Decompressing from New York!

I've been home from New York for about 10 days already and I am adjusting back to Birmingham life.

How does one get over the best trip they've ever had to the best city in the world?

Well, it isn't easy! First the jet lag to contend with, which pretty much kept my brain numb for a bout a week. I think that might have been a good thing as it probably kept the post holiday blues at bay. Next letting the New York experience sink it. Did that really happen?!

Now I have in front of me the pretty huge task of photo selecting and editing and of course, video too! I'm getting there and am about a third of the way through.

So watch this space. I'll be telling you my tales from the Big Apple. From the people I met and the friends I made. To getting lost and having adventures. To all the sights, sounds and energy of a city like no other!

New York! I miss you! :)

Goodbye Birmingham...Hello Manhattan!

At this time on Friday, I'll be landing at Newark airport ready to begin the Big Apple Unpeeled adventure!

My bags are packed. Well, they have been packed for two weeks now! There are advantages to being a premature packer I can assure you. Well, apart from the tiny matter of trying to squeeze 9lbs/1000 flyers in at the last minute!

I always like to be prepared, but I think on this occasion I was a little too prepared and hadn't bargained for the size or weight of the flyers!

The flyers are advertising the 4am Project photo walk that I am going to hold in Times Square on 17th October. I've been doing as much of my own PR as possible and thought I'd back that up by handing these out to folks in New York.



I'm planning on doing this on the first few days I am in the city, and hope that it might prove a good way of getting to know new people too!



With hindsight being the wonderful thing that it is, I guess I should have printed the flyers in NYC, but hey, I can't think of everything.



So, the next time I write here, I'll be in the heart of Manhattan and will be beginning to unpeel the Big Apple!





Stay tuned for photos, videos, stories and more!

As featured in the Birmingham Mail!

The Big Apple Unpeeled blog is now featured on the Birmingham Mail's website! On the Lifestyle blogs page specifically. Take a lookie!




Though the cleverness of feeds, whenever I update this blog, the Birmingham Mail page will update with the latest post too. I've worked the with Birmingham Mail on something similiar for their Your Communities page for my hyperlocal blog.

I have worked with the Birmingham Mail and the Birmingham Post serveral times over the years and first cut my teeth as a photographer with them during 6 months work experience as a photojounalist, and it's great to be teamed up with them again!

My Byte Sized New York Travel Guide Books

Only 22 days until I set forth to Manhattan, and I am devouring many a New York guide book. I am going to be stepping off the tourist trail during my stay, but some of these books highlight some gems that I just don't want to miss!

However, in my attempt to travel light (ahem) to NYC I don't want to be laden down with heavy books that will push my airline weight restrictions over the limit, so I've struck upon a genius idea!




Using the tools of my trade, my camera and to some degree my iPhone, I'm taking photos of the relevant pages of information that I don't want to forget!




And I'm shrinking all 8 books into a tiny portable plug-in guide.



I'm also storing some essential guide tips on my iPhone which will be very handy when I am out and about on the streets on Manhattan.



I can't fail to forget about anything whilst in the Big Apple now :)

The quickest way I know to make connections in New York City

Hands up who loves twitter!

I love twitter so much I even organised a twitter flash mob!



And I'm intending to make the most out of this wonderful social media tool when I am in New York City.

For the past couple of months I've started to follow tweeters in NYC. There's quite a mixture of organisations, things to do, as well as fellow photographers and social media peeps and people who have piqued my interest.











I've started exchanging tweets, getting to know people, and have even been invited to a couple of nights out!

And although I am putting a lot of planning into the Big Apple Unpeeled, I want to leave room for spontaniety.

One of the apps I use on my iPhone is a twitter client called Twitterrific. It meets all my tweeting needs when I am on the move.

However, there is one feature that I haven't tapped into yet; the Nearby feature.

No matter where you are, if you tap on Nearby, it will show you a list of tweeters within your vicinity and what they are saying.

























So, I'm gonna see who and what is going on around me. If something or someone interests me, then I'm just going to say 'Hi' and see what happens! Perhaps I'll make a new friend, perhaps not. Maybe I'll end up somewhere interesting maybe not. But I'm going to give it a try and of course I'll be reporting back here!

My handy little pocket computer

During the next few weeks, I'll be chatting about some of the tech I am taking with me to New York.

First up! My iPhone.

I sometimes wonder how I managed without it. I purchased my iPhone earlier this year and I haven't looked back.

This is going to be an essential tool in my Big Apple Unpeeled adventure. It will be by my side pretty much at all times and it will be very useful for giving up to the minute reports, photographs and videos. It's handily got everything I need.





















Some of the benefits of an iPhone for my trip:

• Pocket Sized
• Easy to use
• Internet browsing
• Maps - Handy if I get lost!
• Camera & video including live video streaming applications
• Email access
• Built in wifi
• Dictaphone - Handy for making memos on the move
• Great apps! Twitter, flickr, youtube, weather, blogging, what's on, news.....
• Oh, and it makes phone calls and sends texts!

What more could you ask for? Well, the only thing I can see being a bit of a problem is it's battery life. For average day to day use I have to charge my phone once a day. With heavier use in New York I can see me running out of power before the end of the day.

This is something I am going to have to look into - to see if there is a mobile charger of sorts that can help extend the battery life. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. And if you think there are any apps that would be essential to the Big Apple Unpeeled trip, give me a shout! :)

Travelling Solo, but I won't be alone

I will be travelling solo in New York City, however, I don't plan on being alone.

Thanks to all the social media tools we have available I will still have my friends and followers with me on the journey - virtually at least.

Given the speed of communication we now have access to through the internet, there is no reason not to be able to keep in touch. As well as sharing my Big Apple adventure, my friends and followers can comment and quickly interact making it more of a participatory experience.

Contrast this to about 8 years ago when I first got online. I bought my first computer with the aim of using it to plan a 2 month solo trip around the USA. Researching my trip I found that not every venue or hotel had a website. I made many long distant calls to the U.S. I didn't book my multiple flights (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Orland, New York) online, but went into a travel agents. Scanning my old guidebooks now, there is a distinct lack of website addresses attached to the 'must see' and 'don't miss' recommendations.

I think a few people may have been blogging 8 years ago, but the word hadn't registered on my radar. Facebook hadn't been invented. Or Youtube. And certainly not twitter. My main avenues of keeping in touch with a few friends and family then was by postcard/letters, the occasional email when I could find an internet cafe and the odd long distance phone call. As for photographs, I had my old film camera and waited patiently until I got home to develop my pictures.

That two month trip was amazing and I loved every minute of it. But there was something missing. I'd see these incredible sights, have experiences I wanted to share, have the odd moment of doubt, take part in an amazing event, but there was no one there I could immediately turn to and say, "Hey! Did you see that?!" There was a delay between the experience and being able to share it.

NOW? Wow!

We have every means available to keep connected and share sights and sounds. Broadband, Wifi, laptops, net books, mobile phones that can have us online in seconds. We are embracing, sharing, consuming media like never before and with free live video streaming we can broadcast our news within seconds.

My two month trip was a good practice run, but this time around things are going to be so much different, and I'll have my friends, family and followers viturally by my side.

Welcome to the Big Apple Unpeeled!

Hello!

A very warm welcome to the Big Apple Unpeeled blog.

Exactly one month ago I spontaneously booked my flights to New York City. Even though I have been planning this trip for some time, I wasn't quite sure when it would happen, but last month the opportunity presented itself and now it's all go, go, go!

I have chosen to stay in New York for a whole month. Though I am already wondering if this will be long enough given all the things I would like to do!

Immersing myself in the city, my aim is to bring you a 'pips n all' view of the Big Apple. This will be a participatory event too - throughout my trip I will be asking you 'Where would you like to visit today?'

Using social media tools such as this blog, youtube, twitter, flickr, bambuser, qik, and facebook, I will be bringing you photography, interviews and reviews of the Big Apple.

Take a moment to read more about the Big Apple Unpeeled. As a way of an introduction you can read a bit more about me, and there is even a press release, and sponsorship opportunities.

Don't forget to signed up the Big Apple Unpeeled blog too! :)