Last week, Hostelling International NYC hosted another amazing travel event dubbed as a TED for Travel. Held by the travel gurus from Matador Network in partnership with Tripfilms, the night unraveled with readings, travel videos and presentations on travel writing, photography, and filmmaking. And if meeting with fellow travel junkies wasn’t enough, taking notes from the distinguished speakers certainly made for an amazing night of travel storytelling.
While I was juggling a beer, live-tweeting, photographing and occasionally blowing my nose (yes, the damn flu), I wanted to share with you some of the best points made throughout the night about travel writing, photography, and filmmaking:
Novelist Aaron Hamburger:
1. When describing a place, don’t forget vision is the most boring of senses. It is much more appealing to describe what you see though smell, touch, noise and taste.
2. A good review develops in time: by visiting a place several times and by analyzing how a place came to be in a certain way, both through its past and present.
3. Perception is key; when writing about a destination, you are also revealing a lot about your one self and your culture.
Photographer Colby Brown:
1. Stand out from an over-saturated market of photographers. Humanitarian photography during times of natural crisis is a good way to make a name for yourself and break the boundaries of what the other 99% is doing. Find a niche that separates you from the competition.
3. Social networking is vital. With a staggering 528% growth of Internet use from 2010, if you’re not taking advantage of all the social avenues to promote your work, then you’re missing out. And it’s not just by creating profiles but by creating a strategy for each network, that fully maximizes its use for your brand.
4. Build the right partnerships and develop a long-term approach of thinking ahead. The temptation of fulfilling short-term needs is great, but not worth it in the long run.
The accidental travel writer Seth Kugel. The Frugal Traveler for the New York Times:
1. Don’t overuse your smartphone/gadget when traveling. Sure, you might desperately need it if you’re not fluent in Mandarin Chinese, but if you can get by in English, ask people for directions. This way you immerse in the local culture in unexpected ways.
2. Go with the flow; explore a coastline or deserted town not many have ever seen. It is much more enriching and you learn a lot about yourself, if going at it alone.
3. Go to countries that are still excited to see tourists. You will be treated better, and may even get invited to people’s homes (which is one of Seth’s biggest pleasures when traveling abroad).
4. Speaking of frugal … here are two extremes: everything in Vietnam is extremely cheap; while Norway is by far the world’s most expensive country. A latte? $9, please.
Colby Brown nicely put it in five simple words: there is no magic button. The travel writing/photography/filmmaking industry is overly romanticized. It sounds glamorous and adventurous, but one must be aware of the hardships to be endured upon reaching the desired career path. You have to appreciate going through the steps, instead of focusing on the end result.
You have to enjoy the journey; and frankly, that goes for any industry. There are no shortcuts; fantasy almost never equals reality. However, with the right strategy, effective networking and a touch of originality, anyone can do it.
So, what’s your journey? And most importantly, are you enjoying it?
