1 . It could have been anywhere, my first intentionally photo-free journey, but it just happened to be Ethiopia. Photographic equipment can be a great physical burden. It may weigh anything from a few hundred grams to several kilos, depending on how seriously one approaches the business of picture-taking. Yet the real burden of photography is mental, not physical; it is the feeling of needing to take photographs, that because you have a camera you must use it.

In the first few days of camera-less travel, there are certainly moments of frustration at letting one great photograph after another go past, but having no camera, and thus being unable to take photographs, surprisingly soon stops the urge to do so. Very quickly, scenes become appreciated for what they are, rather than for the photographs they would have made.

Climbing up the western wall of the Great Rift Valley, on the way to the capital, Addis Ababa, the road emerges from a tunnel onto open, grassy plains — a small piece of uncharacteristically undomesticated countryside, with an even more uncharacteristic population of wild animals. They looked magnificent in the tearing wind, and through binoculars (双筒望远镜) they could be absorbed at leisure — theirs and mine. And thus unseen, I watched them play, free from concerns as to how close I could risk going with my camera without losing the very moment I sought to capture.

Exciting though stalking (跟踪) wild creatures can be, the photographer must obviously stalk as much out of sight as possible, thus being denied any chance of actually watching them. The photographer’s mind is effectively stopped from experiencing any more than the photographic possibilities of the scene. At eye level, the camera not only creates a physical barrier but also isolates the photographer from the joyful reality of the subject, and from everywhere else around them too. Then comes the climax, the press of the button, the pull of the trigger (快门), before more stalking, more photographs and, inevitably, the stalking too far which frightens the animals to flight. The difference between looking in order to photograph and actually seeing what is there is never more distinct than when taking pictures of animals, to the extent that the two become almost mutually exclusive. There is time only for deciding the best way to take the photograph, before addressing more practical technicalities — how to keep the minibus’s wheel out of the shot of lions, or get enough depth of field so all the flamingos (火烈鸟) on the lake are in focus at once.

2 . Better Holiday Pics, Without Using a Selfie Stick

If you find yourself vacationing in Budapest, Hungary, you could preserve travel memories by taking a few arm-length, low-quality cell phone selfies that will likely fail to capture the magic of your visit. Or you could hire someone like Dana J. Ardell, a Budapest-based professional photographer who knows photo spots you’ll never find in a guidebook and who can deliver stunning pictures — with your whole travel party in the shots.

Ardell is a photographer with Flytographer, one of a growing number of online services that help travelers find and hire a photographer to take pictures of them during a vacation.

“People who believe memories are the best souvenir” are among those who will find value in photo services, says Flytographer founder and CEO Nicole Smith.

Still, the cost could run a few hundred dollars, so be smart about whom you hire. Here’s what to know about hiring a pro to take pictures on your next vacation or bucket-list trip.

Smartphone cameras are decent, but they don’t provide the same quality of pictures as a professional camera and lens. Plus, phone cameras aren’t usually operated by a skilled photographer who knows how to incorporate the best light and properly compose a shot and later edit the images.

If you plan to turn a vacation photo into a wall-worthy print, you’ll want something better than a cell phone snapshot. “Nobody’s going to blow up a blurry selfie with seven chins,” Smith says.

Photographers who live in your destination know where and when to shoot — when the light is most favorable and where you won’t be jostling with other tourists during busy times at landmarks.

Part of the benefit of hiring a trip photographer has nothing to do with photos — it’s interacting with a resident, gaining insight into how locals live. “We chat the whole time,” Ardell says. “I love giving recommendations on my favorite places to eat and things to do around the city.”

You could do your own research to find someone in the place you’re visiting. But online booking services make hiring a photographer easier, especially if you’re going abroad and don’t speak the language. With many of the services, including Flytographer, Local Lens and localgrapher, and you choose the city, then read biographies of local photographers, look at their portfolios and pick one.

According to Smith, an hour long session offers enough time for photos at a couple of locations and gives vacationers time to warm up in front of the camera. But a half-hour shoot can work for those tight on time or budget. Also remember to book early. Booking several weeks out means a wider selection of photographers, dates and times.

If you’ve taken fabulous journeys but your photos just don’t match, hiring a vacation photographer might be the ticket to preserving memories.

Wintry Scenes from a Swedish Wonderland

I always give the same advice to ambitious photographers: Wherever home is, that’s where you should begin. Having lived and worked everywhere but in Sweden for most of my life, I was terrible at following it myself. For me, Sweden has always been a place to relax and spend time with family. I’ve never explored it in the same way I’ve explored destinations like Zambia     1     now.

With all of my foreign trips     2     (cancel) this year, I decided to travel north from my home near Stockholm. What began as a two-week trip quickly turned into journeys     3    , both starting and finishing in midwinter, lasted the entire year.

Climate change doesn’t have any impact on the length of our daylight. And yet,     4     (lie) on the back staring up at the magical light show of the aurora borealis (北极光), I hardly minded the lack of daylight. Instead,     5     caught my attention was the fascinating beauty of the white, frozen landscapes and the endless shades of blue.

But Johan Stenevad, my host at Lapland Guesthouse, showed me     6     else. One day, on a snowmobile path lined with tall trees on both sides, he turned off his engine and asked me what I saw. “Trees,” I answered. “A forest.”

He shook his head. “Not a forest, just a plantation. Soon, this is what     7     (leave).” he said. For over half a century now, the ancient forests that once seemed endless continue     8     (cut) down. The Sami that live mainly in the northern areas     9     (face) an existential crisis. Their lives and culture are closely linked to the ancient forests and the reindeer (驯鹿) there. The slow growing lichen (地衣) and mushrooms upon which the reindeer depend for survival are not found in plantations. So, the death of one     10     mean the death of the other, and an uncertain future for an entire people.

We are not visitors in nature and it’s essential for our own survival as well as that of the natural world.

5 . Colorado; a place we usually associate with snow-capped mountains and green grassy meadows, winter skiing, and kayaking in its clear, mirror-like lakes. But did you know the state is also home to a 30-square-mile sand dune (沙丘) field?

Nestled on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and beside the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this fantastic landscape features dunes that are up to 750 feet high and are perfect for hiking, camping, and photo opportunities.

The tallest sand dunes in North America are situated in the diverse landscape of wetlands, forests, mountainous lakes, tundra, and grasslands — providing a patchwork of color. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is so unusual and unique, in fact, that it is a protected landscape under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The four main components of the sand dune system are the mountain watershed, the dune field itself, the sand sheet — a flat plot of sand with large grains — and the sabkha — a coastal mudflat or sandflat. The dunes were formed over tens of thousands of years by sediments (沉积物) from the surrounding mountains that filled the valley. In addition, as the lakes in the valley retreated, exposed sand was blown by the winds, resulting in dunes.

The park was originally labelled a protected area back in 1932, by President Hoover, after fears of gold mining or concrete manufacturing alarmed residents of the nearby Alamosa and Monte Vista cities, who then petitioned Congress asking for protection. The area was eventually upgraded from a national monument to a national park and preserve in 2004.

It contains a mind-boggling 1.2 cubic miles — or 5 billion cubic meters — of sand. Evidence of human habitation, however, dates back to 11,000 years, with the first historic peoples to inhabit the region being the Southern Ute Tribes.

Now, visitors have numerous activities to enjoy — from sandboarding and sand sledding to four-wheel driving. But the best adventure comes at nightfall; the adventurous can backpack over sand dunes to pitch a tent and enjoy the stunning starry night skies when the sun goes down. (Although backpackers will need a permit and can be required at the visitor’s center.) The park’s elevation at 8.200ft and rural location makes it a favorite with dark sky stargazers, with park officials offering special astronomy programs from May to September.

Overnighters can bask in the still silence, indulge in this remote, isolated region of the county, and be soothed to sleep by the wind whistling through the dunes. If you want to camp out, but backcountry isn’t your style, Piñon Flats Cam pground is nearby and run by the National Park Service, with 44 sites that are first-come, first-served, with a further 44 sites that can be reserved.

By day, tourists can hike to the summit of Star Dune, the tallest dune in the park, while Crestone Needle, Cleveland Peak, and Mount Herard also offer challenging elevation climbs.

And, as the park also offers special sand wheelchairs (it’s recommended to reserve one in advance), everyone can enjoy this stunning, once-in-a-lifetime experience in the sand dunes of Colorado.