9 Classes From a Decade of Travel Photography

Chris Poplawski doesn’t imagine in specializing. The OM SYSTEM photographer and USC enterprise graduate left his company advertising profession over a decade in the past to pursue journey pictures full-time alongside his spouse, Meagan. Together, they’ve photographed greater than 30 international locations, constructed a powerful consumer listing, and led workshops around the globe. Poplawski calls himself a “jack of all trades,” snug with landscapes, wildlife, portraits, and industrial work. Above all, Poplawski has a present for reworking the locations he visits into visually gorgeous tales.

Full disclosure: This article was dropped at you by OM SYSTEM.

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Chris Poplawski’s path to journey pictures wasn’t a straight line. After graduating from USC, he spent years in company advertising earlier than realizing the work wasn’t fulfilling him. A decade after choosing up a digital camera and studying the fundamentals, he shoots alongside his spouse Meagan, and credit their partnership with pushing his work ahead.

“Early on in my photography journey, working alongside Meagan taught me that collaborating with creative partners can often get you further than going it alone,” Poplawski stresses. “Photographing around the world with friends, family, and colleagues pushed me deeper into the creative space because, for me, it made everything fun and exciting.”

But for Poplawski, pictures grew to become greater than enjoyable. He doesn’t simply journey to take photos. He travels to inform tales.

“I strive to bring people’s eyes and interest to the places that we travel to,” he explains. “If I was just taking vacation after vacation, I’m not sure I’d be as fulfilled. Having a purpose to expose the world to my vision of it, that’s a unique opportunity not many people get to say.”

Poplawski shares with PetaPixel what a decade of purposeful journey has taught him.

Think Like a Business, Shoot Like an Artist

Most pictures schooling focuses on technical abilities like publicity, composition, and lighting. But Poplawski argues that his USC enterprise diploma has been simply as precious behind the digital camera as any pictures workshop.

“What I took from business school wasn’t just theory and textbook knowledge,” he says. “It was the constant exposure to conversations, meeting people from different backgrounds, and learning to seek understanding. It was the ultimate networking course, which I believe is essential in travel photography. I didn’t realize at the time how much being outgoing, direct, and always asking questions would benefit me as a photographer.”

Those abilities translate on to his journey work, particularly in high-pressure conditions. Poplawski describes his aerial pictures work in Kauai as a chief instance.

“When I am coordinating shots from a helicopter with a headset on, I need solid communication skills,” he explains. “I have to be personable enough that the pilot wants to help me, but direct enough to ask for exactly what I need.”

The identical rules apply when photographing folks overseas, even and not using a shared language.

“Travel photography is most rewarding when you embed yourself in the culture, and college helped me hone my skills to do that,” Poplawski says. “Communication is communication. Even if I can’t speak the same language, I can communicate. A smile, a gesture, pointing at my camera and then at them. Those small moments of connection open doors that would otherwise stay closed.”

For Poplawski, the connections fashioned throughout a shoot typically matter as a lot as the photographs themselves.

“From the business side, good communication expands professional relationships,” he says. “From the photography side, actually bonding with people on my travels is what makes the story unique. It allows the memory to live more vibrantly in my mind. Anyone can take travel snapshots. It’s the bonds that are formed that turn those snapshots into photographs.”

Start Your Trip Before You Leave

“Whether I’m working with a client or self-funding a personal trip with Meagan, there’s always an early assessment that needs to happen,” Poplawski begins. “What are we trying to capture? How much time do we want to spend on certain things? What’s the priority if something doesn’t work out the first time? Getting that baseline of expectations before I leave is essential.”

For Poplawski, the true pictures journey begins at his laptop, typically weeks earlier than departure.

“I start with Google Earth to research locations, driving distances, trails, and terrain,” he explains. “By the time I arrive, I want to know everything subconsciously: where the border crossings are, which mountain passes have high winds that could delay travel, which roads are dirt and will take longer. Getting familiarized with what to expect means I arrive with a solid plan.”

That meticulous preparation has saved him from expensive errors. Poplawski factors to an upcoming Patagonia journey for instance.

“We’re picking up a car in Chile and spending time in Argentina,” he says. “I learned from reading blogs that you have to arrange a vehicle passport in advance. Little meticulous details like that, if you don’t handle them beforehand, you might get stopped at the border and never make it across.”

But Poplawski says all that preparation isn’t about locking himself right into a inflexible schedule.

“I spend hours reading blogs, watching videos, and reaching out to photographers or locals who know the area. A quick message asking about conditions or hidden spots can save hours of wasted driving. By the time I arrive, all that preparation becomes subconscious. I’m not fumbling with logistics or second-guessing routes. I’m free to be present, react to what’s in front of me, and let the creative work happen.”

Embrace the Weather Everyone Else Avoids

“If I am motivated to shoot, I enter this almost delusional state of interest,” Poplawski insists. “I’m there to tell visual stories, so not only do I forget about harsh weather, I am excited to use the weather to add drama to the stories I am telling.”

That mindset paid off at a snow monkey park in Japan.

“It was freezing, and I didn’t dress adequately,” he remembers. “Everyone went inside to warm up. I wanted to go in because of how cold I was, but something in my gut told me to tough it out. Then, seemingly a hundred monkeys came down from the hillside into the hot springs because the temperature dropped. It started snowing. I had this 15- to 20-minute window with no people around, no distractions, and completely free photography angles of dozens of snow monkeys. My friends came running out asking how I was still outside. I wasn’t even thinking about the cold. I was in the moment with these monkeys and their harsh habitat, and all I could think about was experiencing it with them and trying to convey how it felt with the photos that I was taking.”

Poplawski has realized to reframe harsh situations as artistic alternatives.

“I embrace locations for what they are,” he explains. “Yes, I would love perfect light and golden hour, but the story is the story. If I’m hiking in difficult conditions to reach a place few people experience, it doesn’t matter what the weather is. I’m going to capture it because it might be the only time I can. It’s humbling to see things just as they are, as I find them, even if the weather isn’t perfect.”

“Most of the locations that I find myself in, the weather can be so harsh, I need gear I can trust.” Poplawski shoots with the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II, which options IP53 climate sealing that lets him maintain taking pictures in rain, snow, and dirt that might sideline different methods.

“I have one job when I am out shooting: to tell stories. I can’t afford to be worried about my camera when conditions get rough,” he says. “I need to be focused on what’s in front of me.”

Stop the Pity Party

“One of the first lessons that I learned when I became a full-time travel photographer is that I can’t feel sorry for myself,” Poplawski stresses. “I have to take a no to the face, accept that I’m not getting what I want, and find a way around it. Resilience isn’t optional in this field. It’s a necessity.”

That lesson was examined at Makua Beach in Oahu.

“Meagan and I went to swim with wild dolphins,” he remembers. “While we were in the water, someone broke into our car. They stole my entire camera bag, all of our OM SYSTEM cameras and lenses, Meagan’s wedding rings, drones. They threw my passport in the bushes and left the phones. We were devastated.”

The journey wasn’t over. They nonetheless had days left in Hawaii and commitments to meet.

“You can’t let negative events define why you travel,” Poplawski explains. “I don’t travel to bring camera gear around the world and feel invincible. I travel to be exposed to things, to people, to places, to whatever these opportunities bring. The gear can be replaced. The experience can’t.”

The incident modified how he operates, however not why.

“I don’t take my backpack off or leave it in cars anymore,” he admits. “I refuse to let that one terrible day affect my love for what I do. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I just learned how to adapt. The pity party has to end eventually. Otherwise I’ll never leave the house.”

Pack a Studio in a Sling Bag

“Every travel photographer faces the same dilemma,” Poplawski explains. “The more gear you carry, the more creative options you have, but the weight eventually forces you to leave things behind.”

“There’s no worse feeling than seeing a picture-perfect wildlife sighting in the distance and not having my telephoto,” he continues. “Or finding the perfect portrait opportunity and realizing I left my fast prime at the hotel. After years of travel, I’ve learned that being prepared for anything is more valuable than saving a few pounds.”

Poplawski’s resolution is a equipment that covers ultra-wide landscapes to distant wildlife with out requiring an enormous backpack.

“I’ve started using sling bags more when I want a grab-and-go setup,” he explains. “For me, they make it easier to access my camera quickly when traveling. I can fit four or five lenses in a bag designed to hold two. Macro, mid-range, telephoto, wide angle. All of it in a sling.”

That packing benefit comes from taking pictures the compact and light-weight Micro Four Thirds system.

“I can pack two or three OM SYSTEM lenses in place of one lens from another system,” he says. “I’ll still throw my M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO OM in there even for backcountry hikes where weight matters, because it’s much lighter than any comparable lens on the market. It’s not a question of whether I can take it. It’s how.”

Poplawski additionally recommends analyzing what non-photography gadgets are taking on house.

“Before every trip, I empty my bag and question everything,” he says. “Do I really need that bulky wallet? Those extra cables? A lot of travelers carry clutter out of habit. When I realized my 17mm lens is roughly the size of a large wallet, my priorities shifted. I’d rather have a fast prime for street photography than a leather bifold I barely open.”

The M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II has turn into one among his most-used journey lenses exactly due to its dimension.

“I use it for everything: food photography, market details, portraits of people, dogs, animals,” Poplawski explains. “For walking around a city, I’d rather be on a fixed lens than a zoom. It forces me to move, to engage, to get closer. And it fits in a pocket.”

Additionally, with OM SYSTEM’s sturdy picture stabilization, Poplawski not often wants a tripod on his travels. “Even if I do bring a tripod, I don’t often use it because the OM-1 Mark II‘s stabilization handles situations that used to require one. Low light, long exposures at dusk, even shooting from unstable positions. I can work handheld and stay mobile instead of setting up and waiting. That’s one less thing in my bag and one less thing slowing me down.”

“Packing light gives me creative flexibility without compromise,” Poplawski concludes. “Landscapes, portraits, wildlife, even photos of my dog when she’s traveling with us. I’m prepared for just about anything.”

Use Constraints as Creative Fuel

Most photographers use gear that provides them extra artistic choices. Poplawski, nonetheless, generally takes the alternative strategy: he intentionally limits himself, and people limitations formed his signature type.

“A common theme throughout my work is incorporating out of focus foliage that immerses the viewer into the landscape,” he explains. “Early on, I was toying with constraints and fell in love with that sense of immersion. Photos that create a POV, that make you feel like you’re standing in that moment. I started limiting myself deliberately, forcing compositions that pulled viewers into the scene.”

That signature type emerged from years of taking pictures with a single lens: the M.Zuiko 17mm F1.2 PRO.

“The 17mm, which is a 34mm full-frame equivalent, forces you to get close and to be part of the scene rather than observing from a distance,” Poplawski emphasizes. “In travel, documentary, and street photography, that proximity creates connection. You’re not stealing moments with a telephoto. You’re there, present, and making a connection with your subject before you raise the camera.”

Poplawski pairs his 17mm with the OM-3 for max discretion in delicate environments.

“Being a fly on the wall doesn’t mean being invisible; it means not being distracting,” he explains. “It means reading the room, understanding when your presence is welcome and when it’s intrusive. The OM-3’s compact size helps, but more important is your approach, your body language, and your willingness to put the camera down and engage and be present instead of hiding behind the viewfinder.”

That self-discipline carries into all of his work.

“I’ve spent so many days with nothing but the 17mm in my hands,” Poplawski displays. “If you give me any constraint now, I feel confident I can create something I’m proud of, because I’ve taught myself how to find that creativity inside of me when I don’t have all the tools available.”

Shoot Video for Your Future Self

Poplawski constructed his profession on nonetheless pictures, however one among his largest regrets is ready too lengthy to embrace video.

“When I was starting out, I wish I had exposed myself more to being creative with video,” he admits. “Not to become a videographer, but just to reflect on those meaningful moments that I witnessed. I have a million photos but not one video from my early travels. I was very keen to be a photographer, and still am, but videos evoke your memories in a much different way.”

The distinction, Poplawski explains, is sensory.

“Video brings your senses into the memory, not just your eyes but your ears,” he states. “I’ll play back footage from a shoot and hear the waves crashing or the wind whipping across a glacier, and suddenly I’m right back there. A photo shows me what I saw. Video reminds me of what it felt like to stand in that place. For me, it isn’t about becoming a filmmaker or building a video portfolio. It’s about how you’ll remember your travels decades from now.”

Beyond private reminiscences, video has turn into knowledgeable necessity for Poplawski. “Our clients increasingly expect us to deliver both stills and motion, and social media algorithms reward video content heavily. Instagram Reels can reach audiences that static posts simply can’t.”

“The industry has shifted,” Poplawski continues. “Ten years ago, a travel photographer could build a career on stills alone. Now clients ask about video in almost every conversation. And on Instagram, a 15-second Reel can outperform a photo that took hours to capture. If you’re not shooting video, you’re leaving opportunities on the table, both personal and professional.”

Modern hybrid cameras have made the transition simpler. OM SYSTEM our bodies characteristic superior in-body picture stabilization, which implies Poplawski can shoot easy, handheld video and not using a gimbal or tripod. The OM-1 Mark II additionally shoots vertical video natively, eliminating the necessity to crop or reframe footage for Instagram Reels and TikTook.

“I’m not setting up a production,” he explains. “I’m just capturing the motion of a moment while I’m already out shooting stills. The stabilization helps me create beautiful video footage in between photos, and having vertical video built in means I don’t have to think about reformatting later. I point, shoot, and it’s ready for social.”

“When I leave a location now, I feel like I have valuable content for my clients and for myself,” he says. “Adding video to my skills has been critical for my creative growth, and it’s changed how I remember my travel experiences, which, as I get older, I value much more than I used to.”

Slow Down and Be Present

“I’m wired to go fast,” Poplawski admits. “I will go all day if there’s daylight and chances to shoot,” he says. “But Meagan has reminded me on jobs that I’m moving a million miles an hour and might miss something or not fully immerse myself in the experience, which is crucial to capturing a story of it. Going fast captures more content. Sometimes going slow captures more stories. It’s important that I go into each shoot location and establish which of the two I am trying to do.”

That lesson has formed how he approaches locations, particularly distant ones.

“If you’ve already hiked 14 miles to reach a beautiful destination, it’s not about running around trying to find photos,” Poplawski explains. “It’s about taking a moment to feel the place for myself, not just through the lens. It’s hard to tell a meaningful story if my eye was stuck to the viewfinder the whole time.”

One of his easiest practices: pausing for a selfie.

“There are so many times I’m shooting so hard that I forget to put my wide angle on and get a selfie with Meagan,” he admits. “When I slow down and take that selfie, I’m so glad I did. We were standing in this beautiful place we may never get back to, and now we have a picture of ourselves to remember. That quick act alone calms my mind and makes me slow down.”

For memory-making moments, Poplawski reaches for his OM-3 with the Creative Dial.

“The Creative Dial removes me from needing to edit much at all,” he explains. “It amplifies the image where you’re already at your end product. For a true point-and-shoot day where I am capturing memories, the dial is perfect. It lets me have that inner creativity without touching editing software later.”

“But this isn’t really about cameras,” Poplawski states. “People spend thousands of dollars and travel halfway around the world only to experience everything through the lens. Yes, I love pictures. Capturing is a major part of making memories. But after every trip, I always ask myself: ‘Were you really there? Were you present in the moment?’ If I waver on either of those answers, I make an effort to be more engaging with the location on the next trip.”

Travel with Kindness

The most respected connections Poplawski has made whereas touring began with a easy hiya and a shared appreciation of the situation.

“Nine years ago, we stayed at an Airbnb in Klaksvík, Faroe Islands,” he remembers. “The host, Sigbritt, loved showing off her homeland to tourists. In that first moment of saying hello, I didn’t think anything of it. But before I knew it, her and her daughter are going on hikes with us, sharing dinners with us. We’re making lifelong memories on our first visit to the Faroe Islands. Over the years, we have worked on projects with the tourism board together, she’s taken us to her favorite places she’s hiked since childhood, and we have become a part of each other’s families.”

That relationship advanced into one thing neither of them might have predicted.

“Through Sigbritt’s network, I have photographed a local farmer’s newborn cattle dog puppies, hiked trails that don’t appear on maps, and gained access to local experiences that no amount of planning could have provided,” Poplawski describes. “Sigbritt has completely transformed how we see the Faroe Islands, in the way only a local can do.”

“My relationship with Sigbritt has taught me that every portrait is a conversation,” he displays. “Everyone I meet around the world has a story to tell. They all have a family. They have hopes and dreams. And above all, they have pride for their homeland. Since I met Sigbritt, I realized that it doesn’t matter if I don’t speak the language, although I will always try with at least a word or two. Making that simple effort communicates your respect, curiosity, and genuine interest. Just being present can lead to a meaningful connection that can lead to experiences that I never thought possible.”

“When you make a relationship with a local, you never know in that moment of saying hi how far it’s going to go,” Poplawski says. “Ask locals for help. Ask questions. Be willing to engage. Try to bridge the language gaps. Just travel with kindness and you will be rewarded.”

After photographing greater than 30 international locations, Poplawski nonetheless finds surprise in moments that may’t be repeated.

“You can’t repeat a sunset, or the look a shepherd in Jawai, India gives you as he smokes,” he displays. “In 10 years, 20 years, you’re not going to capture the same exact moment. To be anywhere in the world and experience that singular moment in time that can never be replicated is humbling. And to be lucky enough to capture a memory of it with my camera is the icing on the cake. It’s its own flicker of a second that will never be repeated. No photo will ever exactly resemble it. It’s yours. Your memory. Your life that you’re living.”

His recommendation to photographers contemplating the leap into journey work is straightforward.

“Just do it. Go get it. Be motivated. Embrace the highs and the lows equally. But the most important lesson that I ever learned? Stop trying to capture the portfolio worthy photos. Prioritize the memories. Once you are able to do that, the images will come naturally.”

More from Chris Poplawski could be discovered on his website and Instagram.

More from Meagan Bourne could be discovered on her website and Instagram.

Full disclosure: This article was dropped at you by OM SYSTEM.

Feeling impressed? Enter the #TravelWithOMSYSTEM photograph contest for an opportunity to win an OM-3 or OM-5 Camera Kit + WANDRD digital camera bag.

Image credit: All pictures by Chris Poplawski and Meagan Bourne.