I was sitting here pouring over loads of pictures online and thinking to myself, “Man alive I have got to go there and shoot some images”. For one reason or the other, that never happens though. Then I think to my self again, “Pandemic era photography and travel”, no thanks I’ll pass.
My list of places I want to go is as long as my leg I assure you!
Staying local, not home, is not a bad thing. Silently I ask myself if travelling is really going to improve my landscape photography skills or not. I compare that question to the person who assumes just because they buy the best lenses and filters that their photography is going to improve to profession status instantly. I am more than sure travelling is not going to help me improve.
What can staying local really do for me?
The biggest thing on my list right now is helping local economy. Our neighbors, brothers, sisters, and friends alike all need our help staying in business. We are eating local, shopping local, and fueling up local. Oh and if there is a camera shop local, we would be helping them too if we went in and took care of our needs before local shoots.
But I have shot everything local I can and it is getting boring!
I would agree that it can be boring! However, switch it up. Change times you go for example. Grab an app like PhotoPills and plan your photo shoots. You would be amazed at the difference that it can make. Ever hear of the golden Hour or the Blue Hour? If not, check it out already!
Another advantage you will gain is you will have the advantage over others. If you get to know an area so good it bores you, you should be able to answer any question I have about said area. You should also be able to suggest what time of day I go to get a particular shot. See where I am headed here? Monetize your knowledge! You know the area so well and know how to get the money shots, so hold some photography workshops for groups or individual.
The Sun Will Come out Tomorrow!
That’s right! The sun will come out tomorrow. There is all kinds of time in life to travel. So does pandemic era photography and travel really have to be a thing?
Sure we all need a break, a get away, a vacation. It sure is nice even if it is for a photo shoot. It is still not home for heavens sake! However, I can’t help but think that when travelling specifically for photos, that puts a lot of pressure on us as photographers. We want that shot so damn bad before we go that we start settling for just a blah shot. Or that shot that every other photographer already took.
I feel like I am hearing the Little Orphan Annie Song!
Stay home, stay local and relax and enjoy the shots and get that local experience that folks will pay you for eventually if you so desire. Remember you have time to look for new light, new times of day, new compositions and all that good stuff. Be unique and take that run down spot everyone has shot a million times local and find the “WOW” on it. While your at it if you have kids, get them in on it as well if they are interested. There are some great cameras out there for kids. A couple quick ones that I can think of are the Polaroid Snap with Touch Screen and the Fujifilm Instax mini 11
It is just plain old cheaper to stay local
I guess last but most certainly not the least is it is just cheaper to stay local. If you are going to empty your bank accounts on some far off place, why not drain them on them local places we mentioned earlier. Stop by that camera shop and pick up that new piece of gear you have been eyeballing for a while now. Especially now more than ever, we all need help. We all need to help! Spend local. Save up for that trip you been dreaming up and plan it again when the time is right.
Fitness and Exercise discalimer
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I am a photographer that wants to be in the right place at the right time to capture every story that every person, place and thing has to tell. My mission is to get it on film …… Well, memory card and then on to print! I get to enjoy this journey with my lovely wife Carrie down state Illinois near the beautiful Shawnee Forest!
It seems as though local is the place to be anymore. It is kind of odd how we can discover new and exciting things closer to home when we are not so focused on leaving home area.