I’m super excited to plan our upcoming family trip! Last year we went to Paris and the photographic moments were everywhere. It seemed like down every side street there was old beautiful architecture to photograph and urban scenes to capture. Absolutely amazing. For this trip, however, I think we will be seeing more scenic landscapes and less of an urban setting. I’ve always had a love with the outdoors so It’s safe to say I slightly more that excited to explore Ireland! Yup, we are headed Ireland and I'm working on planning what places to go for beautiful landscapes and when to go. Our plan right now, although some of it could change, is to stay in Cork, on the Dingle Peninsula, near Galway and then near Dublin for the last leg of the trip. We may swap a night at our last stop for a night in Northern Ireland nearer to the Giants Causeway. We’ll see.
Seeing as though I’ve never been to Ireland, I’m sure any plans are likely to change, but I’d like to get some good locations in mind before hand. While I do like to leave room for exploration, I think it’s important to at least have a loose plan when it comes to location. Seeing as though this will be a family vacation and not a dedicated photography trip I probably won't have ample morning and evening shooting time. I can break away for a bit but will need to be back for breakfast and to get the day going with the fam. The last thing I want to do is aimlessly wander around a fail to document any images when I go out.
5 Things I’m Focusing On To Document My Vacation:
- take more traditional pictures of my family: This was the feedback I got after Paris. When we were putting together the book, my mother in law commented that she’d like to more images of the family. I approached the trip from more of an ethnographic stance and shot from a nonscripted stance.
- Document The True Moment: Counter to what I previously said, I still need to document what I see in an unscripted way. It’s just who I am.
- Get to know (as much as possible) some locals: I would love to be able to tell the stories of some interesting people I meet. For this, I need to step outside of my introverted self and talk to people.
- Capture the less known: While the Cliffs of Moher offer breathtaking views I think it pays to be open to looking away from the expected to see what beauty awaits in different perspectives.
- Wake up early and get out: Some of the best times I have when traveling is getting out by myself, and see how that place wakes up. What are the small things that happen as a town wakes up? What are people's routines? How does a sunrise look from that perspective in the world? These are things that make me come alive.
If any of you have ever traveled Ireland, or if you LIVE in Ireland, I'd love to hear from you! Advise is very Welcome!