admin, Author at Pedaling Pictures

How to Choose the Right Video Production Company

So you’ve decided that you’re ready to produce a video. Congratulations! Video can be a huge step forward in promoting your business, your non-profit organization, your latest project or your own winning personality. The next step is finding the right team to help you mold your vision and produce a video that really works–whether your goal is to grow your audience, sell your products or wish Betty White a happy birthday. You could go the DIY route, but odds are you’ll get the best results with a video production company. Not all video…continue reading →

Lake Ohrid Video Profiles

Between January and August 2016, Pedaling Pictures produced three videos in the framework of an EU-funded project coordinated by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to raise awareness of the natural and cultural values of the Lake Ohrid region shared by Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. You can read more about the specifics of the project in our previous post or visit the project website here. We became involved with the the Lake Ohrid project though Stephanie's work with the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where she provided project support to the…continue reading →

Supporting the Effective Management of Lake Ohrid

Pedaling Pictures recently had the opportunity support the EU-funded project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region.” Lake Ohrid is a transboundary lake in Southeastern Europe located between Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The project, coordinated by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, is dedicated to addressing the main threats affecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region in the two countries. Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region Lake Ohrid is the oldest lake in Europe…continue reading →

Project Update: Protected Areas in Albania

We teamed up with NaturAL, and we’re heading to Albania! The official name of the project is “Strengthening national capacity in nature protection, preparation for Natura 2000 network”—but it goes by NaturAL. The project aims to halt the loss of biodiversity in Albania through improved management of its protected areas. Focus on Albania Albania is very rich in biological diversity. It encompasses both Mediterranean and Alpine bioregions, is part of the Adriatic flyway, and is also a European Green Belt country. In fact, Albania is so diverse that this little country covering only…continue reading →

Project Update: Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region

Since January 2016 we’ve been based in Belgrade, Serbia working on a number of projects across the Balkans. One of our projects is located in the Lake Ohird region of Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. A Little About Lake Ohrid Lake Ohrid is the oldest and deepest lake in Europe and one of the world’s few ancient lakes, on a short list of water bodies including Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in the East African Rift. More than a million years old, its long life span and marked isolation…continue reading →

Fulbright vs Boren: Tips for Applying

This post is a spin-off from my previous post about the differences between the Fulbright and Boren programs. Here I'm offering a few tips for applying for the Boren Fellowship and Fulbright Research Scholarship. This is a combination of advice from my professors and academic advisors, plus some things that, in hindsight, I wish I had known at the time of writing my applications or had done differently. I also recommend checking out Kayden Bui’s website -- he’s a former Boren Scholar and Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grantee. His website is a great resource for individuals applying to the Fulbright…continue reading →

Fulbright vs Boren: What’s the Difference?

The U.S. government is making a big effort to expand the number of Americans going abroad and learning foreign languages. Fulbright is one of the best known fellowship programs for Americans to study and research abroad, but it’s certainly not the only one. I've studied abroad many times -- first as an AFS exchange student during high school, several times during college to combine studying/volunteering/and working abroad, and also as a recipient of the Fulbright and Boren awards. I submitted the above featured video to IIE’s Generation Study Abroad Voices Video Challenge to highlight my study abroad…continue reading →

Kyrgyzstan’s Jailoo Kindergartens

Anyone who's ever experienced Kyrgyzstan's tourism industry knows that the country isn't shy about its nomadic heritage. The cross-hatch of a yurt is even the focal point of the country's bright flag, and the traditional cuisine of fatty meat and mare's milk is a constant reminder that vegetables just aren't practical for the wandering life. While true nomadism doesn't really exist anymore in the region, there are still hundreds of Kyrgyz families who carry the tradition as far as practically possible. Starting in May, hundreds (or maybe thousands) of families pull up their roots…continue reading →

Cycling the Balkans: Montenegro & Albania

Over the summer we rented bikes in Montenegro, packed up two panniers each and hit the road, cycling from Podgorica to Plav and Gusinje, then to Koplik (Albania), Shkodra, eventually to Tirana, and finally back up along the Albanian coast to where we first started. Watch the journey unfold in our five-part video series below: Part One: Podgorica to Gusinje Part One covers our trip from Podgorica to Plav, then to nearby Gusinje. We stopped in Plav and talked to Alsen Radončić, volunteer at National Park Prokletije, about tourism and investment in his part of…continue reading →

Walking Almaty: Marveling at the Mundane

The latest Pedaling Pictures production is a profile of Dennis Keen, founder of Walking Almaty. We had the good fortune of being able to spend a long afternoon in Almaty with Dennis earlier this summer, where he took us on a tour of some of his favorite neighborhoods, pigeon markets, drainpipes, rail girders, cornices, window frames, etc. For the uninitiated, Walking Almaty is essentially a well-organized collection of overlooked items that make up everyday street scenes in Almaty. Dennis likes to walk, and he has a keen (that's right) eye for noticing the unnoticed, and finding patterns in things…continue reading →

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