How To Plan A Photo Trip | Stokeness
I want the first 4 months of the year to rush, but once we're in May I want it all to slow down.
We made it to the green grass and warm sunshine here in Montana. Good lord it feels good.
In this issue, I share my favorite place to travel, a song you will share with all your friends, and hard drives affordable enough to make you back up your photos.
Be stoked,
Isaac
New Places
Peru
There are some places that stick with you, that almost nothing compares to. The Andes of Peru is that place for me. I find myself daydreaming of the huge mountains, the friendly people and the ridiculously cheap and good food.
I spent time in both the Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range and the Cordillera Blanca. Both are incredibly beautiful. The Cordillera Huayhuash is more remote and takes a minimum of 5 days to hike, while the Cordillera Blanca can be explored with day trips.
If I could go anywhere in the world, this place would be in my top 3 at any time.
Google Maps Pin
Gear
Hard Drives
So you haven't backed your photos up to 3 different hard drives? If you are like me you looked at hard drives and were shocked by the price of the orange Lacie hard drives that all your favorite photographers recommend.
Don't let cost stop you from doing what you know you need to do. I use the Seagate expansion drives. These big guys sit right on my desk and I duplicate a copy to each of them.
I use the 8tb size now that I do a ton of video, but if you are using it primarily for photos, the 4tb size is perfect. The best part? They are under $100 each.
P.S. I use a Samsung 250gb ssd drive for my travel drive and Carbon Copy Cloner to auto back up to the bigger drives when I get home.
Who I'm loving on Instagram
@dantom
Dan is an OG Instagram photographer. His minimalist style constantly draws me in and I end up showing my phone to people, physically sharing his photos.
His recent trip to India was magic and the colors remind me of how much more I have to learn about photography and art. Inspiring.
Give him a follow here
Music I'm Diggin'
Lake Street Drive
Every now and then you hear a song that just sticks in your head regardless of the genre. It might be a country song, but you will shush your friends everytime it starts playing and turn up the volume. That's when you know you've found that rare song that will remind you forever of this time of your life.
Better Than by Lake Street Drive is that song for me right now.
It's the halting stand up bass line and the smooth vocals that make it float on the air like the smell of your favorite ice cream shop.
Give it a spin.
Videos, Movies, and TV
I've been chomping at the bit to get out and ride my mountain bike to remote lakes and mountains. This film by Mike Hopkins is making me even more excited.
It is filmed in New Zealand and the scenery is unreal.
9/10
Watch it here
Reads
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont
If you are like me and everyone I know, writing a caption for your Instagram photo can be mind-numbing. If only we knew someone who knew how to write.
I decided a few years ago that I would learn how to write. Not grammar, but how to communicate emotion with written words.
One of the best places to start is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont. The book is entertaining, reassuring and doesn't feel like a dreadful work to read. If you want to know how to be more creative and live life to it's fullest, this one is for you.
10/10 would recommend.
Photo Technique
Planning a photo trip.
One thing that sets a professional photographer apart from a novice is the pros ability to create magic consistently. That takes experience and planning.
Here are a few things I do to make sure I get the best photos from a trip.
- Do a google maps search of the area that you plan to visit. I set it to satellite view and fly over the area looking for interesting features like roads, rivers, peaks, canyons. Anything that looks like it might be worth exploring more.
- DM people I know have been there. I ask them what they would recommend and what I should skip. This is easier if they have already seen your messages before. Make sure you keep this brief, answering these types of messages is hard for most folks.
- Use Google, Pinterest, 500px, Instagram and whatever else you can search to see images of the area and what might be interesting but overlooked in the area. Search the area and activity you want to find more specific results. For instance, I found by searching for bouldering in Joshua Tree brought up images of places that were only known to rock climbers. This was a treasure chest of cool spots.
- Local knowledge. When you get to your area, ask anyone you meet about what you should see. Armed with your research you can ask questions like "is this place worth the hike?". Other good questions are "what do most people miss around here that is beautiful?" or "who is the best person to ask about exploring this area". Locals are the best way to find the goods.
Once you start using these techniques, you will find that you consistently find good photos without having to visit the cliche photo spots.
Good Luck!
If you've made it this far, then gosh dang it I appreciate you. This is my 12th newsletter. It's been a fun experiment and since your still reading this I imagine you think it is too. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.
I'm headed back to Peru this month. I'll be in Lima, Cusco, and Puerto Maldonado. What should I see in these spots? If you are around any of these places I'd love to meet up.
Be stoked and have a great month,
Isaac
Like this blog post? It's part of a monthly newsletter that I send at the first of the month.
