Wow – it is Friday! Where did the week go? Short weeks are almost as good as three day weekends!!!

Our travel memories are priceless…and it is even better when we capture them with photography (as evidenced by the overwhelming popularity of Instagram!).

Each year Virtuoso invites its travel advisors and their clients to share their photos and videos from their travels. This year there were 1,638 entries by Travel Advisors, and 815 submissions from Virtuoso clients – and four winners in each category were present during Virtuoso Travel Week in August.  Here are the winners…

Advisor Awards

Grand Prize

David Ourisman, Brownell Travel

“Couple in the Waterloo Tube Station, London” – London, UK

Ourisman snapped this while waiting for a train in the Waterloo tube station in London. He comments, “This couple was standing next to me, waiting for the same train, sharing a moment of pure joy.”

 

First Place

Jim Bendt, Pique Travel Design

“An African Safari – through the eyes (and mouth) of a 10 year old” – Zimbabwe

Bendt shot the music video starring his daughter (and lots of wildlife) at a variety of locations during a trip to Zimbabwe. “Inspired by actress Kristen Bell’s famous lip sync video of their African vacation, my 10-year-old daughter felt inspired by the wonders of Africa,” he elaborates.

Second Place

Pamela Hartman, Protravel International

“Mother and Cubs” – Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada

Hartman was one of a very limited number of people to visit northern Manitoba to see the animals. She explains, “Wapusk National Park is the home of the mother polar bear dens.  Between mid-February and mid-March they emerge with their three-month-old cubs.”

Third Place

John Oberacker, Montecito Village Travel

“Balloons Over Bagan” – Bagan, Myanmar

“Sunrise in a balloon over the beautiful ancient city of Bagan and its glorious temples is something not to be missed,” observes Oberacker.

Client Awards

Grand Prize

Dennis L. Hammond

“Last Shot” – Grand Canyon, Arizona

Hammond captured the image of a photographer at the rim of the Grand Canyon, setting up his last shot before sunrise. “I hope he got a good one,” he comments.

First Place

Julie Floyd

“Rocking the Gho” – Paro, Bhutan

Floyd snapped this image of her 8-year-old son on his birthday, on a suspension bridge loaded with prayer flags. She recalls, “He begged to buy and don a gho, which is the national mandated dress for men in the Kingdom of Bhutan.”

Second Place

Amy Goetsch

“Fishies” – French Polynesia

Third Place

Jen Helzberg

Advisor – Angela Schoenhard, Huffman Travel

“Ice Cave Thrill” – Iceland

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Which is your favorite? Do you have a favorite photo memory of one of your recent travels? If so, please share it with me and I will be happy to feature it on the here!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend…wherever you may be wandering…

xoxo

(all photos from Virtuoso.com)