2024 is now behind us, and I’m counting down the weeks before Spring arrives. It’s time to look at what is ahead for travel destinations 2025. Recently, while browsing locations for potential trips, I found my home of Nova Scotia, which secured a spot on Travel + Leisure magazine’s “50 Best Places to Travel in 2025.” There were 120 contenders, and the list was determined by their remarkable access to the outdoors and unique cultural immersion.

I’m excited to say that I received my preview copy of Here and There, and I’m delighted with the presentation of these books. One final tweak was required, and the book is now in production. It will take a few weeks to arrive, but with a release window of February, I am now taking pre-orders for Here and There. Here it is in final form, and I can’t wait to get more of these in hand.

I’ve been behind a computer editing images for over 20 years now, and I’ve used many iterations of Photoshop and have adopted Lightroom since its introduction. It’s been interesting to witness the growth of these platforms and how they become more and more capable with each generation. What could be once a lengthy process can now be done by dragging a slider.

Digital photos dominate our screens, and the amount of inspiration available to anyone interested in photography is endless. With an abundance of content available, unfortunately, much of it is quickly forgotten. Any online content has a chance of being removed, and that’s especially true of a photographer’s online portfolio as they revise and pivot during their career.

It’s late December, the day after Christmas. My last post of 2024. Our first significant snowfall occurred this week, which was perfect timing for that picture-perfect holiday. It’s cold, too. It’s not extreme, but enough to be uncomfortable. I’m not a fan of the cold; I prefer a temperature bordering on too hot for many.

I’m happy to say that I am well into the process of creating a book that focuses on my travel photography. Right now, I’m tweaking a few final details in the design toward the final step, production. I have had this idea to create a book for over a year, but those initial stages raised some questions: most importantly, do I have a body of work that warrants creating a book?

When we travel to a new location, our camera is constantly used. It is in and out of our camera bag and can sometimes be used in hazardous conditions. Because of this, protecting it while capturing your precious memories is essential. Some cameras are excellent in weight and feel and have a good grip built into the body’s construction.

I’ve been thinking about a previous post discussing how taking a break is good for your photography. It’s still on my mind, even more so as we move into the winter months. I find it very challenging to feel motivated to take photos when it’s cold and dark. And this period lasts for months. We’ve all been there: where you were once excited about the prospect of photography, now seems more of a task and maybe even a hassle.

I started photography long ago when the YouTube photography community was in its infancy, and finding helpful information wasn’t as instantaneous as it is today. At that time, the Photoshop experience was more experimental, and Lightroom didn’t even exist. Today, there is essentially an endless supply of photography content.

In the summer, Steele Mitsubishi, Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Mitsubishi dealership, asked me to photograph one of their vehicles for an upcoming billboard campaign. The only creative request I was provided for this shoot was to photograph the vehicle in a recognizable Halifax location, as the purpose was to advertise the Halifax dealership specifically.

During my recent travels in Italy, I took a day trip to Bologna from Florence by high-speed train. The journey starts at Santa Maria Novella train station, the main station in Florence. It costs approximately $90 CA and takes about 40 minutes on the high-speed rail. When considering which day would be best for this day trip, I checked the weather for the remaining days.

You don’t have to search for too long after arriving in Florence to be greeted with endless photographic opportunities with engaging subjects, compositions, and surroundings. Whether street photography or travel photography is your thing, there is plenty on offer in Florence. The city is renowned for its history and architecture. It draws millions yearly, and numerous landmarks and exciting areas are located here, including Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi Gallery.

I was happy with my time in Florence. I was booked for six nights in Florence, but one of my flight delays caused me to miss a connecting flight, and the following available flight wasn’t until the following day. Those on that same flight and itinerary could take a bus from Rome to Florence, but I declined. Instead, the airline arranged accommodations at a hotel room for the night. Transportation to and from the hotel and a small welcome meal was included.

In September, I spent nearly two weeks photographing beautiful Italy. While there, I used two film recipes, one for Matera and one for Florence. I wanted to separate the two locations, creating a different feel while still maintaining my style of photography. With Fujifilm, there are many choices when it comes to shooting modes.

I spent five days in mid-September in beautiful Matera, Italy, which left a lasting impression. It is a stunning city that is incredible to explore. It’s not as busy as other Italian destinations, so you can find places to relax and take in the scene before you. Materi is most recognizable from the Sassi, the city’s ancient and historic area. The Sassi are stone structures amongst the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. Matera is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to 10,000 BC.