Traditional Thai Dancers

Sa was dee krub! ‘Hello’ in Thai. The 2009 international build in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is off to a great start. We have a very strong contingent for this year’s Habitat for Humanity project. Joining me this year are more than 65 employees from various functions, departments, cities and countries along with one very special customer and his guest.

Our first day in Chiang Mai was spent enjoying a true Thai experience at Maesa Elephant Camp about 30 minutes outside of the city. The elephants were amazing. They are highly trained and engaging to the audience. The elephants performed a detailed show for us—including painting portraits, throwing darts, playing socceer and more. The best part of the camp was a 30 minute elephant ride around the site, going up and down hills, crossing streams. My partner on the ride was flight attendant from TAM–Ann. Ann and I had a great time on our 22 year female elephant.

After the elephant camp, we had a police escort to the official Mekong Build Opening ceremony at Royal Flora palace. The Royal Flora palace is breath-taking and immaculate with a lot of flowers, plants, shrubs and art work. The opening ceremony was held for all of the 2,000 plus volunteers from around the world, with the largest representation from the United States.

Our wonderful host kicked off the ceremony with a taste of Thailand in an open area market featuring local appetizers, dessert, and drinks. The food was delicious. My personal favorites were rice fried dough nuts and grilled rice cakes.

Habitat for Humanity Jimmy Carter Build Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony included an up close and personal fireworks show featuring 82 fireworks to honor the King’s 82nd birthday on December 5. The evening’s highlight was a welcome by President Jimmy Carter. President Carter gave a great speech on the importance of service and giving back to others. The President acknowledged Delta Air Lines’ generous support and the volunteers in the audience. Needless to say, we cheered the President for his personal “shout out”.

President Carter and Delta Employees

The evening ended with a wonderful show of local songs and dances. The week definitely started off with a bang. Now, its time for sleep and the great work ahead of us –building six homes in 5 days!

Shawn Cole
Director Finance DGS

There’s no better way to remember a favorite vacation than through pictures. When I travel, I know that it may be a rare opportunity to capture the places and memories on my vacation – so I want the pictures I take to be the best they can be. Plus what is it about a photograph that can take you back to that long-gone vacation in an instant and feel like you’re back there at that spot?! That feeling is worth taking the time to learn more about photography.

My loves include travel and photography. I just recently finished taking a photography composition class here in Atlanta and wanted to share some of the tips and basic rules that I learned to all of our travel pictures that much better!

First, think about your light.

Is the light casting a cool reflection on the ocean? Are you seeing a light-studded landmark at night? Light almost always makes or breaks a good photograph. Common knowledge is that you’ll get the best shots while the sun is low in the sky (at sunrise/morning and at sunset). If you want to include some loved ones in the shot, the warm glow of the sun at sunset is especially flattering. In general, you’ll get harsh shadows during noon or when the sun is high in the sky. If you insist and can’t miss the moment, turn the flash on to brighten up shadowy areas and make the subject the pop in the frame.

Get closer.

Get physically closer to the subject, zoom in, or use a macro lens or setting. Showing too much information in a photograph can be distracting and often unnecessary. What are you trying to focus on? Get in there! Less is more! Find those details because sometimes the best shots are the most simple.

Frame your subject.

The rules of good composition make pictures better because they tell the viewer what we want them to see. One way of doing this is to use elements to act as a frame or border around your subject and tell the viewer what to look at. Taking a beautiful cliff-side shot of the view? Allowing a tree branch to hang over the top and sides of your photo helps frame the view and brings the viewer deeper into the scene. Want to grab a shot of a unique view out your hotel window? If it’s interesting, take a step back and let the window literally frame your view out. Get creative. Almost anything—like people, gates, people, even shoulders can help frame a scene.

Change your perspective.

Find an unusual vantage point. Whether it’s shooting from the top of a building down or getting low, find a new and surprising way to look at a traditional scene. We’ve all seen the same pictures of our favorite landmarks around the world. Can you find a new way to depict that beautiful and recognizable place?

Share your favorite travel picture with us! Let us know what other tips you have for great composition. I’ll be back with more tips soon.

Happy Shooting!

Jen Miller