Thread: Do you travel to make photos or do you take photos while travelling ?

I don't compromise my vacations as they are very rare to begin with but I do take a camera and take photos as I go, I just don't plan around photographing. Advice I was given by others that I follow actually, enjoy the trip first. Otherwise, though I haven't been active shooting at all the last couple months, I generally take a camera everywhere I go, at least one camera and I try to have little outings with the purpose of exploring photographically.

Combining the 2 is the ultimate and unless its a very short trip with a packed itinerary I will bring my gear. The longer the trip, the more open the itinerary and the fewer people....the easier it is to get photography time in. On my most recent trip I went up to the high alpine country here in Victoria, Australia for 2 weeks...I was with a larger group of friends and although I snapped away casually on most days, I did take 3 separate full days out just to shoot...and I did that SOLO much to my friends confusion. The guys LOVE going through my photos after a trip when I've had them all processed and sorted and always ask to join me on my walks...but I just can't shoot with an entourage in tow. It works out well though as I tend to balance photographic 'me' time with group holiday time.

I will take the odd short day or weekend trip to places writhing a few hours of Melbourne for photography alone.

I think I'm a bit of both. I travel overseas every year and on that instance I tend to take photos whilst travelling. It's a different story though when I am at home, where I travel either around Melbourne or venture out further around Victoria to take photos.

Hey All,

I guess another way to phrase the title of this thread is: Are you a trophy hunter or do you shoot everything in sight?

My preference is to shoot everything in sight (that is of interest).

-Ed-

Early years traveling with the family, I took several pictures. Now I take the camera bag, but rarely shoot as we travel. I do most of my photography at home or near by (short photo day trip).

I'm also rarely happy with photos I take when I'm with others.
I travel a bit with my job and always bring a camera, but then that's generally after five.

I hate travelling alone. So I'm usually with a bunch of people around me while travelling. I also have my cameras on me, every day, all the time even while not on holiday. People who know me are quite used to have me pull out a camera and stand staring for minutes at apparently nothing. Sometimes it happens mid conversation (which is not good and I really need to stop obsessing so much). I find that when travelling with people, what usually works is if you lay out an itinerary for "photographic down time" well in advance, it doesn't come as a surprise to them and works out pretty ok. If I'm not in a city, I head to bed early and wake up before dawn and spend a couple of hours pottering around with my cameras, ditto at dusk. Also when travelling with friends, its good to have some time off from each other. Helps preserve sanity.

"... and stand staring for minutes at apparently nothing. Sometimes it happens mid conversation ..."

This happens to me as well, with or without a camera.

Travel comes first. I bought my first digital camera 11 years ago ( a Leica Digilux 1) because I was going one a one year backpacking trip around the Mediterranean. It began my love affair with photography. I finally gave away my Digilux for a LX3 and went for 5 month in India. If I enjoyed the quality and size of the camera it was evident that the lack of a viewfinder and the slow speed (it was improved with the later firmware) was a bit of a let down.
I was also getting more and more into following the web and forums and falling into the craze of camera mania. For my next long trip, 2 years ago, I decided to get a Sony SLT33 and 2 prime and 2 zoom.
I enjoy the result in terms of photography but hated to have to carry all that stuff with me. I am now back to Lumix having recently acquired a LX7 and it's compatible EVF. I will be going back to Mexico in few weeks and I am please that all my equipment (camera, sound recorder (Zoom H1) and Ipad and Kindle) will be in a messenger bag weighting just few pounds.
I have decided not to obsess with equipment anymore and focus on travel and the joy of travelling light.

I travel to learn about new places, people and things. I take a camera to record what I saw.