​An extraordinary visual journey

Travel is a self-awakened experience, endowed with various forms: short distance, sightseeing, hiking, sojourning, long-distance exploration, sailing, outing, pilgrimage, exploration, hunting, etc. When we travel, we discover who we are.

Travel breeds more travel, and it is more contagious than most experiences. Travel stories reignite our underlying desire to explore, discover, and see. As we travel, we savor everything that surrounds our journey, including stories, mementos and photographs. Because travel reminds us of who we are, where we've been, and who we want to be.

Travel photographers are privileged to participate and immerse themselves in such an amazing journey of life. Indeed, travel is one of the greatest pleasures and an opportunity to let loose and indulge. John Steinbeck said, "Travel is like marriage. The only thing that can go wrong is when you think you can handle it."

In this chapter, we will dive into the topic of travel photography. Whether your trip is simple or complicated, for business or just for fun, this chapter will inspire you to think about the meaning of travel and how to capture the experience in photos.

The wind

What a wonderful feeling it is to travel to a new place and immerse you in its cacophony of sights, sounds and smells! All of these elements are interwoven together to produce this effect. The best travelers are sailors who know how to use the wind to sail and steer. Keen and sparkling, they found the right course and went full speed ahead. In my opinion, the best way is to travel with a camera. The first step is as simple as taking a camera with you, and that's where the journey begins.

The wind blows from all sides, but few people know where it is going. As the sailors developed sensitivity, the invisible became apparent. You can do better with a camera. The photographer would stop and see something invisible as other tourists passed by without noticing. Your visual acuity becomes free. You can use the lens as you would in a well-made feature film, panning, zooming, speeding up, and slowing down.

Written words

Clever words can stimulate the imagination and speed up the heart. Words have such a magical power that they make our imaginations soar between ideas. If you want to excel at travel photography, you need to delve into the world of words.

The best place to start is from a travel writer. These wanderers devote themselves to every bit of literary attainment to achieve their goals. They consistently, every day for free, do what others do for only two weeks a year. They are hired to travel, touch, and taste, hear and explore. Starting to read their books will open up a whole new perspective on how you understand and experience travel. These writers will not only tell you what you know, but also tell you more about what you don't know. They are like a springboard for your photography, helping you sees higher and farther. Reading gives you clues to what you are looking for and how to capture and communicate what you are feeling.

Travel to talk

My parents love traveling and spending time with their friends. It was the end of summer, and they had invited some friends to our house for a party. The invitation asks each guest to prepare a travel topic, wear clothing that reflects a recent or favorite trip, and bring at least one piece of artifacts (travel souvenirs, train ticket stubs, etc.). The party was festive, full of laughter, wild tales and good food. Even quiet people talk when it's their turn. This gave me the impression as a child that everyone loved to talk about travel.

In fact, if you're in the awkward position of always having nothing to say during a conversation, bring up the subject of travel. You'll find people pouring out like floodgates. As a photographer, it is a great advantage to learn to ask about travel and to listen to those stories. By listening, you ask for more. The more you listen, the better equipped you will be. Many times I've found my favorite place to visit, just taking the time to ask about someone's favorite country, town, festival or a particular urban area.

It's not just when you get home that it's time to talk about travel. When you're on the road, asking about other people's travels can bring you closer together quickly and help you spot hidden sights that you might otherwise miss. Most travelers love to talk about their travels and share what they've learned, seen and experienced on their travels. I usually say things like, "Wow, the snow and waterfalls there are really spectacular. Have you ever walked down that path?" "Yes!" was the reply. Along the path, there is natural hot springs in aqua blue. Unbelievable! -- You must see it for yourself! Go up and turn right and there's a hidden path and you're sure to get some amazing pictures."

Travel is more than sightseeing. It profoundly changes who you are, what you think about, and how you want to live your life.

Travel experiences bring something indescribable, which often takes the place of preparation. Travel is a series of discoveries and rediscoveries. In the end, we are surprised at what we know and at what we have changed. The cliche is always true - the journey is the destination.

The beauty of travel experiences is that they get better over time, which partly makes them valuable and interesting. This experience is better than anything you've had. Travel leaves you with memories, connections, vitality and new life.

By traveling, we can be different, and I have experienced it firsthand. When my wife, Kelly, and I travel together, we become better friends, lovers, and soul mates. By stepping out of our day to day routines, we see the outside world and new people. Travel photographers use this idea to show the world something that has never been seen before, and to take the viewer to a new place. Through various forms of presentation, photographs sometimes inspire, sometimes call for change, and the range of change is so wide. Travel photos have long been known for inspiring adventures, saving species and even stopping the horrors of war.

New eyes

We've all had the experience of coming back from a trip and seeing how so much has changed. Or is it the other way around? I remember coming home after a year in Madrid and everything that was normal was completely different. At that moment, I felt a mixture of shock, frustration and excitement. It was a typical re-culture shock, and I was like a fish out of water. But my vision came alive. I had a new pair of eyes.

If you are lucky enough to combine travel with a new language, there is bound to be a visual Epiphany. As a photographer, whether you're in a foreign country or back home, you can use this new awareness to capture what catches your eye.

Found

When I was still at university, our family decided to go to Germany to spend Christmas at my brother's house. At that time, everyone in my family had been to Europe except my sister. It was my sister's first trip to Europe, and everyone was saying to her, "Amanda, look at that!" "Or" Try this! "Or" Look over there! All these internationalized reminders soon wore off.

Sharing your excitement is one thing, but it shouldn't come at the expense of surprise. It's always more fun to find something on your own. We travel to be surprised. Even when we return, we hope to see new things, meet new people, and taste new food. When you focus and press the shutter, all the surprises and details become more apparent. Your goal is to capture the wonders of the journey and let the viewer discover something for the first time.

To be noticed, you can't just be the photographer, you have to be the subject. When the photographer is clear about what he thinks and feels, he can draw the audience's attention away from him. Such photographs magnetically engage the viewer, who, for the time being, becomes part of the landscape. Travel teaches us to let go. Every trip is like a training lesson in life. The job of a travel photographer is to take pictures that will serve as a visual handbook. Do you think there are other reasons why people post so many travel photos in their offices? The images contrast sharply with their surroundings, reminding us of the true value of glowing objects and the need to unclench our fists.