Travelling around the world is the very thing that got me into photography in the first place. It was after a 4-month journey around Mexico that filled my eyes with the beauty I saw and inspired me to learn how to take better photos. Upon my return home I went straight out and bought my first SLR, film back then, found a really good book and delved into it.
Now, while you can learn the basics and technicalities of photography from a book, the real learning starts when you get outside with your camera. For me though, getting outside meant going travelling again. I practiced my craft while travelling throughout Spain, Hawaii, USA, Canada, Latin America (Patagonia, the Andes), Ireland and New Zealand. Quite a diverse set of landscapes to learn in!
The thing is, when we visit different places around the world we look upon them with the wonder and fascination of a child discovering something new. New places are far more intriguing than our home patch. We may only see this beauty once in our life, so we study it more intensely. This attention to detail is the very thing that can help make us a better photographer.
Each of us has our own unique way of seeing things. However, it needs fostering. The art of making beautiful compositions and learning about light can never be done in the classroom. Getting outside and taking photos helps develop our eye for beautiful compositions. Then we can learn how to turn them into great photos.
