At some point on our travels, we’ve all probably felt that familiar urge: standing before an iconic landmark and reaching for a camera simply because everyone else is doing the same.
But there’s a delicate balance between living in the moment and capturing it.
Do we really take the time to stop and be present to witness the way the afternoon light hits the courtyard of Alhambra, or are we focused on how it’ll look to our followers?
Personally, I’m team take-the-photo, but don’t whisk me away before allowing me to pause and soak in the magic of the moment afterward.
In fact, taking a picture is often how I absorb the experience. Especially when it comes to landscape or street photography. I’m by no means an expert, but thinking about what’s in front of me and how to snap it helps me notice its nuance. Light, patterns, texture, shadow, emotion...
The camera becomes my tool for mindfulness. Even in the quiet in-between of waiting for “the perfect shot,” I find myself soaking in the sounds and smells of a place far more deeply than I could have if I had simply admired it and walked on by.
It turns out that most of you seem to feel the same way. We asked our Facebook community for their best travel shots, and we were truly blown away!
And since the adage “a picture says a thousand words” definitely rings true. I’ll quit my word count here and let your lenses speak for themselves…
