This week, we would like to introduce you to Liz and Ryan, awesome world travelers and bloggers from Pause The Moment.

Check them out for great travel inspiration, tips and advice, travel photography, gear recommendations and just for the pleasure of discovering their adventures.

Ryan is an XShot master and takes his camera extender around the world. Check out his twitter profile picture taken above kids, it makes my day every time I see it…

 If you are preparing a Spring or Summer getaway, you may want to check out his packing list for Nicaragua, from clothing to gadgets and electronics.

All in there but ultra light and we sure loved the XShot / GoPro / Flip-Flop combo!

So, what’s in the bag?

(1) Pair of Jeans

(1) Pair of Travel Pants

(5) T-shirts

(1) Zip-up hoodie

(1) Long Sleeve

(1) Rain Jacket

(1) Pair of Flip Flops

(4) Pairs of socks

(4) Pairs of underwear

(7) To check out all the cool photo gear and electronics Ryan takes with him, please visit Pause The Moment.

Awesome! The pocket XShot was in "L'Equipe Magazine", the French equivalent of Sports Illustrated!

" The Extender for GoPro : Using a GoPro camera becomes easier with the XShot 2.0 Camera Extender you can attach to the small camera and film yourself in action" by Christophe Sefrin in his CES 2013 High-Tech Selection

Let's see more XShot action in the Alps this snow season with your GoPros! For French and European fans, you can already find the XShot extenders and iphone tripod cases for sale in France at MacWay , Crazyphonics and Plein Air Aventure.

Photos: Bruno Garay – L'equipe

We are very pleased to start the 2013 "XShot Picture of the Month" Series with our dear Italian friend Giufo Soulboarder. His creativity with his XShot extender and GoPro camera is endless and we always lookf forward to discovering his new stunts and self-portraits.

Photo: Giufo Soulboarder

Please continue to share your pictures with us : we love it and you may be selected like this one and win prizes. You can email them at xshot@xshot.com , or upload them directly on our Facebook page.

Thank you dear friends and fans for an awesome year with you. Your support, enthusiasm, photos , videos and XShot stories meant the world to us and we are very thankful…

Best wishes to you and your beloved ones for an amazing new year.

Stay tuned for more XShot adventures and new gear in 2013.

Happy New year!

http://animoto.com/play/n8T2wFZWO1XmrQ3WK0LIVQ

Jeremy Neal Fischer is a very talented photographer and traveler. He managed to capture wild and gorgeous shots during his recent backpacking trip throughout Northern Europe. One day he met another traveler who was using the XShot camera extender, and it all started like that…We were very curious to hear what such an amazing traveler/photographer would take in his travel bag, let's find out!

1. Why did you choose your path and how did you get started? - In August 2011, I bought a video camera and filmed my 4 1/2 month journey throughout Northern Europe. Upon returning home and uploading this short video to YouTube, I was offered the opportunity to create a video for Norway's Tourist Bureau. With these two videos, I received a great deal of positive feedback, including a message from a Lithuanian girl who said that I inspired her to quit her job and follow her dreams of moving to Norway. Knowing that I had been an inspiration was an incredibly rewarding feeling. And it was this kind of feedback that helped me realize that I would do whatever it takes to fully pursue this path. I am currently planning and building a website with the goal of inspiring others to seek out experiences and self-discovery through travel.

2. How did you hear about the XShot?

I was resting at a hostel in Norway, taping my broken tripod together, when I met another traveler that was staying in the same room. Surprised that I was going through so much trouble, he showed me his XShot and explained how much simpler and more convenient it is to use.

4. Where is your favorite location to take pictures?
- Anywhere with a beautiful view, whether atop a mountain, fjord, canyon, or just about anywhere high up. I will happily go out of my way to seek out a breathtaking view with my camera equipment.
- I also love taking pictures at night. Using long exposures and painting with light is definitely high up on my list.

5. Can you share an anecdote or funny story you encountered while using your XShot?
I was using my XShot in Las Vegas when a drunk man excitedly approached me, "Wow! How did you do that?" "Do what?" "How did you make that?" He was convinced that I had modified a golf club into a camera extender. Even though I explained to him that it is not a golf club, nor did I modify it in anyway, he refused to believe me. He proceeded to tell me that I was the smartest person he had ever known, and he actually asked if he could take a picture with me. My XShot not only gave me better pictures, but it also gave me a fan.

6. How do you think you will use it the most? - The XShot is incredibly convenient, and I will mostly use it for this convenience. I can take the XShot out of my pocket, attach my small digital camera, extend the XShot, set the timer, and take the picture, all in under 30 seconds. It takes about three minutes for me to detach my tripod from my backpack, set up the tripod, pull my DSLR out of my bag, attach the desired lens, mount the camera to the tripod, frame the shot, attach the intervalometer remote to take the image or set up the self timer, and snap the picture. In the time that it takes to capture one image with my DSLR and tripod, I can capture several images with my small digital camera and XShot. Therefore I will mainly use my XShot when I don't have the time, or don't want to take the time to set up my tripod and DSLR, and then pack it all up again.

7. Tell us about your new exciting trips and projects to come.

- Projects: I am currently planning and creating a travel website that will feature written content about philosophy, travel advice, and true travel experiences. The website will also feature travel photos, travel-related videos, and "How-To"/ Advice videos. The goal of this website will be to promote travel outside one's comfort zone. I am hoping to have it all up and running within the next few months.
- Trips: Once my website is up, I plan to get back on the road. I have four trips that I am very eager to experience. Hiking throughout Patagonia is at the top of my list, and exploring Mongolia is at a close second. I also want to camp and trek through New Zealand, and experience Finnish Lapland in the winter time.

More about Jeremy Fischer :  "Traveling, filmmaking, and photography have been my biggest passions for as long as I can remember, and I often embark on backpacking journeys with my camera equipment. I have traveled to more than 25 countries, studied in 5, and worked in 3. I am also a Film and Television graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and have worked on three Feature Films. I am now in the process of starting up a travel website/blog that will feature true travel experiences, philosophy and advice, travel photos, and travel videos. Until it is up and running, please feel free to visit my personal website at jeremynealfischer.com, my Flickr Collection athttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jfisch322/collections/, or my Youtube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/jfisch322. 

Matthew Barrett traveled to Mexico in December and had some awesome scuba diving adventures. He managed to take pictures and videos underwater with his XShot camera extender and GoPro, a perfect combo to get close and personal with the wonderful sea life without scaring them.

Photo : Matthew Barrett

"I loved using the collapsible/extendable XShot 2.0 camera extender with the GoPro 2 camera while diving, it brought me closer into the reefs and sea life while keeping me still at a distance, like having longer arms! Very useful piece of equipment that attaches to any camera with a standard screw set. Also the XShot 2.0 with the GoPro 2 camera has negative buoyancy which is good because it hangs below you versus the normal cameras when attached to a D ring is constantly trying to float to the top and gets wrapped around your head! — with GoPro and XShot.

I use the XShot in the sense that is lengthens my reach an I can get closer in shots without a danger to myself or the sea life. I do not use it to get myself in picture. I mainly shoot videos i will post some. The XShot works great because as humans approach the fish swim away, but with the XShot you stay a distance but can get close shots." Matthew Barrett 

Please continue to share your pictures with us : we love it and you may be selected like this one and win prizes. You can email them at xshot@xshot.com , or upload them directly on our Facebook page.

Like every year we are getting crazy trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list,  and we happily stumble upon the B&H gift selection, a paradise for all shutterbugs.

Check out the whole selection on B&H : 50 gift Ideas for photographers and gadgets fans.

Thanks to John from Honolulu, a wonderful XShot fan, we were able to get the Honolulu Star Advertiser article where the XShot camera accessory was featured in the travel gear section. Thanks John , you are the best!

"We go on cruises & I saw one being used by one of the passengers during a boat ride on the Thames River in London just before the Olympics earlier this year, but forgot to ask the guy…and I've always wondered where he got it. It just so happened that I was reading the Sunday Honolulu Star Advertiser last week and lo & behold there was a short article about it in one of the Sections. It was a "Godsend" – I take lots of pictures when we travel, but end up taking pictures of things and other people most of the time without me in the photo." John.

"The more you use it, the more you'll want to use it." McClatchy Newspapers

Read more on Honolulu Star Advertiser

Holidays are just around the corner and you are getting stressed out when you look at your gift list? No worries, Datacolor's got you covered if you have a shutterbug to treat.

Their experts, David Saffir and C. David Tobie, gathered an amazing list of about 40 Stocking Stuffers that will be perfect for anyone who loves photography. The list includes: Spyder products, lenses, tripods,monopods, lens filters, camera bags, and you guessed it right : an XShot camera Extender, to take great self-portraits and hard to reach shots.

Happy gift hunting

Read more and download the PDF list on Datacolor's

Gary Frecknall is a passionate traveler and photographer from the U.K. He shared with us some fantastic pictures he took with his XShot extender and GoPro camera in the past few months.

It was hard to choose one for the November Picture of the Month so we picked a lovely one with his fiancée Kirsti Ball in the amazing ancient city of Petra, Jordan.

"The XShot is an important bit of kit to capture our travels."

Please continue to share your pictures with us : we love it and you may be selected like this one and win prizes. You can email them at xshot@xshot.com , or upload them directly on our Facebook page.