17 Mar Simple Travel Photography – A Practical Approach
This article started from a simple idea. A conversation I had with my best friend.
Recently, after selling his camera, he decided to switch to a very powerful phone. The kind of phone that is constantly marketed as being able to replace a camera completely.
I already touched on this topic in a previous article — Camera or Phone — which you can find on my photography dedicated website.
But I feel that the nature of AsITravel requires a bit more clarity.
Why This Matters
Let’s keep things simple.
People love to travel. That’s obvious from the traffic this site gets.
And people want to keep memories.
We buy small souvenirs, we take things home, we try to get one thing that reminds us of that place we are visiting.
But more importantly, we take photos.
We take photos of places. We take photos of ourselves. We document moments.
Camera or Phone? The Wrong Question
Let’s clear something from the start.
I’ve taken photos with an iPhone 6S that ended up in competitions.
I’ve taken photos with a Huawei Mate 10 Pro — a very old phone — and printed them large.
A good phone can help you in many situations.
So there is no point in debating if a phone is better than a camera.
A phone is a phone.
A camera is a camera.
If you are happy with your phone — perfect.
When a Camera Starts to Matter
Things change when you want more.
If you want to explore:
• night photography
• detailed landscapes
• large prints
• events
then a phone might start to feel limiting.
Think about situations like Semana Santa, carnivals, the horse race in Siena
In these situations you might not have access, you might need zoom, you might need control.
And that’s where a camera becomes useful.
You Don’t Need the Latest Gear
Let’s make something clear.
Any camera made after 2012–2014 is more than enough for travel photography.
I’ve used cameras like Fuji X-T1 and X-E2 — 16 megapixels.
Yes, they might struggle a bit if you want to print very large images.
But for everything else, they are perfect.
And today, even those files can be enlarged very well.
But That’s Not Why You’re Here
You’re not here because of megapixels.
You’re here because:
• you want something simple
• you don’t want to struggle
• you want to enjoy your trip
The Mistake I Used to Make
When I first started traveling, I tried to be ready for everything.
So I carried:
• multiple lenses
• sometimes two cameras
• filters
• batteries
• memory cards
• even a tablet
Every trip.
Why That Doesn’t Work in Real Travel
After a while, I realized something.
This is not productive.
There is a huge difference between:
• a trip where you go to build a portfolio
• and a trip where you travel with your partner, your kids or your family
Most people want to enjoy their time.
But travel already means luggage, stress, planning
Now imagine adding:
• another bag just for your camera
• 6–8 kg of gear every single day
That’s exhausting.
Keeping It Simple
In the last years, I learned to separate photography in my life.
Most people don’t want competitions, galleries, agencies
They just want memories, photos they can share, maybe prints.
So I changed something.
One Camera. One Lens.
In my recent trips to Cornwall, Sicily, Puglia, New York, Andalusia I went back to basics.
One camera. One lens.
Sometimes a prime. Sometimes a zoom.
Sometimes I brought everything but forced myself to shoot one lens while the rest of the gear was in the backpack at the hotel.
The Truth About “Good Photos”
At the end of a trip, you don’t need hundreds of great photos.
You need a few.
If you come back with 7–10 good photos, that’s already excellent.
You will see a lot of people saying they took hundreds or thousands of great photos.
In reality, that’s not how it works.
Even very good photographers end up with a small number of truly strong images.
So don’t chase numbers.
How I Approach Travel Photography Now
When I travel, I don’t photograph everything.
I don’t try to capture every famous spot.
Before a trip, I study and decide:
• what I want to photograph
• what kind of images I want
That’s why sometimes you won’t see the classic “famous shots” in my guides.
Instead, you’ll see different perspectives, quieter places, more personal images.
Of course, when possible, I still take some of the classic shots.
But I don’t chase them.
What You Will Find on AsITravel
In the next articles, you will not just read ideas.
You will see:
• real guides
• real locations
• real photos
And most importantly everything will be shot with simple gear.
One camera. One lens.
Final Thought
Travel photography should not be stressful.
It should not be about gear.
It should not be about keeping up with trends.
It should be about:
• enjoying your trip
• capturing moments
• keeping memories
Everything else is secondary.
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