Jade Prints

Bring Home The World

The Long Voyage Back In Time: Madrid to Athens

Well, we made it to Greece!

Our trip was fairly uneventful but got off to a hilarious start at the bag drop at Barajas. The man checked us in and after returning our passports, asked for them back since he forgot to check for our visas. Visas? We asked. To which he replied that since we were going to St Petersburg, we needed visas. Naturally we reminded him that were going to Athens but then he started going on about China and transit…..we were killing ourselves trying not to laugh! It finally dawned on him that he was thinking of the people ahead of us in line. Very bizarre but a very good laugh!

[Read more…]

Ancient Mystery Tour

Stifling temperatures, empty metro trains, kids running around until midnight….this can only mean one thing – it’s August in Madrid! And this means that it’s time once again to hit the road for summer vacation!

This summer we opted for an 11-night Mediterranean cruise starting from Athens and finishing in Istanbul. And as usual, we are traveling with our great friends, Javi and Virginia. We have a few nights in Athens before embarking so we plan to load up on our favourite Greek foods and start unraveling the Ancient Mysteries that await!

[Read more…]

Gear Bag: New Tripod!

Ever have one of those moments that result in a “Home Alone” abandonment scenario? Yep, me too, but luckily it involved our trusty tripod and not a child! I had a major oversight while packing to come home from the in-laws last Christmas and accidentally left our tripod behind. In my defence, it was hiding!

[Read more…]

Honorary Jade Prints Member

In January we had a very special visit from a very special Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley started out in 1964 as a children’s book character by author Jeff Brown. He had a triumphant comeback in 1994 when Ontario teacher Dale Hubert had the idea to turn the intrepid Stanley into a hands-on educational experience for grade school students.

[Read more…]

Geometric Genius

Just when you think you are safe, school math comes back to haunt you!

When I was in Grade 8 I had a particular dislike for math class.  I even went as far as creating a picket sign declaring “UP WITH LEARNING – DOWN WITH MATH!”  Which now that I think of it, didn’t make sense at all!!  That all changed in high school when my teachers suddenly parted the clouds for me and math became fun.

Naturally after graduating high school and then university (where my best grades came from calculus and French – conflicted brain, yes?) I figured I’d never use math again….

… UNTIL TODAY!!!

[Read more…]

Alternate Reality: To Retouch or Not to Retouch

Here at Jade Prints we don’t like to mess too much with reality when it comes to processing our pictures. Naturally our fine art iterations take a few more liberties when it comes to colour, but on the whole, the scene we present to you is the scene that was presented to us. Exceptions can be made for stray rubbish or fluorescent orange clad tourists (see A Giant Day Out!!) but removal is usually limited to distracting objects that don’t contribute to the experience.

[Read more…]

Now Appearing on Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook and Twitter have become the photo albums of the 21st century (thus far! I can only imagine how far media such as these will go in the next decade alone!)

Since the dawn of the digital camera age, most images were destined to a life no further than their cosy SD or Compact Flash home. To a certain extent Facebook and Twitter have liberated those photos and have given them a new platform where a plethora of people can have a peek with a click of a button.

[Read more…]

A Giant Day Out

The Giant’s Causeway is by far the most well known site that the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland has to offer. Thousands upon thousands of hexagonal columns form the fascinating outcrop that extends into the raging sea. As with most famous sites and objects, there is always a sense of trepidation as the big moment finally approaches. Will it live up to its reputation? Will it be smaller than you thought? Will you even be able to see it with all the people surrounding it? [Read more…]

Research: Every Photographer’s Best Friend

Something I love about photography websites and galleries is that it gives me a chance to plan our next trip. Or if we’re honest, it gives me a chance to plan our next few trips! Seeing where people have been and the different perspectives that they capture is fascinating. More often than not, our travel plans are dictated by which pictures we’d like to take. [Read more…]