No doubt about it – I am a planner. I fuss over the tiniest details of a trip like a pastry chef over a royal wedding cake, enjoying every sweet second of preparation and creation so that each morsel may be savored to its potential. When the journey arrives, I surrender to spontaneity and soak up the experience; I live in the joy I anticipated.
Planning makes me a better photographer and photography makes me a better traveler. Here’s why:
1. Planning is a good excuse to read copious volumes of guidebooks, histories, location-related fiction, and (gasp) your camera’s manual. An acquaintance of mine is a retired National Geographic photographer. He tells the story of his first assignment and of how surprised he was to be handed a large stack of books on his way out the door to pack for the trip. He learned quickly that the more you know about a place and its culture, the better you will see it and shoot it when you arrive.
2. Planning is your golden ticket to unlimited, guilt-free, lunch hour and/or late night trolling of the interwebs.
There is so much to do – discover backstreet cafes; use Google Earth to fly around and spot interesting architecture; find out what time the sun will rise at your destination on Thursday July 24th; follow the river running through the capital city to its origins.
3. Good future photography is the motivation you need to pick up your camera now, to practice today, to develop the muscle memory needed to see truly and shoot well.
All of this research and training will set you up for a success and fun. It will result in an album full of art and a heart full of memories. Here at Global Snapshots, I will be sharing bi-weekly travel images from my journeys and writing a monthly advice column on how to enhance your own explorations by turning travel (from the simplest weekend getaway to an all out cross-continental trek) into something more…an artistically-documented journey truly well seen and well lived. I’m also planning to post reviews of photo-related products, services, and software as they catch my attention.
I offer you, dear reader and fellow traveler, a simple equation to live and shoot by: anticipate joy and you will find joy. Start shooting today and take better photos on your next trip! Be inspired to use your camera to interact with the world – subscribe to the Global Snapshots Twitter feed (@GlobalSnapshots) to receive the Snapshot Challenge of the Day. Regardless of your skill level, itinerary, equipment, or attention span, now is the time to learn to take more meaningful and descriptive travel photos.
All the best and thanks for visiting!
In joy,
Melinda Eliza