I think there is some confusion out there in photography land. There is a true love of photography and then there is a “love of being on vacation with a camera”.
A true love of photography is the deep need to document the world around you. This when you never leave the house without a camera, you are always taking photos and looking around for photo subjects non-stop.
Then there is the pull the camera out of the closet, dust it off, perhaps buy a new lens because finally it is vacation time again!
You can tell this type of photographer in online forums as they are the ones arguing about the latest cameras and which lens is the sharpest. They are also the ones asking for photo spot suggestions and where they should go on vacation – Cuba? Iceland? Ireland? Which national park is the best? etc. In otherwords, where can I justify pulling out the tripod and standing next to my fellow vacationers to get that same photo I see on the post card rack.
Nothing wrong with this of course, I do it myself. I get pumped for a vacation with the family and think about all of the great shots I’ll get while the family impatiently waits so we can go to dinner.
Every new location brings a fresh scenes to captivate the imagination and a change of scenery recharges the soul. Plus its good for the brain to have to plan out your adventure and navigate a new landscape. Often one is restricted to basic equipment so planning and adaptation is required.
But the true artist can bring out amazing images from their own backyard. The amateur puts full faith in the exotic location in order to impress. As if their vision lays within their equipment and relies on the landscape to provide the artistry.
Perhaps if the amateur didn’t put the camera back in the closet after an exotic vacation they would learn to see the wonders all around them in their own backyard.