Sometimes you feel like everywhere you look, nothing would make a good shot. You are tired of the same old scenery. You have photographed everything in your town and your ready for something new. Nothing inspires my photography more than traveling to someplace new. When you have lived in one place for a while, you start to have blinders on to the local area. People become used to their environment and start to tune a lot of it out.
When tourists travel someplace new, everything is new to them and they will start to see all sorts of great things to photograph.
When you see a new place through fresh eyes, everything is new and you see photos everywhere you look. There is nothing better than a trip to someplace new to get the creativity juices flowing. Its time to start planning a photography trip.

The first thing you need to ask yourself is:

1. “Where do you want to go?”

If you only have a few days, you should probably keep the trip somewhat local. A short road trip to the mountains, the coast, a national park, etc. Possibly even a quick flight to a nearby city for the weekend.
If you have more time, consider flying to another state or traveling internationally to someplace exotic. The most expensive part of the trip is often the plane ticket. You should try to get your money’s worth and stay for as long as possible. If you are still having trouble deciding where to go, check out deal sites such as Living Social or Groupon for deals on trips. You can get some fantastic deals through these kind of sites. And you might discover someplace new that you did not know you wanted to travel to.

2. When Do You Want To Go?
Once you decide where You want to go, now it’s time to find out when is the best time to go. Are there any local festivals or events that you want to attend? Does the weather get uncomfortable during certain times of the year? Is it less expensive to visit during the “off season?” Does it get really crowded during certain times? These are all things you need to take into consideration when deciding when you want to travel.

Now that you have picked when and where you want to travel to, it is now time to research everything you possibly can about your destination. When I am researching a new location, I will create a folder on my computer desktop and label it the name of the destination. I will now compile as much information as I possibly can find into that folder. I currently have several folders of destinations I wish to one day visit. When I finally find the time to visit these places, I will already have done much of the research.

3. Things you should research
What time will Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, and Moonset be?
What will the weather be like? (Pack accordingly.)
Where are you going to stay? How much will it cost?
What restaurants are nearby?
What scenic or historic locations are nearby?
What local events or festivals are taking place when I’m there?
What is the transportation like? How will you get around?

4. Some of the resources I use when researching a destination
Search Wikipedia for articles about your destination.
Search Google images for your destination. The photos will not be great, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.
Search Flickr, Getty, 500px, trover.com, iStockphoto.com, and anywhere else for images of your destination.
Use Google Maps and Apple maps to get a lay of the land. Try to find views of the city.
Search message boards for information about your destination.
Read guide books. They might be outdated, but the information is often thorough.
Another place to find locations to photograph are Post Cards. They often are photographed from the most scenic views at a location. Next time you see a post card rack, be sure to take a look.
Sometimes you can find a photo workshop that takes place at your destination, and you might be able to find some new locations listed on the description of the workshop.
Ask people that you know who have traveled to your destination. They might know of some places that you should not miss.

5. Things To Remember
Bring appropriate clothing
Bring enough medication for twice as long as your planned trip.
Call your bank and let them know you will be traveling. Otherwise your credit cards might be locked out because they noticed somebody trying to use it in a different state.
If you are traveling internationally, call your cell phone provider and let them know you will be traveling. Otherwise you might be billed a crazy amount for not being on an international plan.
Your cell phone charger
It is a good idea to have insurance for your camera equipment. Make sure it covers your gear when you travel internationally.
Extra camera batteries
Lots of memory cards, More then you think you will need.
If you are bringing a computer, any cables needed for it.
A lightweight Tripod
If you’re traveling to someplace rainy, make sure you bring a rain cover for your camera.
Don’t put your valuable camera equipment in your checked luggage. It might not be there when you arrive.

Now that you have researched every last detail there is to know about a location, it is now time to start packing for your trip. It is very easy to over pack when traveling. You will want to bring just about every piece of gear you have but do you really need it? When you bring all of your gear, it complicates your photography. You have to lug around all of this heavy gear, and it makes getting around much harder. You will be exhausted at the end of the day. When I keep my gear to a minimum, I can focus on my photography more. Instead of thinking about what lens I should have on my camera, I am busy shooting. The less gear you bring, the better your trip will be. But if you absolutely need that 5 pound, 300mm 2.8 telephoto lens, then bring it. You don’t want to be out shooting and need something you decided not to bring. Just be selective of what you bring. What camera gear you bring will depend on what you plan on shooting. For wildlife, bring the telephoto lenses. For city and landscape photos, a wider lens will be better.

One Final Note

When traveling someplace new, give yourself an assignment. Instead of just roaming around town looking for photos, when you have an assignment your photography will have a purpose. If your photography has a purpose, the photos will find you and your chances of ending up with keepers rises significantly.
Try telling a story about the city, about the wildlife, about the people who live there and their way of life. A photo becomes a lot more interesting if their is a story behind it. You just have to tell it.

Have a great trip!