LENGTH: 8 Minutes
Written by: Jeremy Chipps
Intro
NOTE: This calendar is seasonal and we hope to create another for 2021 that would be available sometime in the fall.
🎵"You say Goodbybe (2019), and I say Hello, Hello, Hello (2020)!"🎵
- The Beatles
Life seems to get more and more interesting with each passing year. We learn more, develop new interests, create new projects, travel to new places, and grow as people.
More...
Selling on Amazon has been a fun project and we hope to continue to grow a line of travel-related products to help people get out and experience our beautiful world.
One way that we would LOVE to keep driving that mission is through our images. I'm not anywhere near the level of a professional photographer 📷, but I have invested in a Sony Alpha 6300 and have managed to capture some beautiful images over the last year and a half.
The idea came up to create and sell a wall calendar 📅, so we decided to take immediate action! This blog will go through some of the creative process and then include each month's image and a little information about each one.
The Process
First things first, I need to select 12 of my favorite images! Am I going for a certain theme? Do I want any people in the shots? Do I even have 12 images that I think belong in a calendar on someone's wall?
For the theme, I simply went with what I love to shoot - landscape nature photography 🏜️ (with little to no people). If I had the Sony when we were in Switzerland, I'm sure some of those images would have made the cut, but I decided to stick to only what was shot on the camera, in hopes of quality resolution.
I was able to match many of the images to the month that we traveled to that location. After selecting the 12 images, adding the location text in the corner via Microsoft Publisher on the computer, deciding on the 8.5" x 11" size, and selecting some inspiring travel quotes, it was time to find a printing company! 🖨️
Getting Them Professionally Printed
After many phone calls, visiting some physical locations, and receiving multiple samples from different companies, it was time to decide who we'd pay to get these things printed!
Fast, Easy & Affordable. Printing Center USA is all of those things! We were able to get on the phone with somebody multiple times to talk through some design questions, logistics, pricing, etc. The site is intuitive and allows you to easily get quotes and design your calendar.
There are a few small things that maybe we would've liked to customize, and I'm willing to bet they would've worked with us to come up with whatever we wanted, but we wanted to move quickly, so we finalized our design, paid a little extra for quicker production, and had hundreds of calendars on our doorstep in just a week!
One Tree Planted
Before we get into the images, we want to share our partnership with One Tree Planted. They plant a tree for every dollar they receive in donations. One dollar = one tree. We have committed to donating a dollar for EVERY calendar we sell. Your purchase will plant a tree! How neat is that?
Below is the link to purchase the calendar on Amazon, and I'll put another link towards the end of the blog.
Front Cover
Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
The front cover of our calendar is a crisp morning in July overlooking Moraine Lake in Banff National Park 🏞️. Some calendars will use an image from a month for the front cover as well, but we figured this is an opportunity to add another favorite photo with no repeats inside.
This was easily one of the greatest trips of our lives, and I have yet to publish a blog about the trip, but I did put together a 10-page, 5,000+ word itinerary that I have sold to a few folks (message me if this interests you).
This lake is very well-known for it's stunning cool-blue glacial water and inspiring mountainous backdrop. I awoke quite early this morning to make it for sunrise and avoid the crowds that can fill the parking lot. And yes, the water really does look like that! 💧
January
Warm and tropical in January? Precisely! Jenna's best friend, Lorie actually lives in Curaçao, and we figured January would be a perfect time to visit to escape the cold North Carolina weather and enjoy this awesome island in one of it's "cooler" months. The average high in January here is 86 degrees! 🌴
This is Daaibooi Beach where we had a huge cookout/hangout on the beach. In the water below, I saw a sea turtle, a stingray, and plenty of tropical fish. There was a pig on the beach, and I discovered this awesome little hidden trail where I hiked up to take this photo. It's a simple photo, but I love the turquoise water, white sand, green trees, and blue sky. A lovely mix.
February
Over the last few years, I've developed a pretty serious romance with skiing. ⛷️ Salt Lake City has like 10 ski-resorts under an hour from the airport and Utah is quite possibly my favorite state.
This image was simply taken from the side of the road just outside of our Inn. My brother and I skied for 3 full days and I would have loved to ski for 3 more! I can't get enough of these snow-capped mountains too. 🏔️
March
The East Coast of the United States is loaded with great beaches, which are excellent sunrise spots. 🌅 The pre-sunrise glow was particularly prominent on this March morning.
The crashing of the waves, the gulls flying around, and the floating buildings emerging from the sea all make this a great image!
April
The American Southwest has some of our favorite destinations with Sedona being pretty dang high on that list. Jenna and I spent a week in late April driving and hiking all through landscapes like these. The weather can be wicked hot in the Summer, so Springtime is an excellent time to go.
We had just finished up some pizza in town before we realized the whole town was freaking out because it was actually raining (a rarity here). That light rain was followed by this soft rainbow just beside some of the impressive rock formations that Sedona is known for.
May
Our Arizona road trip started and ended in Phoenix. We got ridiculously good flight deals via Southwest using our points and Companion Pass. The total out-of-pocket cost for both of us round trip was $22.40. Click HERE to read more about our experience with points, miles, etc.
On our last day, we made it back to Phoenix from Sedona and had just enough time to catch another potential sunset. It was a nice, clear day, and we hopped on the Piestewa Peak Trail (just 13 min. from the airport) for one more hike. I had low expectations for a sunset shot based on the positioning of the trail and sun, but was able to make it up high enough to watch the sun sink below the horizon of mountains, framed by desert brush and cacti, leaving this intense, warm glow contrasted with the blackness that will follow.
June
This is one of my favorite moments in photography. Seeing wildlife is always such a treat, but managing to be in the right place at the right time to capture the moment, is so special! 🐏
Jenna and I were driving along the famous "Going-To-The-Sun Road" in Glacier National Park. If you've been on this road, you understand it's beauty and treachery. We came to a dead stop traffic jam (typically a great sign in this environment due to wildlife crossings).
Amazingly, I was able to pull over in one of the few pull-offs on this section of the road. I quickly hopped out, camera in hand, and straddled the rock wall you see that serves as the barricade to keep you from the insane cliffs beyond them.
I had my 210 mm lens on, so I'm not nearly as close as the image may suggest. Those awesome horns you see have likely been growing for at least the last 5 years. Just minutes later, they were out of sight after crossing the road.
July
This lovely field of wildflowers can be found in Waterton Lakes, Alberta, Canada. 🍁 This image was actually taken on July 1st, 2018 which was Canada's 151st birthday and Jenna's 24th!
Waterton Lakes actually suffered from a very serious wildfire the year before and people lost a lot. The beautiful thing about that, is that beauty can arise from the ashes. Wildfires are typically a good thing in nature and that fire contributed majorly to one of the most prolific wildflower seasons ever here.
This is also special because it was simply a random field that we passed and made a spontaneous turn to go frolic. I love that.
August
Banff National Park is just loaded with epic views and attracts plenty of toursits, but I was completely alone for this image. I was up around 5:30 a.m. and decided to go explore while Jenna slept in. I found a small, empty parking lot that overlooked a river with these railroad tracks alongside it. 🚞
I followed a short path down to the side of the tracks anticipating to capture a photo similar to this - minus the train. Just after reaching the side of the tracks, I heard the horn. It sounded distant, but after just a minute, I saw the headlights approaching. 🚂
I turned up my shutter speed and framed up the shot. I was at least 10 feet from the tracks, but it felt like 10 inches as it flew past me. The rush of energy was amazing. My expectations were far exceeded on this wet, cold, misty morning.
September
British Columbia is the province west of Alberta and this stunning lake can be found in Yoho National Park. This is not a unique image, as there were plenty of other people around taking a similar photo and I was only a quarter mile from our car, but the scene still inspired me enough to include it here.
I love the colors and this is one of my favorite landscapes with clear water, green trees, and large, jagged peaks. In hindsight, we should've rented a kayak to escape the other tourists and enjoy the serenity of this place.
October
If you look up Catawba Falls, you'll see two different falls. The image above features Upper Catawba Falls and requires a more strenuous and potentially dangerous journey to enjoy its beauty.
The falls are near Old Fort, North Carolina - East of Asheville. My friend, Daryl, and I were heading back from a weekend of camping and mountain biking when we made the spontaneous decision to expel whatever energy we had left to hike this trail.
The last maybe half-mile of this trail requires more than just your legs! It's quite steep and there are even sections where people have tied ropes to help you make the climb. This image is fun because it was one of my first times experimenting with long exposure to create the smoothing effect of the water. I love it!
November
If you're from the states and you haven't heard of Zion National Park, you must be an alien. This place saw over 4 million visitors in 2018 and for good reason! The hike to Angels Landing is extremely popular thanks to its stunning views of Zion Canyon and the Virgin River.
Angels Landing is well-known for its serious exposure that forces many to turn around once they reach the chain sections with 1,000-ft cliffs around every corner. Despite the top being nothing but rock, pretty, yellow flowers still manage to grow! This is definitely one of my favorite places ever and this image brings back many fond memories from the 4 times I have been!
December
Las Vegas is much more than it's famous downtown scene. The red rocks surrounding the city and the mild weather (a rock climber's paradise) are actually enough to make a guy like me consider living there. (Unlikely, but I'm not opposed!)
Red Rock Canyon is just West of the city and sunrises are epic because the light brings these mountains to life in the morning. I love the transition from the dark, unlit canyon floor, up to the burnt orange/red stripe of rock, up to the jagged peaks, and into the contrasting light blue sky.
Back Cover
The back cover shows each month and we've included some inspiring travel quotes for your enjoyment. Thank you all for your support. We truly hope these photographs inspire you to get out there and Quench Your Adventure!
Remember that your purchase will support global reforestation and a calendar is also a great, simple gift for family, friends, or gift exchanges. Below is the link to purchase on Amazon.
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