September 30, 2017

My Sicilian Road Trip: Parte Due - Visiting Baroque Beauties

September 30, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

For the next part of my road trip, I left the northeast part of Sicily and drove roughly 180 km, or 2 1/2 hours, to my next destination in the southeastern part of the island. Known for it’s glorious Baroque cities and home to the Magna Graecia’s most magnificent ancient city, this part of Sicily attracts lots of tourists. The baroque beauties of Noto, Modica and Ragusa are all on my agenda for this part of my road trip, as well as the town of Siracusa (Syracuse).

September 24, 2017

My Sicilian Roadtrip: Parte Uno (Part 1) ~ the Mt. Etna Area

September 24, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I’ve read once that residents of Sicily consider themselves Sicilian first, European second, and Italian third! As a first generation Italian-American, I was mildly insulted by that statement, and decided I needed to check out this island for myself and see what all the fuss was about.

July 09, 2017

Amazing Azores: Top Places to Visit On the Island of São Miguel

July 09, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I knew very little about the Azores before I ended up there. After having spent 6 weeks exploring the big cities and small towns of Spain and Portugal, I was in need of some “nature therapy”, so heading to the lush green hillsides and dramatic beach cliffs of the Azores seemed the perfect way to scratch my outdoorsy itch. With that in mind, I booked a flight on Azores Airlines and found myself flying to the island of São Miguel.

May 07, 2017

Through the Lens: Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Spain

May 07, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

Holy Week (Semana Santa) is the biggest religious celebration of the year in Spain. It is a time for Spaniards to take to the streets and watch elaborate reenactments of the Passion of Christ, as well as enjoy some time off work in the company of their families and friends. I was very curious to witness these celebrations for myself, so during my month of traveling around Spain I decided to spend an entire week in the lovely university town of Salamanca, Spain - directly in the thick of things!

April 16, 2017

From Segovia, With Love

April 16, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I am madly in love with Italy, but this spring I am having an affair with Spain. Lovely, colorful, historic, fascinating, laid back Spain. After roadtripping through amazing Andalusia, I didn't think it was possible to grow more infatuated with this country, but then I visited Segovia!

April 08, 2017

5 Perfect Stops on a Roadtrip Through Andalusia, Spain

April 08, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

Last year I visited Spain for the first time and fell in love! This year when I returned to Spain I decided to rent a car and get off the well-worn train route. My goal was to photograph even smaller towns, so I jumped in my car and set out to discover the beautiful region of Andalusia.

March 28, 2017

My Favorite Things About Madrid

March 28, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I started my current trip by spending 3 full days in Madrid. I know this is daring to say but I didn't love Madrid. I liked it well enough, but there was something missing for me. Here are my thoughts as to why, and also my favorite things in Madrid.

March 14, 2017

LALIBELA: Faith and Devotion in the Mountains of Ethiopia

March 14, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I am fascinated with the idea of faith. Specifically, I am drawn to places where I can witness and capture the power of faith. Devotion, spirituality, worship - whatever you may call it - I am intrigued by people with high levels of reverence and enthusiasm for something beyond the physical. Religious observances are particularly interesting to me, so it only made sense that I head to Lalibela, Ethiopia to photograph the celebration of Orthodox Christian Christmas.

March 08, 2017

ETHIOPIA'S OMO VALLEY: Enlightening, Challenging, Humbling

March 08, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

I feel like I’ve been seeing photographs of the tribal people who live in Ethiopia since I was little. As a young girl growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I had no idea where these people lived, but I was fascinated nonetheless by the women with the lip plates, all the colorful beads they wore, their seemingly easy way of life. When I decided to go back to Ethiopia earlier this year, I knew I had to visit the Omo Valley and photograph these interesting people for myself. I wanted to truly live out a “National Geographic moment.”

February 26, 2017

ON SAFARI IN KENYA: finding peace in the stillness

February 26, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

Some three weeks ago, I returned from a week on safari in the Maasai Mara of Kenya. The trip was everything I had hoped it would be -- and more. I didn't just come home with 4,000+ images; I also came home with a newfound appreciation for the calm I've created in my life since I stopped working. Read more about the unexpected ways in which this trip moved me - and why I still can't stop thinking about my time there.

February 17, 2017

2016 HIGHLIGHTS: An amazing year of travel

February 17, 2017/ Lisa DeSimone

Whew - 2016 was quite a journey! I was on the road for nearly half the year, traveling to 11 countries (5 of which were new to me). I found myself at sea level and at 18,000 ft — and at lots of points in between. This last year of travel was a near-perfect combination of solo adventures and shared experiences with old and new friends. It was also my most aggressive year of travel yet: at times I was exhausted, lonely, and/or sick — but honestly I wouldn’t trade any of those moments for anything!

March 01, 2016

MYANMAR: Visiting the Remote Tribes of Burma

March 01, 2016/ Lisa DeSimone

In early 2016 I had the good fortune of returning to Burma (Myanmar), this time on a photography trip where we focused on the fascinating - and vanishing - minority tribes of Burma. We visited with several remote tribes, taking planes, boats, and car, as all as hiking, to reach these folks who typically live far removed from the mainstream. These are their portraits.