Traveling Solo as a Professional Photographer

By Lauren Haberstroh - April 24, 2025 - Photography, Business, and Brand

A Guest Post by PBA Mandy Michels Visuals

Taken from Mt. Washington Auto Road. Photo credit: Mandy Michels Visuals

Why I choose to travel solo.

I am a lifelong traveler. My parents took my brother and me to many places around the world while we were growing up. To me, there is no greater education than traveling to different places - whether in your home country, or out of it. Because of the many trips taken with my family, I felt confident that I could travel on my own. I decided to take my first solo trip in September of 2010. I was 22 years old - curious, seeking adventure, and wanting to level up my independence. I adore road trips, so I decided on the long drive from my home state of Pennsylvania, to the rugged coast of Maine. All while taking my time to explore the beauty of New England before my end destination. This trip was liberating, and I couldn’t wait to experience it again.

When I travel solo, it allows me to focus heavily on my work. I can stay at a spot for as little or as long as I’d like, without hindering someone else’s experience. I take my work very seriously, and I have a difficult time just snapping a photo and moving on. Because I use fully manual settings, I have to weigh all of my options and variables at that moment - light, composition, weather, surroundings, etc. I strive to get a different shot from what someone else might get.

What has been my favorite solo trip?

By far, my favorite solo trip was driving to - and camping and hiking in - White Mountain National Forest. I had just finished photographing a wedding in Winthrop, Massachusetts, and I already had a plan in mind to drive to the mountains of New Hampshire. I had heard such wonderful things about White Mountain National Forest, and I just had to see it for myself. Before leaving home, I had prepped all of my camping and hiking gear, planned where I wanted to do these things, and researched the area to get to know it before arrival. In my mind, you can never be too prepared - especially when you will be solo.

The area absolutely blew me away. I couldn’t stop taking photos - just as I thought I was done, I would take a bunch more. This was also a trip for my personal project, Experience Our Parks, so I was focused on making videos of the area and completing a short film.

Visuals of the Area

Camping Spot

I camped in a gorgeous campground called Crawford Notch Campground.

My Stopping Point

After taking two days to explore the Presidential Range of the forest, I drove a bit farther north and ended up here. As I spotted two plein air painters that were creating beautiful paintings of this area, I walked around a bit to find some nice compositions to photograph. This is one of those images. A huge part of me wished that a moose would walk out from the forest and into my shot. Though this didn’t happen, my imagination would suffice. I felt satisfied with my trip and decided right then and there that I would start my 10-hour drive home. The beauty of solo travel is that you can make decisions for yourself, and execute those decisions, without having to consider another person. I had already been away for two weeks and I was ready to be home with my husband.

Lupine Bloom

One of many, surprise, highlights from this trip was seeing the landscape speckled with gorgeous lupine blooms. Though these are considered nonnative, invasive plants, I couldn’t help but awe at their beauty and intrigue. The first area I spotted them was just before entering the National Forest, at a Mt Washington overlook. As soon as I saw them, it fueled me with inspiration to incorporate them into my photographs and my short film. I framed this shot with other wildflowers for contrast in color, value, and texture.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
— Mark Twain

Finding time to set my camera up for a photo of myself. Something I always try to do at least once.

My Photography Career

When I started my photography journey at 14 years old, I learned with film. I had the opportunity to not only use film, but also learn darkroom processes. Today, at 37 years old, I still use film, but I mainly use digital - especially for business. I focus mainly on my travel and landscape photography, and sell prints of my adventures. My favorite, and most popular, offering is my yearly calendar. I change the theme each year and always enjoy putting it together. I also offer portrait sessions, coverage for small wedding ceremonies and/or elopements, and stock photography.

I don’t print my own work anymore, so I put my full trust into Nations Photo Lab. They continue to impress me with the quality of the prints, as well as their amazing customer service.

My favorite way to print:

- Large: I really love seeing my travel photographs in a large print format. Seeing printed photographs really changes your perspective after only viewing them on screens.
- Lustre: I prefer my print finish to be lustre. Glossy can be nice for some images, but, in my opinion, you can’t beat the beautiful finish of lustre.
- Mounted: I really love the look of mounted prints. I am very picky when it comes to frames and how it affects the image. By not having a frame, it eliminates this issue, and lets the image speak for itself. When my clients aren’t sure about how they want their print, I usually suggest this option.

My drive up the Mt Washington Auto Road - an experience in and of itself!

Where you can find my work.

I have several platforms that I use, but my main website is www.mandymichelsvisuals.com

My personal project, Experience Our Parks, is about documenting our public lands. I travel to National Parks, National Forests, and other public lands and create short films at each. You can view my work in two places:
Website: www.experienceourparks.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MandyMichels