Making Time to Adventure

Being a full-time photographer is great.

I spend my days doing something that I absolutely love - taking photos. Most of the time, this means I’m running from one real estate shoot to another, working with agents and owners alike to capture their sales and rental listings in a way that showcases it for potential buyers and guests. To date, I’ve photographed 51 different units and have another 13 already scheduled for the weeks ahead. Between this and other appointments, it can sometimes be difficult to set aside time to go out and shoot for myself - but I’m working on changing that.

Last year, I got so caught up in trying to photograph as many homes as possible and was so worried about turning away work that I often forgot about what drew me into photography in the first place - landscapes and wildlife.

This year started off with a few trips out to the beach or some of the local trails, but since then I’ve noticed that I’m falling back into the habits of 2024 - focusing more on what brings in the most income. And while getting work is great, I have realized that I need to set aside time to shoot for myself and reconnect with the creative side of photography.

So, I’m working on making time to adventure. Whether it is for just a few minutes between shoots or extended periods of time, I’m learning that I have to schedule this time for myself so I can take fullest advantage of it.

With that, let me share a few things I’m considering blocking time off to photograph and adventure to in the coming months (since February is almost over already!):

The Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC

Back in 2023 I made the three-ish hour drive over to our nation’s capital to photograph the cherry blossoms at my friend Kevin Lynam’s suggestion. It was the first time I had been there to see them in bloom, and I couldn’t believe how beautiful they looked. Since then, it is something I’ve been thinking about going back to capture again.

Just today, ahead of writing this post, I did a quick search to see if there was a forecast for the peak bloom yet. While there are a lot of factors to consider, the early consensus was that it will occur in late March or early April, though it may change.

In 2023, I was there on a cloudy day, so hopefully if it all works out for me to get there this year, I’ll get some nice sunshine and a little color in the photos, too. You can see the clouds in the background of the photo to the left of the Washington Monument, framed by the cherry trees and tidal basin.

The Outer Banks

Also somewhere I visited in 2023, I’ve been dreaming of returning to the Outer Banks ever since spending a single April weekend there two years ago.

From the lighthouses (like the Bodie Island Lighthouse in the photo to the right) to the long, empty stretches of beach, there is so much to see and capture. Just a short drive away from the beaches is the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge - home to black bears and extremely endangered red wolves - so you also have a chance to experience large amounts of biodiversity if wildlife photography is your thing.

Oh, and we can’t forget to talk about the opportunities to view the Milky Way and other stars and constellations at night. It gets SUPER dark in the Outer Banks, making it a prime location for astrophotography and night images. In fact, if you look at the image of the Bodie Island Lighthouse above, you can see the Big Dipper’s handle pointed down toward the top of the lighthouse!

Further Down the Road

While the Cherry Blossoms and Outer Banks would be more immediate adventures, I’m also thinking about places I’d like to explore further out.

In autumn, for example, I’ve thought it may be fun to go back to Chester County, Pennsylvania where I grew up. This would be a great time to capture some of the covered bridges in that area with fall colors, and who knows what else.

I also dream of doing a photo safari in Africa to capture the amazing animals that live there, and also visiting Japan to capture amazing images of Mount Fuji and various temples (where permitted).

Making time for these adventures is not always going to be easy and may take some planning. That said, I know by starting small and making time for adventures close to home will set me up to make these ones happen.

For now, let me know some places that you’d like to adventure to as well down in the comments - I’d love to see where you’re thinking about going and maybe you can inspire others as well!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and see you out there!

- Tyler

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