Don’t laugh. Serendipity is not planned, of course, but one can put oneself in situations where serendipity is more likely to find you.

These days, it seems as though everyone’s lives are scheduled down to the last second. Kids are not allowed to be kids and find their own entertainment; instead they are shuttled off to enrichment programs, ballet, sports, music lessons, etc. Adults rush off to work and never stop to smell the flowers. Family calendars are devoid of blank days. This can be true for photographers, too. After all, we are people, albeit a strange breed. We often think outside of the box.

So, think outside of the box and open yourself up to new experiences. Allow things to happen. Let chance into your lives.

How many of you, when you travel for your photography, plan every night for your accommodations, your itinerary routed for every day? Not I. It’s against my religion. I also have a history of traveling off season.

Those of you who have read my blogs know I always use a Lonely Planet guide. There are about three dozen in my travel library, and they are my license to travel. They lead me to neat locations and help me avoid the tawdry. That said, there is nothing like local knowledge.