“Magic is just around the corner.

“I want to give you a glimpse into my world – which may be a tiny little bit different from the one you know. It’s a little surreal and mysterious place, where sometimes the magic is sparkling light, sometimes dark and haunting; maybe even slightly disturbing and oh so tempting at the same time.

“Those places you will go, those places you have dreamt before, those childhood places you completely forgot, those places where you want to stay and never go away.

“Sometimes they are a little smaller than you’d expect, sometimes a lot bigger, and sometimes only visible in twilight light. Their atmosphere seems to alter and their silence seems to deepen a little when dusk comes near.

“To find them, I didn’t travel the world and the seven seas; no, in fact the major part of my work is found and shot somewhere just around the corner.

“Strangely enough – most of these places are hidden in plain sight. Patiently waiting for someone who sees them, but sadly mostly ignored and almost overgrown by todays no-nonsense rationality.

“Maybe it’s just like one of those shoebox diorama’s you saw as a kid – seen at a normal angle, it was just some box with cardboard trees and houses in it, but looking through the peephole it suddenly became a complete mesmerizing new world.

“Regretfully we aren’t enchanted by shoeboxes anymore, and even our daily surroundings may have become almost invisible to us. Maybe that is one of the main reasons that we travel – to find new places, where the things are just slightly different from what we know – therefore we can see it with new eyes.

“But to bring that back home again is quite a different story;  so I chose to stay closer at home, and try to find it there.

“I do not want to document or register the surroundings, but to catch the mood that I felt there – it’s that mood that I want to be present in my pictures.

“Maybe I’m just making a new diorama, reshaping quite ordinary landscapes, and putting them into a box, and inviting you to look through the peephole and hoping that you will see a little magic too.”

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The Sphere

Neutrinos faster than the speed of light? Did we awaken something from deep sleep? Something rising from a deep abyss?

I took this shot on the day they announced that some particles seemed to travel faster than light.

I wanted a sense of mystery, like something very old or alien unveiling before our eyes; something that isn’t necessarily good or evil, but a lot bigger than we can handle.

This was originally a large dome, placed in a typical very ugly industrial suburb – I hope you don’t mind I cloaked that a little with a double exposure with the clouds of the same scene, upside down.

(September 17 – 120 km from home)

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Free Floating

Of course a flying Dutchman shouldn’t be left out of this selection. I imagined this ship, already half in dusk, floating in absolute silence towards the horizon.

One day in March I found it.

It was out of the water, in a dock – any floating prevented by the clamps.

All I did have to do was to take a shot from low angel, remove the clamps and the ground to really let it floating free.

(March 24 – 16 km from home)

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A Field of Dandelions

At the end of April, spring can burst out in all its power. The feeling of lying on your back in a field of flowers, on a first warm night, maybe imagining being as small as a ladybug. Imagining dwelling in the forest in the background, maybe finding a pleasant feast with lights, and joy and laughter?

 Shot in the dark – with lights from a nearby window.

(April 28 – 300 m from home)

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The Stairway

It could be a sense of freedom, the start of a new journey, a desire to follow that bird, to be running up that hill, and to see what is beyond.

Or maybe it could be more like a reoccurring dream – again climbing the stairs, knowing that there is something up there, and that you’re not sure if you want to see it, but you have to look.

I often try to make you wonder, maybe by just not showing you the landscape behind. I hope your imagination will think of a place.

This is the entrance to an artificial grave hill, the old tombstones of a former church where placed somewhere in the woods near by the city where I currently live in.

It has the same silent and peaceful quality as you can find on a genuine graveyard. Especially on a fresh sunny day in early summer.

Besides the colors, I didn’t alter too much, even the bird was nice enough to be circling around.

(April 30 – 3 km from home)

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Call of the Lake

A quiet evening at the lakeside, feeling the dusk become more and more present and slowly surrounding you; a lake that almost becomes luminous and pulls you right in.

No known stories like loch Ness here, although I’m not so sure of that. This is shot in an area where there are a few folkloristic stories, more than in the other villages.

I did forgot my tripod that day – but it’s nice that they put picnic tables on spots with great views – those tables do a terrific job and always seem to be headed to the sweet spot.

(July 20 – 15 km from home)

Tim S. Trebla currently lives in the north of the Netherlands, a region with water, lots of water.

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Photo Travel Review Magazine recognizes Tim S. Trebla for the uniqueness of his work. He is widely recognized for his subjects, and his compositions. His unique approach to the photographic art form is refreshing and unusual, giving one a sense of place found in areas close to home. It is the mystery of his work that is most appealing, his vision temps one to look again and again at the world close by. In addition to his website, his works may be viewed at Pbase and at Flickr.

Scotland – A Photographer’s Guide by Bill Lockhart

Priced at $30.00

This is an ebook in PDF format. It contains 102 pages of information of interest to any photographer who wants to visit Scotland. The book discusses regions of Scotland, locations for photography, how to get there, and where to stay. Included are recommendations for clothing, equipment, and detailed travel planning.

This is an invaluable resource for someone who wants to go to Scotland and has no idea where to begin.

The book is illustrated with dozens of photographs.

Well worth one’s investment, share the experience of someone who has been to Scotland 14 times and knows the country in great detail.

Some of the highlights from our contributors included:

An article about Mare Island, California by John Klingel.  John’s wonderful photographs of this seldom visited place was one of the best articles we received in 2011

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An article from Pedro Cardona about Menorca and how its citizens are recreating history. A delightful read with some outstanding photographs of the people of Menorca in period dress.

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PTR Team Member Claire Carter ventured to Iceland on two different occasions and brought some spectacular photographs of this magical land. Her journal of the trips emphasized the difficulty of traveling in Iceland and the great rewards that come from going there on a magical photographic holiday.

Her first trip found the iconic auroras shimmering above a sea of ice.

PTR Team Member Melanie M joined Claire for a second trip in August.

The two team members have already booked a February photographic holiday to Iceland and a report on this trip, during the winter, will be featured upon their return.

During 2011, PTR Team members reviewed photographic tours and seminars offered by some of the best nature photographers in the world.

Our review of workshops offered by Charles Glatzer received several responses from participants.  PTR recognized his workshops with a six star rating ✭✭✭✭✭✭, our highest ever.

The rating was given, not just because of his outstanding tours, but also because of his long history of mentoring other photographers and his contributions to the photographic art form through numerous articles he has published and shared.

Our Recommended Photo Tours section has been widely read by thousands of visitors, make sure to peruse our reviews to find the one best suited for your next travel adventure.

PTR Team Member Bill Lockhart wrote several reviews of camera gear during the year. His most widely read review of the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV featured shots done with the camera in Florida.

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Our new “Feature Photographers” section, presented the works of 11 outstanding photographers which the PTR Team selected from thousands of others. Make sure to review this section to see works that will inspire you.

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The PTR Team looks forward to 2012 with great anticipation.

As always, the purpose of Photo Travel Review Magazine is to encourage others to find inspiration for their artistic expression through travel. We hope you may share your travel adventures here. Please contact us if you have an article your would like published.

The PTR Team thanks all who contributed to our magazine this past year. Our number of visitors has grown dramatically during the last year. We are grateful for all the support and encouragement we have received.

Please accept our best regards.

– The PTR Team

For most, this means taking along a camera to record the holiday as a way of remembering places, people, and events.

Part of any holiday is the need to relax and unwind.  Spending one’s time doing photography then is special and to maximize time, here are some photo tips that might be helpful in improving your travel photography.

Tip 1.  Know your location.

So, we fly across the Atlantic and wind up in Scotland.  But, do we know Scotland well? Well, maybe we do.  But have we looked for those off the beaten track places that few ever visit or get to know well?  A two-week holiday is a short time, so prior planning is essential.  Have a look at photos done by others of your destination before you go.  Make some notes.  Then determine if the spots you like are within range of where you plan to go.

For example, Glencoe is well-known.  Most travelers who go to Scotland will pass through this area for sure.  Glencoe is a must place to see.  So, OK, I am going to Glencoe, so what?  So look around at spots that might be good for a photograph.  Find a car park, then get out and walk.  Look around.

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15 minutes, that is all it took, get out of the rental car, walk about 100 yards, set up the tripod, take the shot, get back in the car. Knowing your location and looking for spots that others might miss is the secret to getting special photographs.

Tip 2.  Perspective.

We all want to take photographs while standing up and holding our cameras in hand. 99% of travel photographers will shoot from such a position and never consider that perspective can make the difference between and mundane photograph and one that sings.

Here, the photograph was made while lying on the ground.  For a couple of reasons. First, the wind was blowing at 20 MPH.  Second, getting close to the edge of the cliff was not a good idea.  So, get on your belly, crawl to the edge and hope the wind doesn’t blow you off the cliff.

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And here, using a table top tripod and bubble level, the shot was made a mere six inches from the ground.

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Tip 3. Photograph People.

Travel is about meeting people.  And it is a great idea to record people we meet, or people we see in special circumstances.  It is always a requirement that one ask the person if you can take a photograph of them.  Most people will say yes.  So, go for it, find a special moment in a place you visited and grab a shot of a person.  It will help you remember your holiday.  Like this one from Ecuador.

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Tip 4. Photograph something humorous.

We all love humor, find something that makes you laugh and record it. Why not? Laughter is good for the soul.

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Tip 5. Look for Colors.

We all love colors. Especially ones that are vivid. Record colors. Look around. As in this photograph taken in Ecuador at a local market.

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Tip 6. Don’t forget the little ones.

Sure, we want to photograph elephants and lions and zebras, but what about little ones? They have a story too. Look for the little ones, they are everywhere. As in this shot done of a Sally Crab in the Galapagos.

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Tip 6. Zoom in.

Perspective is everything in photography. Zoom in. Find the balance in the scene that is before you. Use your camera zoom lens to frame the shot in a special way.

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Tip 7. Get off the beaten track.

We travel, but do we see the world around us? Most likely we go where everyone else has gone. Get a map, find something that no one else has found. Explore. This is what travel is about, finding that gem that no one else has seen.

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Tip 8. Record History.

Travel is about knowing the history of the place we visit. Who were there before us? Where did they come from? What legacy did they leave us?

Record a special place as in this shot taken in the Orkney Islands.

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Tip 9. Use what is there to lead the eyes to the center of interest.

Composition is about finding ways to lead the viewer’s eyes into the scene. Look for lead-ins, here a fence that takes one into the scene.

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Tip 10. Record your path.

Show others the path you tread. After all, your holiday took you places. How did you get there? Where did you go? What did you path look like?

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The Team from Photo Travel Review Magazine hopes these 10 tips might be useful to you. The important thing about travel and photography, however, is that your holiday is restful, relaxing, and something to remember. Two things are essential, we all need something to remember and we all need something to look forward to. This is why travel and photography are so special.

Good luck on your next holiday. Find joy and peace and bring home some memories to share with others.

– The PTR Team