Travel Photography, the Importance of Going Back

Oct 19

We all love to travel with our cameras to unknown locations and document it. As photographers, I am a firm believer that when we visit a new place, we return home with a deeper understanding of the culture.

It only makes sense; we are more alert than the general traveler because while searching for images to capture, we just observe better.

I have yet to see “tourists” waiting on a corner, looking up, down, in every direction. Nowadays, they are more worried about that instant selfie than finding that unique architectural detail or engaging in a conversation with a local. We, as travel photographers, definitely see better, look for details, engage with locals to photograph them and have a richer experience. That is just one of the charms of travel photography.

However, when you visit a place for the first time, you get in awe; the excitement of being there for the first time makes you behave like that tourist. That’s something not easy to avoid, and it happens to everybody, including myself. When I first traveled to India, the sensory overload was such that I was constantly distracted by how hectic everything was, the smells, the chaotic traffic, the food, the people; everything was so unusual that it was hard to concentrate. Can you relate to being in a similar situation?

When you are more familiar with an area, things work differently, you are more prepared, and you can focus more on details. Familiarity is vital; you know better what to expect, and your results are more solid simply because your level of preparation is sharper.

Have you ever wanted to make a photograph of a place in different weather circumstances or wished to have a different lens? Perhaps stand on a different corner? Well, when you return to a location, you can make that right.

Did you know that those National Geographic covers can take months to produce? That’s right; this is also true for seasoned pros. Often, assignments for prominent publications demand many trips and even months to create.

Of course, I understand we don't always have the luxury or resources to do that, but if there is a place that you ever fell in love with, I strongly encourage you to give it a go at least one more time.

The other option is to travel or join a photography tour with an expert on the region. Someone who knows it thoroughly can help position you in the right place at the right time. I am not trying to sell you anything; the main idea is to give you options. For us travel photographers, the satisfaction it produces to obtain a portfolio image that you are proud to show is second to none. Re-visiting a location will undoubtedly ample your chances to do so.

Before I conclude, I want to leave you with some examples of situations and photographs that I was able to obtain by doing it.

Here is a photo of the Blue Gate in Fez, Morocco. I was able to photograph this place on my third trip to Morocco. This is one of the main entrances to the Medina. I walked through multiple times during the day and it was always crowded, and I had this image in mind since the first time I was there. It was

This other photograph is from Arequipa, in Peru. I was in Arequipa five times. I even spent a week there on an assignment for Photographers Without Borders photographing for a local NGO. But I never got the chance to photograph the Cathedral from this vantage point until last year, either because I didn’t have time or because I didn’t have access to the location.

This last photograph is from Bagan in Myanmar. I scouted the area twice, and I was able to make this photo on the second trip. I wanted to get access to the temples the first time, but by the time I managed to find out how to, it was too late. You see, beyond arranging the candles, the monks, in order to be able to do this, I needed a special permit from the Archeological Authority. Now, for my second trip there I had the contacts and planned in advance to arrange it.