Finding the Places Worth Remembering

Social media will tell you that traveling as a content creator is an endless loop of perfectly packed outfits, flawless itineraries, and an everlasting golden hour. Social media is also really good at minimizing the messiness and hard work behind it all. Don’t get me wrong, I love the work, and I love traveling to take amazing photos. I’ve taken some epic shots everywhere from the wilderness of Australia to the sun-bleached streets of Greece.

But the real magic of travel isn’t always found at a designated picture-perfect viewpoint. It comes from a mix of planning, the curiosity that sends me looking for hidden swimming spots, and the flexibility to change direction when I need to. Here’s how I choose photo locations while traveling.

I Start Before the Trip

My planning is usually half-organized and half “let’s see what happens.”

Before a group trip, I often build an itinerary in Excel. It’s easy to share with my assistant and other creators joining me. Shared calendars can get confusing across different time zones. I choose the main places we want to reach, work out the best route between them, and add possible stops along the way.

The main destination is the priority. If we get there, great. Anything else is a bonus. If for some reason (stuff happens!) we don’t make it, we have backup plans ready to go.

I get travel photo inspiration from social media, places I’ve visited before, and a lot of studying the coastline. Google Maps is still my most useful tool for finding photography locations. I usually zoom in around beaches, national parks, and points of interest, then look at the photographs and comments posted by everyday visitors.

Tourism sites can make every location look like a pristine photographer’s dream. Reviews by people who’ve actually been there give me a much clearer picture of what to expect, how crowded it gets, and how easy or difficult it is to get to. People love a good whinge, and their complaints often reveal really useful details.

My most recent trip to Greece gave me a very dramatic example of why I keep my plans flexible. We had intended to sail to a group of islands (the Cyclades), but a sudden change in the weather threw everything off. The winds were insane. They became so intense that our equipment couldn’t even measure the strongest gusts. So we quickly came up with a new plan: hug the sheltered coastline and figure out a new route as we went.

Once we knew where the boat could safely anchor for the night, I would start studying the next stretch of coast and try to find a place to shoot the following day. We were completely flying by the seat of our pants, but it resulted in some of my favorite work from the trip.

Thinking on my feet like that is pretty typical of what my week can look like. The schedule gives me a plan. What actually happens is another story.

Putting in the Legwork

Walk? Yes, usually a lot. And drive, hike, climb, and occasionally scramble over rocks just in case there’s something interesting on the other side.

I am especially drawn to water. Give me an ocean, a waterfall, a river, or a pool, and I’m in my happy place. I do not love a difficult hike just for the sake of hiking, but if there’s somewhere to splash around in at the end, I’m suddenly very motivated.

When I lived in Australia, I had a full year to explore. In Royal National Park, near Eagle Rock, there’s a place you can’t see from the main trail. If you climb down, you find beautiful pools and a waterfall below. I followed the water to see where it led, while making sure I could find my way back.

First, I always check whether leaving the path is safe and permitted. In some places, the environment is extremely sensitive. If it is allowed, though, I’m willing to do a little climbing to find secret spots.

One of the toughest hikes I did in Greece was ten miles through Samaria Gorge on Crete. It takes you from high in the mountains all the way down toward the sea, followed by a ferry and a bus back to where you started. I seriously underestimated the heat and felt awful by the end, but I finished. I kind of had to because the only way out was through. That was a very Kit-ish way to learn that lesson.

The goal is not to find places that are challenging to reach. I’m looking for character, enough privacy to take my time, and something that makes me want to keep exploring. Sometimes that means a long hike. Sometimes it means turning down an ordinary side street.

Working With the Light

Light is one of the trickiest and least reliable parts of travel photography.

Bright midday sun is usually awful for faces because it creates harsh shadows. On the flip side, those same shadows can be great for bringing out muscle definition. Most of the time, I prefer shooting in the shade or on a cloudy day. Cloud cover is basically a great big softbox in the sky, diffusing the light and making people look amazing.

The same place can look completely different from one hour to the next. In Greece, whitewashed buildings take on a rosy glow as the sun sets. The direction of the sun matters too. A location can photograph beautifully earlier in the day, then lose the light when a mountain or another part of the landscape blocks the sun as it goes down.

I try to work out in advance what time the light will be best at a certain place. On most trips, however, we move too quickly to return purely because the light wasn't right. We work with what we have.Sometimes you can expect heavy clouds but arrive to find blazing sunshine. Forcing the location to become the photograph you imagined is usually a waste of time. I’d rather see what I have to work with, get creative, and make the most of it.

Even if things don’t quite go the way I thought they would, that’s all great information for a return visit. My first time in Greece was a solo trip. I spent a month driving around and finding locations. When I went back with my friend Summer, I already knew where we could get the best shots and have some privacy, and what time of day would work best. I have done the same in Australia with other creators.

Looking Beyond Famous Landmarks

The best photo spots while traveling aren’t always the famous ones. I love an impressive landmark, but I’m drawn to places with character that aren’t too crowded, so I can take my time getting the shot I want.

In Poros, Greece, we came across a little side street beside a grocery store. A bicycle was parked beside a gorgeous flowering tree; it wasn't an insta-famous viewpoint or a stop anyone had recommended. It was an everyday scene, but with everything framed just right, it made a really cute photo.

Then there is Voulolimni, a rocky sea lake in Crete that I first found by zooming in on the map. It looked gorgeous in other visitors’ photographs, so I went to see it for myself.

I have visited during peak summer and found only one or two people there.

More than once, I have had it completely to myself.

That is my ideal find: somewhere gorgeous and quiet, without a ton of people all trying to take the same photo.Of course, seeking unusual locations doesn't always end so well.

I once booked a luxury Airbnb with an infinity pool that looked perfect for creating content. The “road” to the house was basically a dirt hiking trail along a cliff. It was barely one car wide and full of potholes, with bushes scraping the side of the car.

I’m a pretty confident driver, especially considering some of the places I tend to end up. But this road was so sketchy that our videographer was in tears in the back seat. I did get us there safely, though.

The house was stunning, but it had no running water and none of the toilets would flush. Putting in the work to reach somewhere unique can reward you with an incredible setting for a shoot. This time, we got a terrifying drive, an Airbnb that made a better backdrop than a place to stay … and a good story.

Some of My Favorite Finds

One of my favorite photographs from Greece was taken at the very top of Monemvasia. The town and sea sit in the background, framed by a crumbling stone arch. I loved the composition, but the arch itself caught my attention too. There’s something satisfying about a shape that’s been distributing weight and holding its form for centuries, purely through the physics of compression. The math geek in me appreciates the engineering just as much as the view.

I also took a photograph I love at the Acropolis in Athens, although it was my second attempt at taking artsy pictures there. The first time, I wore a sexy silver dress that looked great, but I felt like I was baking in foil. I learned my lesson and returned in a breathable brown cotton skirt and top.

Oddly, I received more rude comments in the sensible outfit. No one seemed to mind the wildly impractical dress. I looked cooler the first time but felt cooler the second time, so I still consider that a win.

Sometimes the Best Shots Don’t Get Taken

Photography has been a hobby of mine since way before it earned me any money. I use a Sony A7 IV for video and a Canon G7 X for photos. I also just bought my first film camera, a Nikon F3, and I’m really excited to start using it.

Part of the fun for me is learning the manual settings and figuring out what each camera can do. But photography is about more than knowing how to use the equipment. It helps me experience a place more deeply.

My ADHD brain is very task-oriented. If I am simply standing in nature with nothing to do, it can be hard for me to feel fully absorbed. Give me a camera and somewhere to explore, and I pay much closer attention to everything around me.But there comes a point when I am done.

On fast-moving trips, it can feel like a race to create as much high-quality content as possible. It is not just about getting the polished shots for the feed. We are also capturing behind-the-scenes content, so we’re almost always filming something. Even though I love the work, that pressure can become exhausting. When I feel it creeping in, I put the camera away and let myself just have fun with my friends.

Deciding when to stop working depends less on the day or location and more on my state of mind. If I’m no longer enjoying what I’m seeing because I’m only thinking about capturing it, I need a break. Sometimes being present in the moment is more important than having something to upload.

I also have to be realistic about my energy on busy travel days. What I eat, when I rest, and how much I try to fit in all make a difference. Creating content is part of the plan, but my love of travel goes far beyond what I capture on camera.

Final Thoughts

I do plenty of planning before a trip, but I always keep in mind that things can and often do change as soon as the journey begins. Even on fast-moving trips, I try to slow down enough to notice and enjoy what is around me.

I want to understand the personality of a place, not just prove that I visited it. That means paying attention and being willing to follow a better idea when it appears.

Want to keep up? Keep exploring my website to learn more about all the things that make up my wonderfully weird life.