Susan Blick Vids, Pics & Tours

25/04/2024

SHOUT OUT to anyone who'd like a week or two's tour in TURKEY. I'm going to be in Istanbul mid-November, so this is your chance to travel with me on a bespoke trip of your desired length. Istanbul is a city I have lived in for 4 years in total. I know this city like the back of my hand. This city is also the greatest city on Earth, if the world was to create a capital it would surely be Constantinople (quote by Napoleon). For those who don't know, Constantinople was the Christian name prior to the Ottoman conquest. Simply DM me and let me know your availability in the 2nd half of November and we'll work out an itinerary of your liking and budget.

23/04/2024

Craft villages in Vietnam can be found all over the country. This village focuses on making rice paper. This is the exact rice paper that your spring rolls are wrapped in. As one can imagine there's great need for a lot of this rice paper, and in fact, much of it is shipped to China if not sold locally. A mixture of rice flour and water is added to the machine which then rolls out a wafer thin amount onto the drying rack as it passes through the machine. These are then left to dry for a day before being cut into shape for packaging and sale. Photographing this process was more difficult and perhaps less engaging than some of the other villages we visited on my tour. Getting a good angle was hard in the dark, very early morning light. And the rooms in which the production was happening were often small and offered less in the way of interesting compositions. However, these situations are good for the photographer as the shot doesn't just come to you; you have to work for it.

13/04/2024

Incense sticks, they're in huge demand throughout Asia. There's a little village in Northern Vietnam dedicated to the making of these small sticks. The incredible thing is everything is done by hand, right down to the splitting of the sticks from a large piece of bamboo. Then the dying of the sticks, stacking them, and lastly they'll be shipped elsewhere to have the chemical burning agent and fragrance added. It's quite a treat to witness the process.

16/03/2024

It's been a long time coming. Here's a few shots from my recent visit to Varanasi.
Do you too go away on holidays or travel, take lots of photos and then when you get back procrastinate over the cataloging, editing, and posting? I sure as hell do. For me, something else always comes up, or something else is pending and I just never seem to be able to put the time aside to get on with it. My current PC is a piece of sh*t which doesn't help, lagging all the time, often freezing, and with so many videos also to edit, by the time I get to the stills I'm rather disheartened. One day I'll get a Mac again 🙏 god willing! Anyway, enough of that - here are a few of my faves from this visit to India. I'll be back in September with a group of 4 at present. If you'd like to join, please DM me. Time is running out to ensure you a spot. I'd like to thank good friend and photo farmer Manoj for hanging out with me in Varanasi, it was fun.If

11/03/2024

It's been a big 34 days of travel through India and then guiding a client in Northern Vietnam. But I'm home for now and just got word from a fabulous artist and photographer Cath Simard Photography & Workshops that her AI inspired commission piece that I helped destination research (and was supposed to guide, but China refused me the visa) is now complete. Her incredible quest to match or exceed an AI image, basically to out shoot AI, has been released. Cath is one of the top NFT photography artists in the world, hailing from Canada, started life as a fashion model, and morphed into an incredible photographer. If you're not following her, I recommend you do. She's next level. And please read the amazing journey from AI beginnings to NFT auction, to finished image; it's one hell of a story!

30/01/2024

Hello everyone, I hope you've all recovered from the holiday period. Most of you are probably back to work, ohh the pain of it. We took a week off and went to Thailand, Bangkok and Kanchanaburi this time only. We hadn't been for a decade, so it was great to revisit an old stomping ground. We got out and about, made some vlogs and ate some delicious Thai food - as you do. Here's a few drone shots I captured while there. Let's talk soon from India in a couple of weeks, it's up next!

22/01/2024

Never Been to India Before? This Is (mostly) For You.

13/01/2024

Here's a little more from guys. Wouldn't want you to not know about the wonderful opportunities for portraits, and the variety of portraits at that too. The people of Ladakh is what makes it such an enchanting destination. Some of the friendliest and most chilled people you're ever likely to meet, but this too is proving their downfall.
Ladakh has long been a protected Buddhist land under Article 35a of the Indian Constitution (which barred outsiders from buying land and taking jobs), but recently Ladakh was granted federal state status, which meant many of the safeguards that ensured Ladakh was kept in Ladakhi hands has now been wiped away. This has meant an increase in outsiders from other states of India, in particular Jammu and Kashmir, and the Buddhist way of life is being pushed farther into the mountains. This last Buddhist shangri la may be no more in less than a decade.
My tour for 2024 is fairly comprehensive and will take you far and wide across this beautiful land. Join me in September for this bucket list destination!

11/01/2024

Are you ready for some spam? Have you heard of Ladakh? It's the world's last Shangri La. It's home to some of the world's most remote people. It's in the farthest reaches of Northern India, bordering Pakistan and China.
I'm gearing up for the tour of 2024!!! And to get to the most amazing places in Ladakh we have to take a flight right into the Himalayan Range on one of the world's most scenic.

From Ladakh's capital Leh, we drive over two of the world's highest roads, pictured here, Khardung La and Chang La. The drive is spectacular, the views immeasurable, the air thin and cool, crisp, the memories unforgettable. Join me Sept 17th for the bucket list destination of Ladakh - 4 spots taken, 2 remaining!

More spam incoming this weekend!

31/12/2023

We had a real good time in Thailand for the Christmas break, it’d been about 13 years for me. Really lovely revisiting old favourite eateries, seeing Thai friends, and just chilling. The pace is slower in Thailand than Vietnam and we appreciated that. See you next time 🇹🇭 Here are a few phone shots. Wishing you all a prosperous 2024!

24/12/2023

Another year is almost over, and as we head into 2024 I wanted to thank You for your support over this past year. It's been a tough one, many ups and downs as I try to figure how my future looks again now after the pandemic.
I have lots of new and exciting adventures planned for 2024 and I hope some of you at least would like to join me on those journeys.
However, for now I just wanna say "Happy Holidays" and all best for you and your loved ones!

21/12/2023

In February I'm heading to India once again, but this time it's a little different. I'm going to scout a new photo tour, one that focusses on the people of India. This tour will give us complete access to photograph shots like pictured here. I'm teaming up with a world-renowned photographer to bring you the best opportunities to take your photography further. This will be a short 5 or 6 day tour, with 3 full days shooting with me and my fixer.
We'll visit the famous burning ghats of Varanasi, a coal mine, a brick making factory, a fishing village, a traditional Indian wrestling school, and we'll get to photograph the Aghori sadhus!!!! (google them, this a quite the coup)
Too, for those thinking of joining my Ladakh tour in September, this one will follow Ladakh with a day or two break between to get us to the location. More details coming soon. Please leave your interest in the comments.

03/12/2023

29/11/2023

It's been a long time coming haha, I really don't know where the time goes. But finally I have chosen a heap of photos (just from my phone, nothing special) - in fact I took my dSlr, but never used it lol - to share with you from our Saudi Arabia trip. We had a fabulous time and did so much. It's incredible to think how far Saudi has come. It was just 4 years ago when women couldn't drive, they needed a male chaperone to travel, and in the case of divorce the children always went to the husband, but all that has changed along with no religious police anymore, no requirement for hijab, and well tbh it felt like any other Middle Eastern country; AND we were welcomed beyond anything you could imagine. It was very special and very touching, we're definitely heading back and may even look into relocating to Saudi for a time - let's see!

05/10/2023

Just a couple of days in Dubai before heading on a content assignment to a new country. Country number 60 or more maybe? I don't count countries actually, what's more important is how long one spends in a country and how well you get to know it and its people.

01/10/2023

I'm happy to announce I have teamed up with Women in Photography - who run and organize photo tours for women all round the world - to bring you a bespoke photography experience in Vietnam. I've been living here for 1.5 years now and have traveled extensively over this period and during my two previous visits prior to relocation. It's a fascinating country and is oh so photogenic. Several spots have already been taken, so please get in touch with Lesley from WiP to hold your place. https://womeninphotography.co/events/2024-vietnam-photography-tour-crafts-culture/?mc_cid=7cb5f93814&mc_eid=7c4217087c

29/09/2023

We recently did a collab with a hotel on the coast not far from Ho Chi Minh City. It's particularly popular for a weekend getaway from the big city. It's a sleepy coastal town, a favorite of those retiring in Vietnam, and overall has a great vibe. We always enjoy visiting.

29/08/2023

For a while now this page has been a staging place for my travel videos as well as my photography. However, as of today it is reverting back to primarily photography, still photography that is. And to celebrate let's post a blue hour shot from downtown Saigon. Btw, this is a massive image, so if you or your business would like a huge print for your wall DM me.
And, if you'd like to watch our short travel clips please LIKE our new FB page: Girls on the Loose Show us some love as we only have 4 followers right now lol.

22/08/2023

Everyone in the west makes out that avos are something special, they're priced as if they are, they even tell us the reason we can't buy a house is because we have avocado on toast! What?!! HERE in Vietnam and many other countires they're as cheap as any other fruit. Walking the night market here in Ho Chi Minh City we come across a street stall selling avocados as a dessert. It's a no brainer, we must try it.