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

Wolf

Wolf

Veteran
Just curious how you guys (and girls) see this...
Since i'm into photography (mid 2010) I'm really keen to do a new trip or to visit events to take nice photos (ofc I enjoy the events too)
I feel photography makes me look at a lot more things and details too in general

I know photos can be taken "everywhere" but it's fun if you can discover new places / people to take photos of ;)

My next trip is Berlin (end of march) :)
 
Good question!

I think ultimately I take photos while travelling, but like you said, being on the lookout for photo opportunities is a great way to look around more attentively and be really aware of your surroundings at all times - although it can sometimes prevent you from just slowing down and drinking in the atmosphere with all your senses, when you're too busy looking for the best way to record the scene in a photograph. That danger is certainly something to be cautious of, I think!
 
Since I retired I make an effort to travel (within a few hours drive) to locations where I can take pictures. Living in South West London I have no shortage of places to visit.
 
The travel definitely comes first for me. I have a 7 yr old, so I am very cognizant of "family fun time" as opposed to "Dad playing photographer time". I usually try to get some nice snaps when we travel, but that is definitely not the primary goal.
 
When I was working news, I traveled to take photos. Some years, I traveled so much that for vacation, I just stayed home and never picked up a camera.

Now, for day trips I actually combine the two. I've been taking day trips to wine country, which I would do without a camera, just go for the wine ... which I would do with a camera but without tasting/purchasing any wine.

As a general rule, traveling with others and photography doesn't mix. With others, you can take some snaps, but it is very difficult to do any real photography without boring the hell out of your fellow travelers.

Gary
 
When my wife and I are considering a big trip of some sort, the trip comes first and then I figure out how to work some photography into it. For shorter trips in the relative vicinity I basically go places to do photography. I love street shooting and, except for the occasional street fair or other big local event, I have to travel to at least Philadelphia to do much in the way of street photography. Since it tends to need people in it... I've travelled to Philadelphia and Atlantic City and even New York City primarily to do photography. I spent a month in NYC and it wasn't solely to do photography, but that was a big part of it. I've also done a good bit of shooting in Europe and Jamaica and Seattle and elsewhere but photography was not any part of the reason for those trips. We're going to the Amalfi Coast this summer for a few weeks and photography isn't WHY we're going, but I'm gonna be shooting my butt off when we're there.

-Ray
 
When I travel it's always because of something else, but I mostly enjoy it because it let me practice my hobby... I mostly take snapshots so traveling with others is not a problem.
 
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? :D

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 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.
 
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.
 

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