camping but rest your head on a soft pillow and queen size bed inside a bug-free glamourous safari tent. The best part? A private outdoor bathroom! Thatched walls and a open air decked area mean you can clean your teeth as the palms sway above and use eco-luxe products made from coconut and vanilla while you shower beneath the stars. Unzipping your tent at the front reveals views toward the mountainous core of Rarotonga as chickens roam freely...

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The Most Photogenic Beaches Around The World

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:47:43 +0000

Beautiful Beaches to Photograph Around the World Coastal landscapes have a way of drawing photographers to their shores. Whether it’s their crystal white sands, alluring clear waters, rugged rock formations or people watching potential. Beaches can be considered photogenic for a number of reasons, and they’re often different for everyone. Some will see a shining gem worth a thousand photos while others take a quick snap and move along. I’ve reached out to the experts to help me compile a list of the most photogenic beaches around the world. As travel bloggers and photographers, the contributors below have described their choice for most photogenic beach with a photo they’ve personally taken to show you why it’s so photo worthy! You’ll find a map below detailing where each location is and then it’s onto the pretty pictures and words to make you pack your beach towel and jump on a plane. Let’s kick things off with… Bay of Fires, Tasmania – Australia Nicola Easterby of Polka Dot Passport Named one of Lonely Planet’s Top 50 destinations, the Bay of Fires is a photographic paradise. Located on Tasmania’s east coast, these endless stretches of beaches offer miles of powdery white sand, mesmerizing...

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Beach Photography: How to Take Beach Photos

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:41:07 +0000

Beach Photography Tips A quick guide to beach photos It’s summer here in Australia and I’ve found myself at the beach every single day. Whether it’s to walk the dog, take a morning swim or photograph a beautiful sunset I find it so relaxing and a great place to test out new photography techniques. Capturing beach landscapes sounds pretty easy but pointing your camera out to sea and hoping the settings are correct won’t create an amazing photograph. It’s all about reading the scene, knowing how to find the best light and composing a creative image to make your beach photo stand out from the millions of others taken this summer. Below are some tips and techniques I use when photographing at the beach which I hope can help you create your own beautiful shots when summer comes around in your part of the world or when you escape to that exotic island you’ve been dreaming of. Beach Photography Settings – Sun and the sand During the middle of the day you’ll see the white sand and blue skies are shining but an incorrect setting on your camera could make that sand really glow and take away the vibrant colours...

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Destination: Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 07:20:10 +0000

If you’re about to spin a globe to randomly pick your next holiday destination, you’ll want your finger to land a little north of New Zealand, south of Hawaii and just west of French Polynesia. Land here and you’ll soon be arriving on the most idyllic piece of paradise that I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The tiny island of Aitutaki is part of the Cook Islands group, an island nation sitting pretty in the expansive Pacific Ocean. Don’t go thinking this is one of those touristy package holiday destinations though. While you can certainly jump in your hotel pool and no doubt order a cocktail or two, the vibe of Aitutaki extends way beyond that of your typical tropical destination. Arriving to warm ocean breezes and the scent of fresh tropical flowers, Aitutaki didn’t have to do much to tell me it was a relaxed island paradise. From the moment I stepped off my tiny Air Rarotonga flight and onto the runway, I felt the sense of community. I’m pretty sure if my host was late collecting me (which they weren’t) that one of the neighbours would have happily let me jump on board their van or ute no questions...

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