Hi friends,

January has officially turned into planning mode.

As you might remember, I had months of back-to-back travel, and it’s been amazing being home with time to organize what's next… upcoming brand partnerships, scouting locations for spring shoots, and mapping out travel for the first half of the year.

It's also been nice to reset on health and fitness. When you're constantly moving between time zones and living out of a suitcase, routines fall apart fast. Being home means getting back to the gym, cooking actual meals, and not surviving on airport food.

Content-wise, I've been keeping up with consistent posting and continuing to test trial reels. The posts from this week (Pakistan, Japan, Albania, Havasupai) have been performing well, and I'm learning more about what really resonates with you all.

Even though I'm not technically posting daily anymore, staying consistent with 4-5 posts per week is keeping some great momentum going.

Here’s what’s been on my mind lately, and what I’ve been working through behind the scenes… let’s get into it.

This sounds obvious, but most photographers don't actually do it.

Before you press the shutter, think about what this image will look like edited. Will you lift the shadows? Crush the blacks? Go moody or bright and airy? Warm tones or cool?

When you know your intended edit style before shooting, you make better decisions in the moment. You'll expose differently, compose with the final look in mind, and won't waste time trying to force an image into a style it wasn't captured for.

I really focused on this in Japan, and it changed how I approach every shot. Instead of "I'll figure it out in Lightroom," I'm thinking "this needs to be underexposed by a stop for the moody look I want" or "I need to preserve these highlights because I'm going for bright and airy."

Your editing style should inform your camera settings, not fix them.

Photography competitions accepting January submissions. Sony World Photography Awards deadlines hit January 6 (Youth/Open) and January 13 (Professional). Aperture Portfolio Prize and several others are also open. If you've been sitting on a strong body of work, this is prime submission season.

C2PA content authentication expanding beyond flagship cameras. What started with Leica and Nikon is spreading. These cameras embed an unbroken chain of provenance showing exactly when and where an image was captured. It's becoming essential for photojournalism and legal documentation work, though most travel/landscape photographers won't need it yet.

Camera industry predictions point to computational photography integration. OM System has pioneered this with Live ND and handheld astrophotography modes. Now Canon and Sony are signaling interest in software-based ND simulation and in-camera AI noise reduction. The line between capturing and processing is blurring - some will love it, others will resist it.

Battery anxiety is real. You're in the middle of a shoot, the best light is hitting, and your camera dies.

I've heard this frustration from so many photographers (and even more from videographers) - especially those doing long shooting days or traveling where charging isn't always convenient. The usual solution is carrying a pile of spare batteries and swapping them constantly, which works but breaks your flow.

There's a better option if extended battery life is a consistent problem for you: battery grips with dual battery slots.

The concept is simple: You're doubling your battery capacity. When one battery dies, the grip automatically switches to the second. No stopping mid-shoot, no fumbling through your bag during the best light.

For Sony shooters, the VG-C4EM Battery Grip fits the A7R V and A7R IV. It does add weight and bulk, so it's not for everyone. But if you regularly find yourself running out of power in the field - on multi-day backcountry trips, long wedding shoots, or international travel - it really helps.

If you're someone who regularly shoots all day without access to power, this is worth considering.

(Full transparency: I earn a small commission through this link. It helps keep this newsletter free and my coffee mug full. Thanks for supporting!)

I've been thinking a lot about the difference between traveling and actually creating while traveling. It's easy to visit incredible places and come home with mediocre photos because you were in tourist mode instead of photographer mode.

The trips that produced my strongest work (Socotra, Japan, Pakistan) weren't the ones where I necessarily saw the most. They were the ones where I put in some extra work, returned to the same location multiple times, and prioritized weather conditions and light over logistics.

Planning season is when you decide which kind of trip you're taking. Both are valid (and needed!), but knowing the difference before you go changes everything about how you pack, schedule, and shoot.

If you're mapping out 2026 travel, think about what you actually want to walk away with.

See you next week,
Paige

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P.S. Interested in Lightroom Presets? Check out my Preset Packs below, made specifically for travel, landscape, & nature.