September 15, 2016

A picture is worth a thousand words when travelling

The United States of America is a place filled with history and adventure, and travelling to the USA will expose you to new experiences, different cultures and fascinating people wherever you go. No two days travelling through the USA will be the same, which is why it’s always a good idea to keep a camera on standby for when beauty strikes in a moment that you may want to capture and look back on when your trip is over.

A popular trend with travelers of all ages is documenting travels through photos and sharing them online, allowing people to follow their journey through pictures. It includes their family, friends and followers on their adventure, no matter where they are in the world. Photographs, whether taken with a camera or smart phone, during travels, also provides an opportunity for the memories to live on in a traveller’s mind long after they’ve touched down back at home and laid their head on their familiar pillow. And with America being as massive in size as it is, there are guaranteed to be breathtaking photo opportunities for all tastes, wherever in the USA a person travels to.

 For people who enjoy capturing the hustle and bustle of a city and its people on the move, New York City is the obvious choice. NYC has served as a muse for people from all walks of life and career for decades, which is what adds to the beauty of photos captured in the city that never sleeps. Exploring the Big Apple with smart phone or camera in-hand, you’ll be exposed to NYC’s inhabitants in the unique, breathtaking, and vibey form that NYC encapsulates.

If sun, surf and smiles are your thing, California is where you need to be. This city has everything from palm trees to the ocean breeze, which can be magnificently captured in photos. California is also home to one of the world’s most infamous music festivals: Coachella. Besides capturing the energy and beauty of music goers at the festival, you might be lucky to snap up a photo of a celeb or two around the festival grounds.

Another “must” for the music festival photo junkie, is Lollapalooza. This festival is guaranteed to provide you with some of the most vibrant and festive photos you are likely to snap on your travels.

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” – or so it was before the introduction of smart phones with 12 mega pixel cameras. The fact that most mobile devices come equipped with a great quality camera or photo app, means that gone are the days of waking up the next morning with only hazy recollection of the night before – especially when it comes to a trip to Las Vegas. The city really comes alive at night, which is an opportune time to capture incredible shots of the nightlife on the Vegas Strip.

If you’re someone who can’t get enough of the outdoors and capturing the breathtaking scenery of nature in photographs, these should be at the top of your list: a coastal drive between LA and San Francisco; heading out to cherry blossoms in Washington, DC; kayaking in the Florida Keys; checking out Cedar Breaks, Utah; taking in the view of South Lake Tahoe, Cali; Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia; and spending a day in the Redwood Forest of Northern California.

South African lifestyle and travel blogger, Ensly Dooms, makes use of photo sharing apps whenever he travels, which is frequently, and he is a big advocate for documenting and sharing your journey through photos. “I am a big fan of social media and its power to give us more ways to connect. With the appeal of visual imagery, Instagram and other photo apps are a perfect platform for me to share my life in pictures. As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. By sharing my adventures, through photos, on social media as I travel, it allows my followers the opportunity to share in the adventure and explore the world with me, especially when it comes to a country as vast and breathtaking as the USA – where a photo, and the memories of the trip, will make for amazing conversation around the water cooler when I get back home.”

Dooms offers some handy tips on how to optimally document and share your next adventure to the USA

  • Get a data sim card.
  • Be on high alert for Wi-Fi.
  • Get a mobile charger.
  • Do not over filter. Over filtering ruins the beauty of striking scenery.
  • Besides a beautiful view or attraction, ask yourself what else your followers can take from seeing the image on social media. Find the story or give them more detail via a description.
  • The USA is filled with hidden beauty at every turn. Open your mind to seeing the simple things in photos as you travel the States.
  • If descriptions aren’t your thing, use hashtags. Hashtags are a must.
  • Tag the location. “We need to know if it’s legit and if you are really there” Dooms adds.
  • Do not spam. Choose a good shot and move onto the next.
  • Post your photos during your local timezone. This will maximise engagement with people in your home country.
  • Share your photos across multiple platforms.

And finally, “an airport shot or plane shot is obligatory!” Dooms emphasises.

 Breathtaking landscapes and a rich history have created one of the most spectacular places on earth, and visiting the USA is bound to leave you in awe and filled with memories to last a lifetime. These memories will live on even longer in the form of photographs taken during your travels. STA Travel is one such company that can advise you on some of the best destinations in the USA which are bound to provide the backdrop to amazing photos.