Taking photographs has become such a normal part of everyday life that we barely think about it anymore. A beautiful hotel, an interesting interior, a good meal or a view while travelling and almost automatically the phone comes out.

I recognise this particularly through my work. Discovering places and creating content for Les Couleurs du Monde means that photographs, notes and interesting details are naturally part of the experience. There is usually something I want to remember or share later.

But there is a difference between documenting an experience and spending the entire experience documenting it.

When travelling, some of the moments I remember best have no photograph attached to them. A conversation during dinner, getting lost while looking for somewhere else, sitting somewhere longer than planned or discovering a place that was never on the itinerary.

It is also becoming increasingly easy to experience a destination through a screen. We research where to stay, save restaurants, follow recommendations and already know which viewpoints we want to photograph before arriving. All of that is useful, but leaving some space for what happens once you are actually there can make a trip much more interesting.

I certainly won't stop taking photographs. They are part of what I do and I enjoy looking back at them. But every now and then, putting the phone away is also a good way to remember why you went somewhere in the first place.

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