Inspiration Archives - Photo Tips, Creative Photography + Travel Guides - The Wandering Lens

The Creative Benefits of Solo Travel for Photographers

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:29 +0000

Why Solo Travel Can Transform Your Photography (and How It Changes the Way You See a Place) There’s something different about travelling alone with a camera. Without meaning to offend everyone I’ve ever travelled with, solo travel is, as far as I’m concerned, the best way to immerse yourself in the experience of travel, while documenting the adventure and learning about your creative approach, and, let’s be honest, yourself too. When travelling solo, you learn how to deal with whatever comes your way, which in turn leads to feeling more confident, capable, and creative because you’re in control of the journey unfolding. As a map geek, I love planning routes, finding locations, and researching places to stay, I know this can feel quite overwhelming for others who may be new to solo travel, but after a few trips, even short ones at first, you’ll see the freedom it unlocks. Without the pace of a group, or the quiet pressure of keeping up with someone else’s plans, the experience of travelling begins to shift in subtle but noticeable ways. You move slower, not because you have to, but because you can. You notice more. You pause when something catches your eye,...

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What I’ve Learned One Year After Building a Travel Photography Community

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:06:42 +0000

Reflections on community, confidence, and finding creative connections When I first created The Travel Photography Club as an extension of The Wandering Lens, I thought I had a fairly clear idea of what photographers would want. From years of guiding photo tours, running online courses, and mentoring photographers, I assumed the next logical step would be more resources, more eBooks, and more structured learning. More content to work through in one dedicated space. A year on, I can see that while those things matter, they were never the heart of it. What surprised me most was how quickly the focus shifted away from content and towards connection. As the club grew, so did a steady sense of belonging, with photographers joining from all over the world. What began as an idea scribbled in notebooks and developed via many months staring at a screen, has become a global creative community. When I was deep in design mode, planning content and worrying about all the what-ifs back in late 2024, it felt far-fetched to imagine the space becoming something truly special. In focusing so closely on what needed to be built, I lost sight of what it might become, even if the...

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Why Churchill Is on My Photography Radar for 2026

Lisa Michele Burns — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 05:27:09 +0000

Polar Bears and Aurora in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. When I think about destinations that combine raw wilderness with once-in-a-lifetime photographic opportunities, Churchill in northern Manitoba quickly rises to the top. Perched on the edge of Hudson Bay in Northern Canada, this beautifully remote Arctic gateway offers a rare mix of luminous night skies, rare wildlife sightings, and unique ways to experience them. After learning about the region over coffee with the team from Travel Manitoba, I started researching and exploring the adventures possible for photographers (and myself!) who are keen to visit in 2026. I already know it’ll be a destination that fills my memory cards faster than the northern lights dance across the sky! Here are the experiences that have firmly placed Churchill on my radar for 2026. #1 Aurora visible up to 300 nights each year Churchill sits directly beneath the auroral oval, making the northern lights a near certainty, rather than a chance encounter, visible up to 300 nights each year. Having photographed aurora in Iceland, Greenland and across Scandinavia, plus the Aurora Australis in New Zealand, the concept of an easier hunt sounds very enticing! I don’t think I slept a wink on my first...

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17 Natural Wonders to Photograph Around the World

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:13:25 +0000

There’s something truly humbling about standing in front of a vast desert dune or watching icebergs drift silently under a pastel-pink sky. Over the years, my journey as a travel photographer has taken me to places that feel like the Earth is quietly showing off, unveiling landscapes carved by time, shaped by weather, and filled with colour and life in the most unexpected forms. Each trip has been more than just a chance to take photographs. They’ve been filled with moments to connect with nature, with stillness, and with that childlike sense of awe we often forget in the rush of daily life. From the soft silica sands of Whitehaven Beach to the towering spires of Bryce Canyon, these natural wonders have not only filled my camera with images, but also helped me develop a deep appreciation for the wild beauty of our planet. I wanted to pause and reflect on the places that have inspired me the most, places that remind me why we travel, why we explore, and why it’s so important to protect the environments and landscapes we photograph. Below is a collection of 17 natural wonders I’ve been fortunate to photograph, each unique in its beauty,...

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Wildlife Encounters Through the Lens of Travel Photographers

Lisa Michele Burns — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 03:26:04 +0000

Wildlife Photography Adventures – Photographers Share Their Favourite Encounters Wildlife has a way of surprising us, making us wait for the moment, and displaying an array of behaviour, patterns, and experiences that have us smiling behind the lens. Our best images are often unplanned, fleeting, and also, a little humbling. From African plains to Austrian cemeteries, this collection of wildlife experience is compiled with work from the talented members of The Travel Photography Club. Each image reflects not only the beauty of the animals encountered but also the patience, creativity, and respect that go into photographing wildlife in the wild. Please note there is one image of an animal relocation for conservation purposes, an important experience that contributes to the welfare and future of the Black Rhino population. Scroll down to explore a wild world through the lenses of our talented members… The Experience: Photographing the Elusive Otters of Scotland Photographer: Suzanne Easton (Website | Instagram) Photographer’s Notes: The otters in Scotland are elusive. It takes time, patience and planning to see them. They emerge with the tides, hunting along the shoreline and in the shallows for crabs, fish and octopus. This otter had been moving along the shore in...

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Field Notes: Landscapes and Lupins with the OM-3 by OM SYSTEM

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 07:57:47 +0000

OM-3 Review : User Experience + Creative Possibilities Well, hello there OM-3. Just announced by OM SYSTEM, this new camera is a game changer for creatives and I’m going to share my recent experience working with it to photograph landscapes and lupins in New Zealand. There are sample images plus a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes visuals to show you what the art tools and camera functions look like. If you enjoy experimenting, playing with colour, seeing the world with a creative eye and producing images with a consistent tone, you’ll want to keep reading. There’s so much inside this compact (and cute) camera! Just a quick note, I am an OM SYSTEM ambassador, however this is an experience and user review. I knew there would be a lot of focus on the technical specifications in other reviews of the OM-3, so as you’ll see throughout the words below, I’ve taken the creative approach, sharing what I found innovative and fun to incorporate as I photographed. In December I took a secret squirrel trip with the OM-3 to New Zealand. On social media I mentioned it was my solo/self-employed Christmas party (which was also the case), however, I wanted to...

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Alpine Adventures – 10 Photographers Share Their Experiences

Lisa Michele Burns — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:21:01 +0000

Photogenic Alpine Experiences from Nepal to New Zealand There’s something undeniably magical about the alpine landscape—soaring peaks, crisp mountain air, and a sense of stillness that feels worlds away from everyday life. For photographers, these high-altitude escapes are not just places to explore but opportunities to capture the beauty, drama, and serenity that only the mountains can offer. In this collection, talented photographers share their most inspiring alpine adventures, revealing the stories behind their breathtaking images. From snowy ridges to glacial valleys, each experience offers a glimpse into the unique connection between photographers and the mountains they love. Whether you’re drawn to rugged peaks, tranquil valleys, or the thrill of alpine light, these stories are sure to inspire your next mountain escape—and the photographs you’ll create along the way. Location: Giau Pass, Italian Dolomites Photographers: Karin and Markus Haffert (Website + Instagram) Experience Notes: The 2.236 m high Giau Pass (in Italian Passo di Giau) near Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites in the Italian province of Belluno is spectacular and very popular. Therefore it gets very busy here, especially in high season. But even when we were there in the middle of October there were groups of photographers around. That’s...

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Insight: Why I started The Travel Photography Club

Lisa Michele Burns — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 04:42:06 +0000

A Global Creative Community of Travel Photographers (beginners + professionals) Photography is a rewarding, enriching, and adventure-filled hobby, or in my case, a profession. One that can take you to all corners of the world for experiences with other cultures, vibrant cities, natural wonders, and wildlife encounters. It can, however, also be a little lonely. A lot of the photographers I know photograph solo, whether travelling, or photographing close to home, we all tend to venture out with just a camera as our companion. Sometimes, I prefer it this way, it helps me focus, be creative and not have distractions, I can simply wander, explore and experiment. It is nice though to connect with like-minded people, and I’ve found social media has been great for supporting fellow photographers, chatting, and sometimes even meeting up for an adventure. But then social media can also get overwhelming, the comparison trap is real, the endless amount of content feels like you’re never doing enough or sharing enough, and to ensure my mind functions well to work and feel creative, more often than not I need to separate from it. That’s not to say I’m not a late-night scroller of cute dog videos…this absolutely...

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Photographer Stories: Sunrise Photography Locations + Experiences

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 06:11:20 +0000

Photographing Sunrise Around the World Once the blue hour appears from hours of darkness, it’s likely there’s a photographer, perhaps thousands of them, packing their bags and venturing out to a location with one specific purpose. To photograph the rising sun. When the world is waking up, photographers are out and about scouring coastlines, alpine vistas and angles in cities all over, hoping for a golden glow that illuminates their chosen scene. The Travel Photography Club is now filled with both amateur and professional photographers from over 18 countries, I wanted to collate a series of images to feature their experiences, advice and locations for shooting sunrise. The notes shared within this post are written in the words of each photographer, relating to their experience, their thoughts, and location tips. Shall we take a little peek at the shimmering skies they’ve found? Location: Yamuna Ghat, Delhi Photographer: Peter Walmsley (Website) Sunrise Experience Notes: This image is taken from Yamuna Ghat: steps leading down to the Yamuna river behind the Red Fort in Delhi. Between November and mid-March, crowds of migratory seagulls from Russia descend on the Ghat tempted by the grain which is offered by the local boat...

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An Interview with Aerial and Alpine Photographer Agata Wozniak-Kwasniewska

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:38:01 +0000

Welcome to a new series on The Wandering Lens in which I interview fellow photographers from around the world about their work, their inspirations, recommendations and the stories behind their favourite shots. First up is Agata, a photographer who caught my eye on Instagram with her stunning drone work over snow covered landscapes. Take a peek at this reel on Instagram and you’ll see what I mean! The Interview Photographer Name: Agata Wozniak-Kwasniewska Website: https://www.awkphotography.com Instagram: @agatawk_photo 1. What is it about the mountain landscapes that inspires your photography, and how do you feel it influences your creative vision? Mountain landscapes are majestic and inspiring, offering a palette of textures, colours, and light that are both a challenge and a delight to capture through photography. The rugged peaks, serene valleys, and dramatic skies are an integral component of the picture. These elements have their own character in each frame. What inspires me the most about these landscapes is the sense of scale and the reminder of the natural world’s beauty. Mountains evoke a sense of wonder and challenge me to express not just what I see, but what I feel in their presence. This inspiration deeply influences my creative vision...

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The Magic of Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong

Nicole Claringbold — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 06:58:40 +0000

Photographing the Mid-Autumn Festivities in Hong Kong If you are visiting or transiting through Hong Kong in September and early October, you are going to witness Hong Kong at its festive best! The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most significant and colourful festivals on the Chinese cultural calendar is celebrated on the full moon day, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month – 29th September 2023 in the Gregorian Calendar. Also known as the Mooncake Festival, Moon Festival, or Lantern Festival, it’s a deep-rooted custom that traditionally heralds the end of harvest and dates back over 3,000 years to the Shang Dynasty, when people thanked the moon god for the crop yield. Hong Kong continues to celebrate this time of giving thanks, and under the full moon high in the sky, the city comes alive under a dazzling display of colourful festive lanterns. Seen dotted throughout Hong Kong’s many green spaces and across all precincts in the territory, the lanterns shine bright each evening. In 2023, the official start date (and Full Harvest Moon) falls on September 29th, in 2024 it’ll be September 17th, with approximately 8 days of celebrations following. Where to Photograph the Mid-Autumn Festival in...

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How to Land a Dream Assignment as a Travel Photographer

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:45:44 +0000

Do you want to work as a travel photographer? Imagine for a moment, your dream assignment as a photographer. Can you see yourself photographing an erupting volcano for National Geographic or capturing beach scenes for an island resort? Perhaps your dream assignment as a travel photographer is an editorial shoot covering some of the most stylish hotels or documenting a remote village community and their daily life. Imagining your dream assignment or campaign as a travel photographer, helps to build a path towards making it a reality. You have a camera, you can develop your own creative approach, work on your skills and actually make it happen – the only thing between you and that dream assignment is experience, connections and the ability to land the job. Working on an approach to find your place in the travel industry as a photographer is an exciting step, even if it can feel daunting at times. Try to remove the thoughts of ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I don’t have the right gear’, or ‘there are already too many travel photographers’. If any of those thoughts are true, they can be fixed or managed to still make room...

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