Blog — Trip Styler

Vacation Selfies 2.0

[trip style = any]

Selfie: is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. (Wikipedia)

There's a new selfie in town, and version 2.0 doesn't show an extended arm, a too-close view of your nostril or a pouty face that looks as though you're saying "prune." 

If you want a frame-worthy vacation photo, hotels such as the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea offer a photo concierge whose name is, no joke, S. Miles. If you're not staying at the Four Seasons and aren't traveling with a photographer in your entourage, you have more options than you think as far as standout single, couple or family photos. 

The new vacation selfie is unique-to-you, artsy and free. Instead of waxing on about HOW TO take cool photographs, I'll show you.

What you need
- the self-timer built into the camera in your iPhone or Android {which can be set at 3 or 10 seconds} 
OR
- a mini tripod such as this GorillaPod
OR
- a remote such as this HISY Bluetooth Remote
AND/OR
- a camera with self-timer   

Vacation Photos 2.0

1. Keep your eyes peeled for uncommon backdrops 

2. Let nature create a natural frame

3. Play with silhouettes

4.  Plain backgrounds work well, too

5. Shoot in the moment

6. Seize the day when the light is just right

IMG_8354.jpg

7. Get to an ideal photo-op spot before the crowds arrive

Trip Styler Tip: If you'd prefer to link up with a photog with all the right snap-happy gear, check out Flyphotographer, a website that connects you with carefully-selected shutterbugs in 150 destinations worldwide. 

[photos by @tripstyler taken on my iPhone and my Olympus]

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Roam+Board :: Grand Velas Riviera Maya

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GrandVelasRivieraMaya

[trip style = luxury + beach + food + wine + spa]
 

What
Me gusta la Riviera Maya, Mexico's Caribbean coastline stretching from Cancun to Tulum. While I've stayed in a few hotels dotting this sugary shoreline, there has always been one stark-white and palm-topped resort that intrigued me: Grand Velas Riviera Maya. 

Then the Trip Styling stars aligned. In partnership with Air Transat {Canada's leading holiday travel airline}, I arrived at the AAA Five-Diamond all-inclusive last Saturday to drink in everything from handcrafted margaritas to the green-tiled jungle pool—so gorgeous it's used as a backdrop for photoshoots and videos—to the 90,000-square-foot spa stocked with enough hydrotherapy gizmos and treatment rooms to be its own boutique hotel.

Divided into three distinct enclaves: Grand Class {adults-only + beachfront}, Ambassador {beachfront} and Zen {jungle-chic}, the 205-acre resort manages the almost-impossible task of feeling like an edited and exclusive escape, except with the bells and whistles you'd expect from a property built with a $250-million price tag and a three-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. 

Couple this with a round-up of restaurants—one helmed by the winner of Iron Chef Canada (2014)—24-hour room service; dedicated butler service; rooms bigger than most NYC flats touting travertine tile, jet tubs, private balconies, no-holds-barred minibars {a Snickers a day is good for you, right?}; and your view of an all-in vacation will be forever redefined. 

Trip Styler approved.

Where 
Grand Velas Riviera Maya is a 35-minute ride from the Cancun Airport, and a seven-minute ride from Playa Del Carmen. Ole. 

When 
The weather is sun-soaked year-round. Note: Summertime is humid, and there's a slight possibility of tormentas due to the Caribbean's hurricane season {June - October}. But really, I'd go any time. Because, Mexico. 

Who/Why 
You only stay where glossy mags do photoshoots.

What to Wear
Pull out your beachy best; here, what you wear to the pool is as important as what you don at night.
Jetset Style :: Comfort Class //  Jetset Style :: Linen Love // Jetset Style :: Top 10 Travel Essentials

Cost
The all-in cost hovers around $930 CAD / $700 USD per night and covers e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, including your own bottle of private-label reposado tequila. 

Trip Styler Tip: I used the resort's babysitting service {$18 usd/hr for a min of three hours} which calls upon certified caregivers who also work at the resort in other roles. I was REALLY impressed. Baby Styler was smitten by his sitters.

Photos