Traveling is about the experience and the memories you make. Pictures can aid your memories, but will never replace them. But for your blog…
Even though I blog about traveling, I travel foremost because I enjoy it. My personal experience will always come first. Sometimes I even forget to take the pictures I was planning to take because I was so immersed. This is not per se bad for my blog: I might have less photo material to illustrate my stories, but instead, I have more amazing stories.
I’m not a full-time blogger and blogging is not what I rely on for my income. Still, I want to be somewhat professional and share enough practical information about my trips illustrated by inspiring pictures. The struggle is real...
This post is about the struggle to capture perfect pictures, not only for your blog but also for other things you experience. Although it is written from my personal experience, I think many of you will recognize the feeling.
Inspiring pictures
What inspires me about pictures? Pictures show you a whole new world. The right picture can make you feel like you’re gazing through a window, only one step away from experiencing it yourself. For example, the picture of the Garden of Morning Calm (South Korea) above feels enlightening; just by looking at the picture I feel happy.
Even when it rains on my trip, when I am cold and the day isn’t all that bright… sometimes the pictures can fill in the missing pieces of your memory and make it nearly perfect. As if I brighten up my memory of the event with the charms of the pictures I take. Who says that my memory isn’t real, that that isn’t what really happened? Do you have proof? Something to counter my picture-perfect memory?
The pictures I take back from my trip are part of my experience: they help me relive the joy (and sometimes miserability) I felt while traveling.
Preparation and documentation
A little bit of preparation can go a long way in creating a memorable experience. And by documenting my trips I can inspire you to create an amazing trip of your own.
Finding out about interesting places after your trip
Do you recognize this feeling? Not only the ‘I was right around the corner and missed it’ feeling, but also the ‘this fits my blog so well, why did I miss it’ feeling. Yes, plenty of those thoughts are going around inside my head. Every single trip. At least I get second chances at things in my own country unless it concerns temporary exhibitions. Then again, if everything would be eternal, then where’s the surprise? Or the repeated fun you can have at one venue.
These skipped places do inspire me to return to the countries I visited and I often end my trip with half an itinerary for my next visit to the same country.
Documenting what happens
I often struggle with this part: how do I balance enjoying and observing all the practical things I want to convey on my blog.
I always make a travel itinerary beforehand, a rather detailed one with lots of options. I often move activities to the day before or after depending on the weather or simply skip them in favor of something I feel like doing that day. I do have a good memory, but sometimes I have to look at the pictures to remember what I did on that day (especially when writing about trips from long ago).
I wish I had written the specifics down during my trip. Hobby blogger… clearly.
Interestingly enough, I can easily find most of the restaurants I ate at, even from five years back. I simply use Google Maps and Street View and retrace my steps. My food memory is the best (I just don’t have the sharp pictures to prove I was there).
Do you feel the need to take pictures of every single meal you eat or tourist spot you visit for your own use? A bit like if there is no picture it didn’t happen? Or you might forget?
Coverage
Photo quality
Looking back, I have many things I want to write about but lack the pictures to spice up my blog posts. I often wish I had taken better pictures…. or had a better camera. Some pictures are simply depressing. I have a terrible case of Samsung Galaxy S6 trauma… my 2015 Japan photos are 90% blurry. This wasn’t noticeable on the small phone screen at the time… so naturally I have to go back someday.
I could of course buy stock photos, but so far I have relied on my own pictures. Do you like them?
Pictures of venues
My trips to Madrid and South Korea (third time’s the charm) are the only trips I made after starting my blog, so I tried to capture all the material I wanted to write about. Think of food, restaurant menus, entrances/shop fronts, pictures of every place I visited, and some pictures of me. And I still forgot to take pictures of the hotels.
Because I visited so many lesser-known places on my second round trip to South Korea, the pictures of these places ended up selling best on Shutterstock (with best meaning a few times haha). I can hope…
Pictures of books
I like writing about books, so every library, bookstore and book cafe, or any other place with a wall of books I took plenty of pictures of. Somehow I never forget to take pictures of books.
Also read: Blogging about multiple topics
Pictures of people
I try to avoid pictures in which people I don’t know could be recognized. I do want to use some pictures I am in, but not the ones that aren’t charming enough. Which means I have to ask someone to take 10-20 pictures of me at the same spot, hoping I can finally get my expression right, or at least passingly neutral.
What do pictures mean to you?
When looking at other blogs I often admire the well-timed and well-composed pictures I see. I still have a long way to go, but I can say one thing for sure: the pictures in my head are perfect.
Hopefully this post will help you to let go when the pictures don’t turn out the way you want them to: at the end of the day it’s all about your story. If you enjoy the experience, then your blog post is also beautiful with just one photo (even a stock photo).
What role do pictures play in your memories of a trip? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
