First we need to differentiate what photography is as I believe it to be.
Especially today, where social networks bring a need for constant photos and videos.
Without making a value judgment here, when I say travel photography, I don’t mean those made for social media with the sole and exclusive intention of capturing the moment.
This has a lot to do with the objective of social networks, which is immediacy, where you want to record something, but without a greater purpose.
Also to photo aficionados who took so many photos that if they ask where the photo is from, many won’t know where it is from.
There are some studies that show that people who take a lot of photos don’t remember the details of where they visited.
Personally, I have found the opposite to be true. Over the past 30 years of traveling around the world, taking photos and studying photography techniques have contributed to improving my travel experiences.
Photography made me pay more attention to detail and therefore remember these moments better.
However, there is a difference between taking photographs and taking photos, which is exactly what most travelers do. A photograph is a purposeful attempt to take a beautiful image. It requires some reflection, positioning and awareness of your surroundings. A photo is nothing more than pressing the camera button while you are in front of something.
During your trip, taking time to take photographs where not only the image but also what is happening around will enhance your travel experience in several ways:
1) Travel photography makes you more aware of your surroundings.
For a good photograph you need to be looking for a special image, a detail that only exists in that location.
So I stare at the tops of buildings, at the ground, at the side streets where the tourists aren’t going.
I always walk with the flow and suddenly I find myself, outside the crowd, simply seeing something different.
Once you start looking for special images, you see so much more of the world than if you were just walking through it.
Taking a photo without anyone getting in the way requires time, patience and, above all, purpose.
2) Travel photography, in addition to recording, also helps you remember your trips.
It’s very personal, but the vast majority of people see a photo from many years ago and are immediately transported to that moment.
One of the best parts of travel photography is all the incredible moments you capture and preserve forever.
See my trek to Everest Base Camp.
The photographic record of your travels becomes a tangible experience that allows you to relive the moments of mystery, admiration and discovery you felt while taking them.
They also allow you to share these experiences with others, enriching their lives with stories from your travels.
I have many photographs that I took many years ago, and just looking at them takes my mind back to moments I haven’t remembered for years. As time goes by, you need things to refresh your memory, and nothing works better than photos you took yourself.
My first trip to Machu Picchu.
Because his mind was fixed at that moment, if it was a photo of someone else, it wouldn’t have been so important.
3) People will actually want to see your vacation photos.
Most people get bored when they show their photos, as long as they are nothing more than endless photos of people in front of tourist attractions.
Most people are more interested in the destination itself and not you.
But if you focus on taking better images, people will actually be interested in seeing your photos. Who doesn’t stop when they see that incredible sunset, that snowy mountain?
Travel photography doesn’t mean owning a big, expensive camera. You can do this with nothing more than a smartphone. What it means is paying close attention to your surroundings.
Also dedicate time and effort to capture beautiful images.
On your next trip, take the time to pay attention to your surroundings and you will be rewarded for years to come.
4) Photos inspire people.
They say that a picture is worth 1000 words.
“A picture is worth a thousand words” attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
So it’s not surprising that Instagram photos contribute greatly to many people choosing to travel to specific destinations.
Images have long been used to introduce new areas to potential tourists.
Today we have many travel programs and what really inspires us are the landscapes
Taking photos of different destinations can also inspire your loved ones and friends to see the beauty of these places in person.
These photos bring joy, a memory to those who lived them and bring the hope of having this joy to those who haven’t been there yet.
“Photography is a way of feeling, touching, loving. What you film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you’ve forgotten it all.”
5. You will learn to practice simplicity.
Traveling forces you to leave behind what is not essential.
This type of lifestyle can help ensure we stay focused on what’s important to us.
What we used to desire instead becomes an unnecessary burden that we discard to make room for the things that truly satisfy us.
In this way, travel photography serves to bring a sense of clarity to our lives, increasing our sense of identity and meaning.
6. The joy of exploration.
Humans have always been driven by the desire to explore and discover. It is not uncommon for us to exceed our limits motivated solely by the need to cross the unknown.
We have a natural hunger for adventure. And travel photography offers a great way to satisfy this need.
When you travel to photograph, you embark on a journey to explore exciting and unknown landscapes.
The possibilities of such expeditions serve to inspire us and capture our creative imagination.
7. With travel photography you will have little pieces of you everywhere
A travel photographer quickly builds small pieces of their story through local relationships wherever they go.
Having traveled around the world, I can say that almost anywhere I go now, I will have a connection to the place.
These connections serve to expand your world with experiences you won’t find at your location.
With globalization, I have friends in different countries who enrich my life by introducing me to local culture and cuisine.
Each one shows me unique places that I wouldn’t find otherwise.
Just as I am guided by friends and acquaintances around the world, I use my blog to help others experience the wonders the world has to offer. Through my travels, I’ve been able to connect friends and family with locals in areas all over the world.
8. You will broaden your mind.
Traveling is a great natural remedy for monotony and lack of perspective.
When you travel, you will be exposed to ideals that broaden your understanding of the world.
You will meet people who have different priorities, different ideas, new and old worldviews.
That’s why I define myself as an adventurer who decided to wander the world in search of getting to know people, places and cultures.
I’ve been to one of the poorest countries in the world and also one of the richest.
I’ve stayed in the best 5-star hotels in New York, but also in a tent on the ice at −30 degrees on Denali. (largest mountain in the United States).
I walked the Champs-Élysées in Paris and 180 km of trails in the Khumbu Valley going to Mount Everest.
I said my prayers at St. Peter’s Cathedral, at the Vatican and at a small temple in a cave in the Himalayas on the Tibet side.
The experiences behind these stories have shaped my mind with the lessons they bring. These lessons have had a very positive impact on the way I relate to the world, to other people and, most importantly, to myself.
In this way, traveling allows us to reevaluate how and why we live our lives the way we do.
Thus creating the ability to understand different perspectives, which I consider to be a gift I received through my travels that are beyond any value.
All of this gives us the opportunity to restructure our lives, reexamine our beliefs, and realign our moral compass.
In addition to allowing us to expand and develop our mind, improving our understanding of others and ourselves.
And with all this, we better understand the world we live in.
Conclusion on travel photography.
The impact of travel photography goes far beyond simply recording your trip.
The places you have visited and will visit with your lived and future experiences will have a permanent impact on your relationship with the world.
With each new person you meet, you will stimulate your mind with new perspectives and ways of thinking. You will come to appreciate the world we live in a little more.
If you’re thinking about taking a vacation or traveling somewhere new, take your camera with you, but this time dedicate more time to capturing images through your viewfinder.
This will expand your understanding of the world you set out to explore.
Tell me if this vision changed the way you see your trip.
