Create Epic Images on your Next Photography Road Trip

Hey there, fellow adventurers! It's Robert Massey, your guide on the Travel and Adventure Photography School podcast. 
Buckle up because in Episode 100, we're diving into the exciting world of Adventure Photography Road Trips. Picture this: epic journeys, stunning landscapes, and the thrill of capturing those perfect shots. I'll be sharing all my tips for planning, packing, and making the most of your trip. Get ready to feel inspired, excited, and eager to hit the road with me. Don't miss out – join the adventure now! Subscribe for more awesome stories and insider tips. 
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Find all the show notes and connect with Robert:
Website: robertmasseyphotography.ca
Instagram: @robertmasseyphotography

Transcript

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How's it going at ventures. Welcome back to another episode of the traveling adventure photography school podcast. This happens to be episode 100 of the podcast. Wow. I honestly can't believe we got to episode 100 of doing this. Thank you so much for listening and tuning in and being a part of this wonderful exploration and wandering through photography with me. As always I'm your host for our Massey and on today's very special 100th episode. We're diving into one of my favorite topics, one of my favorite things to get out there and do, and that's getting into the world of photography based road trips. We're going to dig into the planning process, what to look for and what to do with your images afterwards. But before we begin as always a huge thank you to each and every one of you for choosing to spend some of your invaluable time with me. And for dedicating some time to improving your photography. It's just super inspiring and I am super stoked that you are here. All right. It's not wasting time. Let's dive right in. So first off. Why? Why, why would you even want to go on a photography road trip? Well, other than the obvious that it's awesome to get out there and travel. This is a travel photography podcast after all. But sometimes just going on an epic road trip and going on one intended to capture specific images. Are totally different objectives. photography focused road trip, prioritizes the times and places you'd like to go to capture specific shots. Or just immerse yourself in specific places to capture specific stories. Road trips in themselves. Resilient ways to see the world. There about immersing yourself in the adventure, embracing the unknown, experiencing that thrill of discovery. And on a photography related trip. That's all true. But instead of planning around food, hotels, restaurants, or other sites and getting the chance to relax and lay back a little bit. You're planning around the best times and locations to capture phenomenal images in locations. You've always dreamed about. It's a lot of sunrises and a lot of sunsets and sometimes a lot of Milky ways and a lot of sleepless nights. Versus typical road trips where you're driving a lot and you're having fun. You're rocking out to music. You do have some very different objectives and you sometimes won't be on the road in the middle of the day at noon or two o'clock because you were up at 2:00 AM to drive to that trail, head to hike to the top of that mountain to get that spectacular photo. But. It's kind of brilliant to get those kinds of images too. Be somewhere at these places when other people typically aren't there. To see these popular destinations or even not so popular destinations. At times of day and in specific times of the year that other people won't necessarily see them. Maybe the sun is perfectly between two mountain peaks. Maybe the moon is perfectly resting on top of a really iconic spot who knows. But that's why you're going out on these road trips. The speed lake, seeing the fire falls in Yosemite with thousands of other people. And it's an amazing, but only once a year opportunity. Early capturing the sun dipping low on a stretch of highway in the desert. There are literally millions of ways and stories to tell a photographic road trip or to tell on a photographic road trip. But with all these options and choices in front of you. Where do you begin? So. Let's delve deeper into that planning stage of your photography road trip. Arguably the most crucial phase of your adventure. The best part and the most fun part is the photographing part and the traveling part, and actually being out on the road. But planning is the groundwork for your epic journey. It's setting the stage for the unforgettable moments and breathtaking images that lie ahead. Because if you don't plan, if you aren't thoughtful about this and demands, you're probably going to miss some of those absolutely amazing opportunities. All right. First and foremost. Consider your destination. What draws you to this particular corner of the world? Is it the rugged beauty of the wilderness? The. The rich tapestry of culture and history, the promise of uncharted territory, waiting to be explored. Your destination sets the tone for your entire road trip. And there are so many places you can choose from. I have seen entire road trips dedicated to capturing one specific image in one specific spot at a specific time of day on a specific day. It's a lot of specifics. But that was what the entire road trip was. Built around. And I think we all just witnessed that. On April 8th, when the total eclipse went over a good chunk of north America and people made. Specific road trips to be in specific spots. To capture one specific event, the total eclipse. I think the last total eclipse was having years ago, I believe in 2017. So it's really critical that, you know, If there's one specific thing you were aiming at when and where you need to be and get on the road to get there. Or it could be all about documenting a national park or all about seeing the great redwoods or who knows. There are all sorts of different things that you can do, but you need to decide. Essentially what that destination is, what that objective is of your photographic road trip before you can really start planning anything else. So. Where are you going? And why are you going? There are the first two questions you really need to ask yourself. And. Look beyond the obvious attractions. Sometimes those are great. Sometimes it was absolutely amazing. One of my favorite photos I've ever taken was the full moon with the beam, from the Eiffel tower, looking like it's illuminating the full moon. It has super cool, super serendipitous that we happened to be there at that point. It's one of my favorite shots I've ever taken. So. Don't overlook those obvious ones, but don't also make it. The entire point of something, always firewalls are very cool in Yosemite, but there's also some other spectacular things that happen there as well. And in other locations, so. Reach out, look to travel blogs, photography forms. Other insider tips from fellow adventurers, who've trodden the path before you. Look to other people as well, and try and find some of those really hidden gems or those like off the beaten path areas. To really help you find those true. Amazing moments. And when you are beginning your journey, make sure you start by defining your objective. Where are you going? Why are you going there? And then you can tailor your route to align with that vision and make the most of your time on the road. Next consider the logistical aspects of your journey. How much time do you have available? What is your starting point? Final destination. Are there any specific landmarks or attractions you absolutely must see along the way. Mapping out these key details will provide a solid foundation for your route planning process. Consider the seasonality and weather conditions of your chosen destination. Certain landscapes and attractions may be more photogenic at specific times of the year. So do your research and plan that trip accordingly. Be prepared to adapt your itinerary based on changing weather patterns. And honestly, those unforeseen circumstances that happen all over the place all the time. For example. Maureen lake here in Bamford is one of the most photographed lakes. In the world. And it honestly, isn't accessible in the winter without knowing how to traverse and deal with avalanche terrain. And you can't get there by bus or other vehicles. During that time. So you have to fat bike walk, snowshoe, or cross country ski to get up there. And then you also have to have all your avalanche gear. You have to know how to deal with avalanches and. If you get happen to get stuck in one, hit by one or anything like that. And then when you actually maybe get down to the lake, if you're safe enough to get down there, You can't see that iconic turquoise, you can't see those iconic reflections. Because the lake is frozen and covered in snow. So it's basically just a big, huge sheet of white. Not necessarily the best time to see. Iconic Marine lake. If you want to see that you need to be here in the summer and you need to plan that timing to be here in the summer. And if you want to see sunrise at Marine lake, you need to make sure that you're up and on a shuttle at 3:00 AM. Or you need to make sure that you're walking up or biking up the road at. 2:00 AM 2:30 AM. And that, you know how to deal with wildlife on the road and moose and bears. And I encountered a moose when we were biking in for sunrise. And super cool, but also terrifying one giant animal pops out of the trees. So you really need to consider that seasonality. To where you're going as well. You can't just pick beautiful spot. Because it's going to change depending on the situation and when you're there. All right. Now let's talk about flexibility. And while it's important to have a itinerary in place, you can't be afraid to deviate from that plan. If inspiration strikes are not expected, opportunity arises. Some of the most memorable experiences happen when you least expect them. And so embrace that spontaneity and be open to detours along the way. Obviously, if you're trying to get to a certain location at a certain time to see a certain event. Make sure you still get there. But have some flexibility. If it looks like you were going for something specific and there's clouds that are all over that destination, you can see them on a webcam and you're like, ah, It's not going to work. We're not going to be able to see the eclipse. We're not going to be able to see the Milky way from that spot. Adjust change, have a plan B, have a plan C that's, maybe a valley over or a few kilometers the opposite direction, and then go and find out if there's clouds there, go and look and see if that will work instead. And yet it's not your plan. A. But you'll still have the opportunity to see this amazing thing that you're, that you're here to see. And without that flexibility. You're probably going to miss out. So have that little bit of flexibility built into your itinerary, be ready to change and shift. When those opportunities arise. And honestly, there's going to be points where you're driving along and you weren't expecting something. And all of a sudden, boom, brilliant sunrise or brilliant sunset as you're driving, or just absolutely spectacular scenery on the side of the road. Give yourself some time in your schedule to be able to stop. And photograph those and be able to stop and look at them and experience them and be a part of them. And finally. Kind of on that same vein. Don't forget to factor in rest stops, fuel stations and mental breaks along the way. Traveling can be exhausting, especially when you're on a tight schedule. So be sure to build in time for relaxation and rejuvenation, and it can be even more tiring if you're the one. Doing the driving, watching the road, also looking for photographic things, also trying to shoot stuff. Dealing with food, just if you were the main person or the only person. That can be exhausting. So. Make that time for those mental health breaks make time for. A little bit of decompressing so that your creativity can flourish because without time to decompress, your creativity can suffer. Make time to do things without thinking about shooting. Find the time to take breaths, enjoy a hot tub, do some yoga, just do the things that lets your mind wander away from your camera. And that's actually going to make you. Better. Because. Breathing. And relaxing and engaging your brain in different ways are all things that help the brain spur creativity. All right. And kind of to take some of those planning aspects out to take some of the stress out. That can get in way of creativity. Utilize technology to your advantage. Apps like Google maps. Roadtrippers all trails can be invaluable tools for planning your route, identifying points of interest and navigating unfamiliar terrain. So take advantage of these resources to streamline your planning process and discover hidden gems. You honestly, might otherwise overlook or didn't even know were there. And for your photography use apps like PhotoPills and planet to help line up your shots well in advance so that you aren't guessing when and where to be in certain places. Those apps help, you know, when and where the sun moon. Milky way. Meteor showers, all sorts of other things will be in the sky and where they'll cast shadows, where you'll be able to see them from if the sun or the moon will be blocked by a mountain, top, or a building. And that can take a lot of the guesswork out of your planning process and make it a lot less likely that you're going to miss an incredible shot. Now also make sure before you leave that you leave a copy of your route and your timeline with someone that you'll be checking in with to ensure people know where you are. And can check in if they haven't heard from you in a little while, and if they need to pass that timeline in that schedule, along to the proper authorities in case something has happened. This just ensures that you're a lot safer on the road. And if you do make a big deviation. Send a text to somebody, shoot them a satellite message, whatever it is, just let them know what you're doing and update that timeline with them. One of the best ways I've seen people doing this. I haven't done this yet myself, but I'll do it the next time. We're on a big trip is to actually set up a Google doc that has the timeline in it. And when they make drastic changes to it, to just update the timeline in there. And that way. If somebody goes in, they can see the changes happening right in front of them. And they have the most up-to-date schedule all the way along and then ensures that if they do need to pass something along to certain authorities, then. They know exactly where you're at and hopefully help can get to you a little faster. All right. Now that you have your destinations and roots picked. What are you gonna bring with you? And thankfully, this is a lot easier than if you are getting on a plane or if you're packing a backpacking bag or anything like that. You have a car to take with you. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't put. A fair amount of thought into what you are going to have. Now, of course there are the obvious pieces like clothing meds and your gear. So bring your camera, mirrorless, DSLR, compact cell phone. It doesn't matter. Just make sure you know how to use it. Lenses. I like to have a wide range of lenses for road trip and typically leave a good wide angle, like a 16 to 35 on one camera and a big telephoto, something like a 100 to 500 attached to the other camera. This allows me to capture tight wide angle shots like the inside of the vehicle or expansive landscapes. And I'm prepared if wildlife pops up as well. I can just pull out the big lens. I don't have to be fiddling and switch anything around because that could only last for seconds. But honestly bring what suits your style of photography. Then make sure you have your tripod memory cards, spare batteries, cleaning kit filters, camera bag, and all your other necessary accessories for the type of photography you will be doing. Finally for your kit, make sure you have a way to backup your cards. So you weren't losing all your important shots. This is a photography road trip. You don't want to be losing that single memory card and having it corrupt on you This can be portable memory storage, bringing along your computer and a hard drive to create a three-tiered backup system. This can be shooting to two cards at all times, and then separating those two cards. Really, there are a ton of different options. Bring what suits your backups. Just make sure you have some form of backup with you and don't leave them all in one place together. Just in case there's an emergency or something stolen or something else catastrophic happens. If all of your backups are in the same spot, they likely all go together. So try to separate them, even if it's separating them in different parts of the vehicle, or always keeping a set of memory cards in. You know, A pocket of your jacket that you always have with you or who knows. There's all sorts of different solutions. Just don't leave your backups together. Now beyond your camera kit, it's important to make space for other less thought of items. Where will you charge your camera? Make sure you've got charging cables for the car hotels or large battery packs. If you're going to be roughing it. Is your, you have a map of your route GPS, communicators. Aren't always reliable and can be. Very difficult to follow in certain situations and they can die in a variety of ways. So having a map on hand in your car ensures that you can at least make it to the next closest town. If something does happen. And take some time to familiarize yourself with your route. So you'll know where you are in case you get lost. Or your car breaks down and you need to make it to a populated point. Prioritize safety during your road trip as well by packing essential safety equipment, like a reflective vest. If you're stuck on the side of the road, roadside emergency kit tire inflators jumper cables and a basic tool kit for your vehicle maintenance. And really make sure that your vehicle is in good working condition before you take off and familiarize yourself with those basic automotive repairs that can get your car to the next. Populated spot to the next point where a proper mechanic can look at your vehicle and get it fixed up. If you can limp that car down the road at 10 kilometers an hour or 20 kilometers an hour, that's still, probably faster than you're going to be able to go. So just make sure you have some sort of idea of how to limp your car into the next destination. And if you know me, I'm all about safety and keeping you safe on the road. Well, doing these amazing transformative adventures. And lastly comfort items. It can be tempting to think that you'll be spending all your time editing and shooting and out in the wilderness and doing all this amazing stuff. But in reality, there will be moments where that just isn't happening and where you will need to take breaks because breaks are a good thing. We just talked about that. Make sure you bring items that allow you to recharge your creativity and kits you to relax. That can be books, music, board, games, cards, handheld video games, almost anything that gets your mind back in a creative space and get your mind to just whew. Take a breath for a second. Don't bring more workbooks with you. Don't. Bring more big planning books. Don't keep yourself constantly in that state of thinking and planning. Like your brain stop thinking. Because that is one of the points where creativity really takes place. All right. By now, you know what? You're capturing. Where you're going and what you're bringing. But what are you going to do with all these images when you're done? By thinking about this in advance, you can set yourself up for real success and ensure that you have captured the images that you really need. Now, if you're going to just capture what makes your heart sing? Really isn't. You're good to go. And do it. Just, just do that. It's spectacular. When people head out just to, just to capture something that makes them smile. But if not, and you are hoping to take these different ways or go further with them. And monetize this road trip. There are some things you can do. First though. You don't always need to monetize your art. Please just go make things that make you happy and forget the consumeristic side of the art world. At least occasionally. That being said. It honestly is an awesome feeling to sell your artwork and to work on a creative project and get paid for it. So, if you're interested, there are some ways you can monetize your photography road trip. One critical to book. Compile your favorite images from your photographer road? Tripping to we beautifully designed photo book. Whether you opt for a traditional coffee table book or digital photo album, a photo book allows you to showcase your journey and relive your memories in a tangible format. Include captions, anecdotes. Clips locations, any little details, that context and depth to your images. I'd suggest if you're going to do this kind of thing along the way. I write notes as you go along as well. These can be notes about how you shot. Certain photo. So this can be. The f-stop, this can be your thinking process. This can be maybe if you sketch out what you were thinking in advance, who knows all sorts of different things, you can show people how you got photo. This can be details about how you got there. This can be your transformative journey in the photos along the way that helps transform you. There are all sorts of different ways. You can approach a photo book like this. It doesn't just have to be a, oh look, pretty photos. And in fact, a lot of times when it goes beyond the, oh, look, pretty photos piece. That's when people really love it and really engage with it because they can feel something in their heart that just goes beyond a beautiful photo and they can see the transformation that's happening. Prince Mueller. So you can transform your best shots into stunning prince and Walmart to decorate your home or your workspace. Or you can send them off to friends. You can sell them on your website. You can just do all sorts of amazing things with them. And honestly, photos are better in print. Looking at them on a computer is great, but there's just something wonderful about seeing a photo printed and hanging up on a wall that isn't in a screen. And one of the coolest things is knowing when your artwork, something that you've worked hard on, something that you photographed is hanging on. Somebody's Walter's hanging in a business and it can just make you so happy to have that happen. All right, fairly obvious one for you. Social media sharing, you can share your photography road trip experiences with the world by posting your images and visuals on Instagram, Tik TOK. Pinterest, wherever it is that you really love doing that. If you enjoy. Doing that. And if you want to monetize it, make sure you're using hashtags, geotags, captions, anything like that, to increase your visibility and engage with other people and reels and short form video. That is by far the most popular thing in the world right now. So if you can think of a way to encompass the images that you're shooting. And build them into short form video. That's going to really help you out as well. Travel guides and publications. Share your insights and recommendations from your photography road trip by contributing articles, travel guides or photo essays to photography, magazines, travel blogs. Other online publications. Podcasts, wherever you can think to go with this. I send it out. And you can write about your favorite destinations, hidden gems, insider tips for capturing memorable images on the road. Just share your unique perspective and experiences to inspire and inform your fellow travelers and photographers. Everybody has some sort of unique perspective. You've experienced something differently than even that person who is standing directly beside you. Bring that talk about it. Decide what that perspective is from yours and share it with other people. Photo expositions and galleries. You can share your photography road trip stories with your local community by organizing a photo exhibition or a gallery showcase. You can collaborate with local galleries, maybe some cafes do a community showing you can maybe collaborate with. Bigger places as you're going, and you can show off your photos as you're traveling along on your trip. If you can prearrange those locations. Whatever you want to do that you can help inspire other people to go on these trips or learn something. And this is also a great place to sell a photo book. If you decide to make one as well. There's just all sorts of different ways that you can have people. Involved with your work. If you show off it to people publicly. And finally collaborative projects and partnerships. So go and collaborate with your fellow photographers, artists, writers, or brands to create collaborative projects and partnerships inspired by your photography road trips. Whether it's a joint exposition, a photography book, collaboration and creative workshop series, a brand partnership for sponsored content, collaborating with others. To allow you to expand your reach sharing resources. Going out and shooting together. Oh my goodness. The list is literally endless. I have so many thoughts in my head about how you could do this right now. Think of ways you can work with other artists to create cool things and actually learn about those areas that you're going to, or have somebody to travel with and maybe go into your photos as a subject or. Take photos of you in those locations who knows? But think of ways that you can collaborate with other people and bring them into your road trip with you. Because by thinking about the end goal before you go. You can potentially set up partnerships. You can tell the right parts of the story and capture necessary images. You can find. Those little pieces that make all the difference. That when you get home, you will realize like, oh, I wish I had a photo of whatever, whatever, whatever. If you set these kinds of things up in advance, or if you think about these things in advance, you know what your intended monetization outcome is. You're going to be able to set it up a lot easier. Like, for example, if you wanted to sell a brand partnership with a sunglasses company, you'd want to talk to them in advance, understand their brand guidelines that needs ensure you are matching those specifications. And that they are prepared to work with you, even if it's on spec. Because some companies will want you to make sure the sunglasses are the hero of every shot that they are front and center and highly visible in absolutely everything. I think Oakleys and the way that they advertise, even when it's just a shot of sunglasses sitting on a dash, that's still a photo of sunglasses sitting on a dash. It's not a photo of a dashboard with a beautiful view that happens to have sunglasses in it. And that is a distinct difference because the subject of the photograph in that case is the sunglasses. Versus when it's showing off this beautiful landscaping instead of a car. The sunglasses are a part of the experience. Other companies are great. If the sunglasses are just a part of the scene, like we were just saying sunglasses on a dash with a beautiful view. These companies like to see close-ups when it's appropriate, but they also love to show their sunglasses out, doing their things and being in those epic landscapes. Good or is a pretty good example of this. They have tons of closeups of their sunglasses. And in images of them sitting on dashboards beside running shoes and on a weight bench and on people's faces and tied up. So they can, we can really see what the sunglasses are, but they also love to show their athletes in the field doing their thing. There are tons of photos of runners wearing good or sunglasses. That are pulled back, showing where they're running with the beautiful landscape around them, or tons of them on hiking trails and other situations like that. And they love to show their sunglasses in situations. So by getting to know this, before you go, you can really ensure that your images align with that brand needs and they are much more likely to purchase those images. Expecially, if you're working on spec with them, because. They haven't promised you anything and chances are they'll come back and say, no, unless you have given them something mind blowing and that it really matches what their needs are. Or honestly, let's say you're setting up a photo book or immersive gallery experience. You won't just want landscape images. If it's about the whole entire trip, you'll also need people in the car, the car on the road, details of places. Other important little aspects of that journey. It's all about finding the right images that tell the story of this road trip. So by taking the time to plan your photographer road trip with care and consideration, you're not just embarking on. A road trip. You're crafting an experience that will stay with you long after the photo is taken. You're crafting experience that should, if you choose to monetize it. Live with your viewers long afterwards as well. If you want to see somebody who does this brilliantly, I talk about them a lot, but go look up CRISPR card, the amazing adventure photographer. He tells phenomenal stories through his images and his stories tend to leave. You. With a lot of emotions and stay with you, especially some of his images, they stay with you and you can think about them. So. That's your end goal, especially if you're looking to monetize your photography road trip. All right. And there you have adventures. A comprehensive guide to planning and executing your very own photography road trip. Really hope you're feeling inspired to hit the open road and capture the beauty of this world around us. As always. Don't forget to subscribe to the traveler, rich photography school for more tips, things like this inspiring stories, great interviews with people. And if you have any ideas for future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out. You can find me on instagram@ronmasseyphotographyorvisitmywebsiteatrentmassivephotography.ca. And yeah. Thanks for being here for a hundred episodes. So cool that we hit a hundred episodes. Honestly spectacular. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for tuning in and for all of your advice and feedback and stories and conversations that we've had. I love it. Keep reaching out. Keep listening. And thanks so much. All right. Let's adventure. Bye for now.