“I didn’t find photography. Photography found me. And then it healed me.” This quote says it all when describing Me Ra Koh. So who is Me Ra? Me Ra Koh, aka the photo mom, first turned to photography in her time of grief after losing her baby. Photography became her outlet to deal with the pain. By taking photos, she found her passion for writing other people’s stories through images. Her photography has been published in notable publications such as the New York Times, Women’s World, American Photo, and more. She also has a Disney Jr. show, Capture Your Story with Me Ra Koh, and has been featured on LIVE with Kelly and the Nate Berkus Show.
Portrait of Italy: Photography Workshop and Culinary Tour
In addition to her TV shows and appearances, Me Ra Koh also offers unique photography workshops to countries all over the world. One of her photography workshops was an 8-day trip to Italy that included a culinary tour. On the trip, Me Ra Koh and her husband, Brian Tausend, took a group to Italy that started out in Rome and then moved north. Along the way, they explored hilltop villages that are off the beaten path. Then they visited Florence and ended the tour in Venice. The timeline of the trip was all photography based. For example, they shot sunsets in Tuscany and the poppy fields to get some really great photos. On the trip, they also stayed at a castle where a real Count and Countess live. While there, everyone learned how to make homemade gnocchi and pasta and learned about food photography. The photography workshop and culinary tour helped attendees learn about capturing photos of architecture, the countryside, the Tuscan region, and cooking. Some photos from the workshop and tour are below:
FLY-X3-PLUS Smartphone Gimbal
On the trip, Me Ra Koh brought along the Ikan FLY-X3-PLUS smartphone gimbal stabilizer to help capture video footage. This was a new experience for her and her husband because they had never brought a gimbal along on a trip before. Her husband is in cinematography and is always filming, but they didn’t want the extra weight of a gimbal setup. However, they changed their minds and decided to try out a gimbal after hearing about the FLY-X3-PLUS from Guy Kawasaki.
Me Ra thought that the gimbal was awesome and that it worked very well for traveling. The FLY-X3-PLUS was the right weight and super portable, too. As a travel photographer, you always have to take into consideration how much room the gear will take up and how heavy it will be. You’re always looking for something compact and the FLY-X3-PLUS smartphone gimbal was just that.
The only issue that Me Ra came across when traveling with the gimbal was the limited access to internet in the medieval towns they visited. It was hard to conduct a live stream since those towns don’t have reliable Wi-Fi. Fortunately, they were still able to capture some video footage, which was so smooth that you could barely tell that she was walking while shooting the videos. Check out these short live videos she took in Italy:
Tuscan Village w/ My Camera
Posted by Me Ra Koh – The Photo Mom on Thursday, May 5, 2016
Medieval Village in Italy
Posted by Me Ra Koh – The Photo Mom on Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Since shooting stable video can be difficult when you’re moving, having a smartphone gimbal that can easily capture smooth videos is a huge advantage. Me Ra thought that the smooth motion capture from the FLY-X3-PLUS was amazing. Everyone on the trip loved it and people were following behind Me Ra saying that it basically looked like the FLY-X3-PLUS smartphone gimbal was floating in front of her. Me Ra also mentioned that the great thing about the gimbal was the fact that travelers and vacationers could appreciate it and not just photographers and cinematographers.
“The FLY-X3-PLUS is a great tool for capturing travel content because of how small and light and dependable it is.” – Me Ra Koh
Overall, she loved the gimbal and thought it was awesome. Interested in joining one of Me Ra’s workshops? Check out this list of upcoming photography workshops or visit Me Ra Koh’s website: www.merakoh.com.
- 8-Day Portrait of Italy: Photography Workshop and Culinary Tour
- 9-Day Portrait of Thailand Photography Workshop and Tour
- 2-Day CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop for Women
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