At some point we all aspire to travel somewhere. Whether it’s a place as bold as Rome, Paris or Australia or maybe closer to home like Philly or Ocean City, Maryland. It will be the people, the food and the scenery that draws us in. There are two places I dream to visit in this lifetime. One lies across The world and the other only a few states away. For this post I will explain to you why as a photographer these places mean so much to me and hold a special place in my heart.
Growing up, my family took a trip every year down to the beaches in North Carolina. Of course this trip was very special because it only came once a year. The beach homes in North Carolina are all gorgeous and unique in their own way. Charleston is a historic town that lies on the coast of South Carolina just below North Carolina. My visitations as a child to North Carolina have definitely influenced me to visit South Carolina, but that’s not the only reason. The homes and the mentality of the people are like no other, plus the scenery is breathtaking. Most of the Nicholas Sparks stories are filmed in the towns of South Carolina, one being Charleston. Nicholas Sparks is a romantic novelist for those who aren’t familiar with him. His highest ranked film of all time, The Notebook, was filmed in Charleston on two incredible estates. The unique town setting looks like such a fun and carefree environment. The homes that line the water are painted the most beautiful colors and almost every property has a palm tree. There is a particular home that just went up for sale in Charleston and it’s actually the oldest home in the entire town. I hope to make it down there one day and photograph that home along with the beautiful land that surrounds the town.
Growing up in Philly and basically living at my grandmother’s on the weekends, I was lucky enough to enjoy some of the greatest meals ever, but I’m not just talking the classic Philly cheesesteak. My grandmother was from Germany and anything she made was so incredible you’d be crazy to turn down seconds. She lived in a very big, very old home on the biggest property. At least it was big to me, I was just a kid. My favorite part about her yard was her raspberry bushes and the grape vines she grew for a few years during my childhood. It made me feel like I was somewhere special every time I visited. My grandmother was always reading magazines about Italy and it’s culture. She ripped out pages from those magazines and would paste them all over her kitchen wall. I still remember a photograph from a magazine page she had cut out and put on display. It was a picture of Tuscany, a region in western Italy. Tuscany is a very rustic, beautiful place. It is very well known for it’s land, historic buildings, incredible food, and of course, wine! I know if I ever visited this place it would really hit close to home. My photography over there would forever mean the world to me, as well as the memories of just being there.
I believe that photography is one of the best ways to hold onto the memories we cherish the most. There is always a reason for why we travel to the places we do. It could be as simple as googling cheap vacations, or planning a trip that holds a special place in our hearts. For whatever reason it may be, there are always memories to be made and we have the chance to hold onto these through the easy snap of one picture.
Smiles