I’m happy to say that I am well into the process of creating a book that focuses on my travel photography. Right now, I’m tweaking a few final details in the design toward the final step, production. I have had this idea to create a book for over a year, but those initial stages raised some questions: most importantly, do I have a body of work that warrants creating a book?

You don’t have to search for too long after arriving in Florence to be greeted with endless photographic opportunities with engaging subjects, compositions, and surroundings. Whether street photography or travel photography is your thing, there is plenty on offer in Florence. The city is renowned for its history and architecture. It draws millions yearly, and numerous landmarks and exciting areas are located here, including Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi Gallery.

I spent five days in mid-September in beautiful Matera, Italy, which left a lasting impression. It is a stunning city that is incredible to explore. It’s not as busy as other Italian destinations, so you can find places to relax and take in the scene before you. Materi is most recognizable from the Sassi, the city’s ancient and historic area. The Sassi are stone structures amongst the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. Matera is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to 10,000 BC.

Matera is an excellent location for photography, and I was surprised by how open it was for exploration. This surprise was very evident after I arrived in Florence, concluding Matera. Florence is one of the most renowned Italian destinations and one that many first-timers to the country choose to visit. However, comparing the number of people in Florence to those in Matera is a stark difference.

For the past two nights, we have been staying in a bed and breakfast on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Today, we will head east towards Aberdeen, north to Dundee, and then to Edinburgh for the final few days. Photographing the Scotland landscape has been challenging so far, as, in hindsight, I should have brought some range. I have been thinking about scale while travelling around the landscape of Scotland.

Travelling to Barcelona, I wondered what and how I wanted to capture. First, I wanted to be able to capture everything as sharply as possible, and that meant I had to sacrifice something. As I wanted a minimum shutter speed in all conditions, the ISO would inevitably need to increase based on the lighting conditions. Second, I wanted to shoot “blind.” The X-H2 has an articulating screen that makes it easy to shoot without looking at your subject.

As you probably guessed from the title, Barcelona was our destination for an impromptu trip. We had some fun choosing where to go. I listed each option on small pieces of paper, and we each chose our top three. If one location matched, that was our choice. Only after that would we look at accommodations, flights, and the weather. Travelling at the last minute is exciting, but something so close to embarkation time can get expensive.

As photographers, we can focus on the result more than the experience. We can research our destinations, looking for the “best” place to get the “best” photographs. Learning more about our destination is a logical and appropriate step to learn more about what to expect and what to hope to experience when we arrive, but focusing on the experience should be the point.

I’ve travelled far from home many times and had great experiences, capturing many photos I adore today. However, there have been destinations I have travelled to where I did not get any photos that I considered very good or ones worth sharing. Some steps can be taken to get the best out of travel and what photos we come home with, and this post will look at five tips that can help you capture better travel photos.

It’s fair to mention that travel can be expensive, and with life’s commitments, having the money and time to travel can be challenging. If you are fortunate enough to be able to travel, I encourage you to go somewhere, even if you know nothing about the place you plan to visit. There are many benefits of breaking your daily routine and experiencing a difference in your day-to-day.