Photographers: Kanchan is a traveler and a full-time working woman.
February 19, 2023
Visit Mikayla Hiebert on Instagram.
About you
My name is Mikayla I am 24 years old and have just started my solo traveling journey this year. With the pandemic ending and everything aligning in my life I felt it was the perfect time to start venturing out of my comfort zone. I am an aspiring landscape photographer. What better place for landscape photos than Iceland!? So that’s where I started. On my very first solo trip, I went on and took so many photos, 2 months later I am still looking through them. I think getting out of your comfort zone is a big deal and more people should explore that. Whatever that means for them. I have a dream of building out my own tiny home on wheels so I can keep exploring this wonderful world and continue to grow outside of my comfort zones.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
Photography is such an amazing art form that can capture a moment in time. Not all art forms can do that. I think it’s original and creative. I could capture a single tree and when I look back I remember exactly how I felt at that moment. Almost like an emotional time machine. Travel photography gives me more experiences and more memories to capture so I can look back and always get transported back in time to those moments.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
Nature. Landscape. Anything in its natural state. I find it beautiful to be able to capture an image and over time you can see the difference or similarities that may have occurred.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Go to travel hack is to just be prepared for anything. Make sure you look at the weather that day and always have a plan B. I like to make sure I have tons of waterproof gear if it’s going to be raining so that I can still go out and do what I love.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My obvious answer would be my camera/ cell phone (I take photos with my phone a lot ) But to think outside the box I would say I would be lost without my favorite pair of hiking boots.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I would love to go back to New York City so I can skip the touristy things and focus on capturing real time photos of buildings or people. The architecture in that city is incredible.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
The biggest thing I do is trust my gut. I walk alone everywhere and if my gut tells me that this path doesn’t feel right, I will turn and take an extra 20 minutes just for my own peace of mind. More materialistic things to keep me feeling safe, I have a pocket knife on me as well as I always tell someone back home where I will be and at what times. This ensures that if they don’t hear from me a few hours after they should have, they know something happened.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Food! The answer is always food. You need to go to the local restaurants and try local foods. Nothing bonds people together like drooling over the same tastes. Also, I like traveling during the off seasons so that there are fewer tourists and more locals on the streets. Don’t be shy, start conversations with the locals and they might just show you around!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bueno dias – good morning in Spanish. Currently planning a trip to Mexico so I am learning the language. Good Morning is beautiful in any language, because any morning you get to wake up, is a good one.
When and where are you next travelling?
Planning a trip to Mexico this summer! Bringing a few of my friends along for the experience. It will be extra specials to share with others.
Visit Cindy Christella on her LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About you
Travel experience led me to explore work and opportunities in international education and the Australian immigration industry and creativity in capturing new things.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
I always tell others: “Why do you travel and photograph? So that I can come back and I can see the place I came from with new eyes, perspective, and extra colours. And I see myself differently, too. Coming back to where I started is not the same as never leaving.”
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
I like nature, cute creatures, and unique architecture.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Stop rushing.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
Phone.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan and Indonesia.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Be polite and follow the local norms. Help others when you can.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Stay in one place as long as you can. Learn the local language and make friends.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Thank you.
When and where are you next travelling?
December 2022 – USA
Visit Ana on Instagram.
About you
Hola! I’m Ana, a not-even-a-year digital creator from Barcelona. In real life, I’m a professional musician so I mainly teach the cello and I play in several orchestras and gigs. In the meantime, I travel from 9 to 5! Related to my travels, so far I have visited 53 countries and the only one I’ve left in Europe is Iceland. I can’t wait to be there! I’ve traveled alone and I’ve done hitchhiking many times, it’s something I highly recommend doing it at least once in your life. My Instagram travel account came about as a result of wanting to give a second life to my old pictures taken on my trips. So here I am, trying to catch up on my posts in chronological order of countries visited with the last countries visited in real-time posted in my stories. I wonder if I will ever make it #help
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
Since I got my shitty camera at the age of 14 I haven’t stopped taking pictures and this is something that I don’t regret. Capturing the beauty of my travels is essential for me. It’s something that it will stay there forever like a memory. It can also be useful if I ever want to keep track of what I have seen/visited or if at some point I want to sell stock photos, print them, make an album or write a book. Who knows!
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
I would say I love to take pictures of everything, but definitely what I really enjoy the most is photographing viewpoints with impressive landscapes. Extra point if there are no crowds around 👌🏻
What’s your go-to travel hack?
I only travel with my phone so it’s easy to keep it safe 😉 Especially because it is small so it can fit in any pocket
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My iPhone 13 mini
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I fell in love with Lofoten Islands in Norway. Definitely it’s a place I would love to go back to one day
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
I wouldn’t say it’s something you have to worry about. It depends on the country of course. Having the right contacts, avoiding X areas/neighbors, knowing the rules/restrictions… All of these things help to stay away from problems. Also planning your trip in advance can be useful to know what to expect. So don’t be a deadline lover! The sooner you plan your trip the better you are prepared for everything :))
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
If possible avoid high seasons of tourism and touristic places, go off the beaten path, interact more with locals, learn few words of their language… All of this helps to have a much more enjoyable experience!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I don’t think I have favorite words but somehow I always end up learning silly ones. Once in Ukraine I learned how to say – I have diarrhea – “U mene srachka” which I actually had 😂
When and where are you next travelling?
By the end of this month, I’ll be on tour for 5-7 months playing in a musical around Europe (mainly in Germany), so my plan is to show you a bit about the cities I’ll be staying at. After the musical is over I might go to Jordan/Iran (April-May) for a visit before spending the high season working in Iceland, the last country I’ve left in Europe! Are you going to miss all of this?
Visit Jenn on LinkedIn, Instagram, and her Website.
About you
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada and spent my summers camping at the lake and my winters building snow forts as a kid. When I got older and started travelling more, I knew I needed to find a job that would give me heaps of time off to travel, and I ended up settling on “geologist,” knowing that I could work FIFO in the mining industry and have half of the year off to do the things I really wanted to do (which basically just travelled, meet new people, eat a LOT of new foods, experience different cultures, and see what the moon looked like on the other side of the world). I ended up landing a fantastic job on 2 weeks in / 2 weeks out roster and found myself with enough time to travel somewhere new whenever I wanted to. As I started travelling more, I began to take photos to share with friends and family back home. The more photos I took, the more I wanted to hone this new skill, but it wasn’t until I moved to Australia and was left waiting for nearly 2 years for my residence (and work) visa to be approved, that I finally found the time to dedicate towards learning, practising and improving my art. Since then, I’ve added registered drone pilots to my list as well and now shoot both aerial and non-aerial images and videos for clients. With travel largely restricted for us here in Australia over the past couple of years, my recent work has focused mainly on South Australia, but I’m looking forward to getting more use out of my passport again and exploring some new international destinations.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
I’ve always had itchy feet, and could never stand to stay in one place for too long; travel has been a natural extension of this. I’m happiest when I’m out exploring and love to learn something new, plus experiencing the cultures, traditions, and foods of a region is always best done on location! 🙂 I’m a creator at heart, and photography is an opportunity to play with light, perspective, and colour to build a picture that I can share with others. I want my photography to give people a glimpse of the experience and magic of being there, I want them to feel connected to these locations even if they aren’t able to be there right now, and ultimately I want to inspire them to go out, explore, discover, and get lost in the moment; whether they’re venturing to the farthest corners of the globe, or walking through their home city.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
The night sky. Space fascinates me, and I love how impossibly small I feel when stargazing. It’s incredible to think about how much we’ve learned about the universe, and how much more we know nothing about at all.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
my biggest tip is to do a little research in advance and make sure you understand local customs and culture, but also just understand how locals go about their daily lives, what are the things that they always do/don’t do – you’ll end up being a more considerate visitor when you’re there, but hopefully, you also won’t stick out like a sore thumb. Scammers and thieves are always on the lookout for people who look unfamiliar or unconfident with their surroundings because those are the people who are less likely to be paying attention to pickpockets, or who can be taken advantage of because they don’t immediately recognize when something’s not right.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My Kobo eReader. I love reading books, but only seem to find time for it when I’m on a plane or sitting on a beach, so my eReader is always with me when I travel. I would miss my phone and camera a lot but have definitely traveled without either in past. But a book? I’ve always got one in my bag.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Too many! I’ve loved nearly every place I’ve visited, but Egypt and Greece would be amazing to go back to. I last visited these countries waaaay back before smartphones were even a thing – I’m sure they’ve changed immensely but there’s still so much I haven’t seen in both of these countries that I would love to back.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Similar to my answer about keeping gear safe – make sure you research where you need to go in advance so that you don’t stand out as more of a target. Then you can pay attention to your surroundings instead of needing to focus on a map. Ask locals who work at your accommodation if they have any recommendations for where is safe / not safe to visit when you’re travelling solo. And just like you would at home, stick to well-lit and heavily-trafficked areas when it’s dark. I’m also a big believer in trusting your intuition – I’m very lucky that I’ve had a few bad experiences while travelling, but the ones I have had always happened when I ignored my gut feelings about a situation.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Ask a local! Seriously! People generally love to talk about their lives and are usually very happy to share what they love best about their home cities and countries. It’s easy enough to find info online before you go, but definitely ask the locals you meet when you’re at a destination to tell you what their favourite foods are, what they love doing on the weekends, or the best way to travel from point A to point B. You might just discover a hidden gem you hadn’t heard of yet!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
not a word, but a phrase in Swahili – poa kichizi kama ndizi ndani ya friji – which means “cool as a banana in the refrigerator.” It’s fun to say, and the visual always makes me smile too. If you climb Kilimanjaro you will definitely be taught this phrase as a response to “how are you doing?”
When and where are you next travelling?
I don’t have any flights booked at the moment, but planning on doing some more travel around South Australia in the near future. Next year I’ve got tentative plans to head to South Africa, but I’m sure there will be one or two more trips in between then and now!
Visit Laura Di Stefano on Instagram, Twitter, and her Website
About you
My name is Laura. I’m Italian but I live in the UK since 2014. I first moved to the UK to study for my PhD in History (which I was awarded in 2019). I have had a passion for traveling and photography since I can remember. I always tried to travel as much as I could and also during my PhD I specialised in the study of travel itineraries towards the Middle East written during the Middle Ages (ok the field is much more complicated than this but this is what I usually say to people when asking me about it 😅). As I traveled a lot to complete my studies and my research I decided to document my journeys and share my passion for history. Here I founded The Historian Traveller. I recently became mum of two twins boys (they are now 18-months-old) and because of the pregnancy and some related health problems, I had to pause both my academic career and blogging life (the pandemic played also its role of course). However, now I’m getting better and as the babies are growing up well I’m starting writing/traveling and photographing the world again!
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
Despite being a historian, I never loved being behind a desk. I’m quite unusual in this. Indeed, I always preferred being on the ground and touching history with my hands. I’m in constant need of freedom and travel makes me feel free. Photography, on the other side, allows me to freeze that freedom in a concrete way by creating memories I can never forget. It doesn’t matter whether I am or not in the pictures. Every shot has its own moment and story and I am the only narrator of it.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
I love capturing historical architecture when visiting a new place. When I see a palace, a castle or simply the ruins of an ancient abbey I feel the need of telling their, often forgotten, story to the world. I like to photograph places immerse in their natural light and current environment. Particularly, I like to capture the changing of the seasons and show how historical heritage stands the passage of time. Moreover, cityscapes are also among my favourite subjects. Indeed, I love to capture the mixing of new and old architecture. I like to create contrasts but also unique patterns and tones. I prefer bright and bold tones that easily enhance the natural beauty of urban architecture.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Well, I had a couple of accidents along the road (like smashing my old camera in India) or when my new camera was blown together with its tripod by a strong gust of wind in Iceland (but miraculously didn’t break). Or, one of the latest accidents, when I smashed my drone against a wall after it was chased by a group of seagulls (not sure how it still works perfectly 😅). I always try to pay attention but accidents do happen, unfortunately. When I travel to crowded places I always keep the gear on my body (usually in a professional camera backpack). I have also a dry bag for water excursions and various rain covers. I’m honestly terrified of breaking my expensive gears but at the same time, I don’t want to lose photographic opportunities to be excessively meticulous. So, I try to find a balance. However, one of the things I learnt from experience is don’t let touch people who don’t know what they are doing your professional stuff.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
I always carry my Canon camera with me on a trip. I can live without my drone but the camera is my best friend.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Probably Egypt. I spent almost one month there but still have the feeling it’s not enough! Moreover, Cairo is one of my favourite cities in the world.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Well. I always do research on what places I need to avoid in certain destinations and I generally trust my instinct. If something looks shady, it probably is. I try to avoid trouble and get a trusty local contact just in case something goes wrong. However, even if I travelled alone in the past. Now, I travel most of the time with my husband (and also the little ones since last year!).
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Stay with locals! Embrace the culture and don’t be ashamed to ask questions about customs, food or whatever topic you want to know about it. Most of the time people are happy to tell you more about their culture. Sometimes, you have to go a bit out of your comfort zone but this is rewarding. The most important thing is always being respectful of other people cultures and beliefs while learning something new.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I’m Italian and I love when people say “Buon Viaggio” maybe in English this can be translated as “have a safe trip “ but the meaning is not quite the same. Buon Viaggio is more a good wish for your trip and gives you the promise of an exciting new adventure. Have a safe trip is also a kind of good wish but to my ears it sound like “stay safe something can go wrong”. I prefer the Italian version.
When and where are you next travelling?
I have quite a few trips planned this year. I’m exploring the French Riviera in April and this summer I’m heading back to Sicily to visit my family. Then I will fly to Malta (it’s my second time here) and Jordan (I’m very excited about this last one!).
Visit Andrea on Instagram
About you
Intensive care physician, children and animal lover, like to take risks and flow through life
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
To relax and open my mind
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
Awesome landscapes
What’s your go-to travel hack?
For example, locked backpacks.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My camera, a comfortable cushion for the neck
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Being never alone, learning about places I’m visiting before the trip. Asking people who have been there before me
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Going to the food markets, asking taxi drivers where to go
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Chandelier
When and where are you next travelling?
Patagonia
Visit Krystsina on Instagram and her Website
About you
Hi there:)
I was born in Belarus studied finance, got a master but I always had a feeling this world is bigger than we think and I started to explore and travel getting know people cultures. I moved to Germany at the age of 25 (which is a whole other big adventure ) and started to do what I always dreamed of: be a filmmaker and photographer. I can describe myself as a naive dreamer, who has never lost a dream over the years and as a light, this dream brings me back to my path whenever I feel lost or sad:)
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
As an astrology fan, I’d say it’s Saturn who influences the whole horoscope of mines and ascendant in Capricorn, but in simple words, two things are driving forces: fear that time is limited and wish to reach the final goal before time flies away.
This situation I can compare with a climb up the mountain (reach goal) before sunrise (limited time) to capture the magical moment which lasts just 30 min 🥰
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
Nature, sunrise, also a video is more magical for me at the moment, emotions
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Super hard unbreakable case and Herschel.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
Camera, Sony a7iii, small rig handles for handheld filmmaking, lense 24-70 2.8
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Ramsau, Iceland, East Switzerland (Säntis) north Teneriffe, Armenia
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
I look only for safe park places, paid ones, with lights. When going back down the mountain at night I join a group of people who have girls and boys there to walk together. I talk to locals to ask where is it safe to go. Mostly I’m nature mountains are people are kind and the is no danger.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Talk to locals! Take 20-30 min and talk to older people who live there it’s a treasure what they can say. I also used couch surfing a lot when I started a travel and it was the best way to explore like a local, but be careful and choose people with good references.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Attraversiamo 😅 let’s cross the road In Italian
When and where are you next travelling?
Deciding between Iceland, west France down Pyrenees mountains or Teneriffe and with volcano cloudy landscape