In our review of stories and how to tell them with images, I want to share one last often overlooked point. We frequently focus on the “what,” “who” and “where” of our trips: what we see/do/eat, who we meet or travel with and where we go. Rarely, however, do we capture the “how”and the “why.”
I’ll save the “why” for later, but let me leave you with one final image from Bar Harbor, Maine that captures the “how.”
I won’t take time now to explore the pros and cons of vacationing on a cruise ship since there are strong points to be made on each side. This particular trip was one where my parents, to celebrate some significant birthdays and anniversaries, took my family and my brother’s family on a cruise from Boston up to Montreal. Our first stop was Bar Harbor.
I chose this image to illustrate that it captures in part the story of how we got to Maine. But it incorporates enough of the setting to locate it clearly, at least for those of us who were there.
On your next trip, try and record in photos some of the “how” of the trip, from packing and leaving your house to the forms of transportation you used to some of the rooms where you stayed. They may not seem like interesting subjects to some, but they can form a useful narrative for you when you look back on your trip. Moreover, when seen in sequence (as we discussed in the post on focusing on the details), they tell a story of movement and the daily necessities of travel.
And if you think about it, you’ll find that the “how” of travel may be as meaningful to your trip as any other factor.
Here’s the rest of the series: Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6