It’s amazing how much better life is after a good night’s sleep; and I think there’s a reason things look so much worse when you haven’t had it. This is mine & Ryan’s fourth trip to Europe since we’ve been married & I tell you honestly there are not words to describe how wonderful it was to finally sleep that first night in Rome. –Nine hours of sleep in fact. I’m not sure if the amazingly spectacular Hotel Eden’s pillow top beds and high thread count sheets were, in fact, made by angels or not. Either way, a good sleep & a good glass of wine can give you a renewed perspective…and could quite possibly solve a host of the world’s toughest dilemmas!

Following a remarkable breakfast overlooking the entire city from the Eden’s rooftop terrace, we left to get lost in the city. Although we’d both been to Rome on our own a few times before, it’s always fun exploring a city with your best friend in one hand & your 5D in the other! A couple of Europe trips ago we came up with the phrase “sight-shooting”, which I think perfectly suits us! All of our exploring is done through a lens. And while it’s always great to get those famous landmark shots that are unique to each city, so much of the fun (for me at least) is finding those little hidden gems in the details.  Whether it’s a quiet little cobblestone street off the beaten bath, a memorable meal or maybe even just a different perspective, I think that’s what makes travel photography so great. You can visit a place a dozen times and still manage to find new shots or still not even get the one you want. One of my biggest inspirations of all times is a husband & wife travel photography duo called Scanlan. They once shared with me that sometimes it will take them four or five different trips to a destination before they get that ONE shot that they want; a lifestyle that requires an unbelievable amount of practice, dedication & patience. I think about that concept often, especially when I’m traveling abroad to shoot. I sometimes find myself getting frustrated or anxious about getting “the shot”. Whether it’s the lighting that’s unfavorable, bad weather or a scene that’s over crowded with people, I sometimes start slipping into the mindset that I get one chance to get it right and one chance only. And sometimes that’s true. But more often than not we have more second chances than we realize, we just fail to see the grace of the moment. Sometimes that moment requires us to take a step back, take a deep breath, readjust our focus & wait for the distraction to pass through the view finder. More often than not, when you do that, things will look a little differently.

Thanks again for sharing in our Journey. Up next on the blog: shooting at the Coliseum at 4am in the pouring rain! Till next time…

Vatican at Midnight

Bike in the Street

The Trevi

Waiting for the shot

Heaven