The Travel Chica

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Seattle Through My Lens

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I feel like my photography has stagnated a bit.

After the stunning landscapes of the Bolivian Altiplano caused me to shoot about 2,000 photos in four days, I’ve been a bit burned out on photography.

I need some inspiration.

I need to learn something new.  I need feedback.

After my trip to Maine, some family activities, and enjoying summer in Columbus, I had time for one more trip before starting my full-time job.  I decided to travel to the opposite coast and explore Seattle and Portland.

After traveling in Latin America without a detailed itinerary or time constraints for so long, the thought of visiting anywhere, especially a city as big as Seattle, for only a few days is overwhelming.

This is when good tour guides can significantly improve a travel experience.

After some research, I contacted Shutter Tours.  The timing was perfect for me to go on their Snoqualmie Falls Tour.  I was looking forward to the photography focus, as well as the itinerary which included A LOT of the area outside of downtown that I never would be able to get to on my own.

Shutter Tours – Photography Tours in Seattle

This was hands-down the best day tour I have ever experienced.

Terry, the owner and our driver, and Kristi, our photographer and guide, are wonderful people who know how to run a professional tourism business focused on photography and are simply enjoyable to be around.

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In addition to learning tons about Seattle and seeing lots of beautiful and interesting sites, I got that feedback and inspiration I needed.

As an amateur photographer, I got a lot out of a day spent with Kristi.

Her approach works well for all skill levels and interests.

She not only gives you tips on how to take great photos that tell a story and what to look for at each site, she also looks at your photos on the camera and gives you feedback.

Our group asked Kristi tons of questions, including how to use more advanced camera settings, editing techniques in LightRoom, and even backup and storage.

I was inspired and got the photography bug again, which means I took a ton of photos.  Without further ado (I really could gush about Terry and Kristi for many more paragraphs), here are my 13 favorite photos from a day spent photographing in and around Seattle with Shutter Tours.

13 Photos That Tell a Story

Northwest Railway Museum

Although this is not the type of place that I would normally visit, it was a good spot for practicing photography.

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Snoqualmie Falls

As soon as we left the center of Seattle, everything was green and just kept getting greener on the way to Snoqualmie.  In about 45 minutes, we were in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

Although we didn’t see and feel the full power of the falls (they were blocking the water flow in order to do some sort of work), it was still a beautiful sight.

Snoqualmie Falls is more than 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

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Washington Park Arboretum Japanese Gardens

This 3.5-acre garden is one of the top-rated Japanese Gardens outside of Japan.  It was incredibly relaxing and provided lots of opportunities to practice the techniques Kristi taught us.

We had a picnic lunch here with Washington specialties sourced from Pike Place Market.

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One Percent for the Arts

I’m a huge fan of public outdoor art.  Seattle was one of the first cities in the US to adopt a percent-for-art ordinance over 30 years ago. The program specifies that 1% of eligible city capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase and installation of artworks in a variety of settings. The goal is to enrich citizens’ daily lives and give voice to artists.

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Today there are more than 350 permanent works and over 2,500 portable works.  That is a commitment to the arts!

Ballard Locks

This is a popular tourist attraction and for good reason.  There is a lot of boat traffic here, and it is interesting to see the locks in action.

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Kerry Park

I had read that Kerry Park is the place to get the best views of the city, so I was thrilled it was included in the tour.

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Take the Tour!

This doesn’t even cover all of the places we stopped on this tour.  They also offer a photo walking tour in the city, and I will sign up for it next time.  If you’re visiting Seattle (or even if you live here) and have any interest in photography, I highly recommend Shutter Tours.

And because 13 photos are not enough…. check out the gallery.

Which is your favorite photo?  Have you visited any of these sites?

Comments

  14. These photos are very beautiful and I must say, that you have a very good sense of photography . The photo of gold fish is just amazing. I love to come back for more amazing places and pictures.

  24. Hi Travel Chica!

    Thank you so much for posting your photos and sharing your experience. I am planning a trip to Seattle for the summer with my family and am hoping to get good use of my camera while there. I haven’t been able to shoot anything in about 6 months (life just gets busy sometimes!) but I am really looking forward to this vacation!

    I was just wondering what camera you have and what lenses you used on your tour?

    Thanks!
    Lindsey

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