Wanderlust – what does it mean? I mean, we hear it all the time from the Gen Z generation. This idea that travel adds to the human experience is baked into the cake of our human DNA — and let’s face it, we all need more of those experiences.
By definition, Wanderlust, simply stated means “a strong desire to travel”. But in the scope of a photographer’s life, it means so much more. The Germans call the strong urge for travel wanderlust, literally a desire for wandering and as Americans we annexed it for our own language. With a word like lust inside it, wanderlust really captures the dreamy passion travelers all share. Sometimes the word is also used for people who can’t make a commitment to a job or a relationship, but this is not the case with professional photographer Lisa Corson, who made a career out of her Wanderlust and is ready to showcase it!
Lisa is on a mission to tell the stories of bespoke experiences that even the most discerning Gen X or Z-er can’t ignore. Her prior experience shooting for the New York Times has taken Lisa far and wide in the USA and in the world at large. With the launch of her new travel work “A Traveled Life” – coming soon on our website, Lisa dives into the lived experiences of Americans who want to explore the food, streets, cafes, art, architecture and the very substance of the people who inhabit these towns and cities across the nation. Recently, Lisa took at trip out west (a place that calls to her regularly from her BROOKLYN, New York apartment she resides in on the daily), hacking away at her to-do lists and her meetings with creatives. In this post, we see some of that incredible texture exhibited from her lens – capturing friends and adventures out on the sunny side of the country. We couldn’t be more inspired.
And in case you want to do more probing on the subject after you’ve seen this work, we point you to 5 Books you can tap into to feed your soul on the subject of Wanderlust!
1. The Puma Years by Laura Coleman – Laura documents her time volunteering at a Bolivian animal shelter in the Amazon jungle, where she befriends big cats and monkeys rescued from the illegal pet trade, eventually changing the course of her life
2. Lion by Saroo Brierley – This book is an account of Saroo’s real life experience of being lost in India at 5 years old. Separated from his family, he ends up being adopted by an Australian couple. After being brought up Down Under, he eventually determines to retrace his steps and find his biological family.
3. Wild by Cheryl Strayed – Hiking 1100km of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave desert in California to the Bridge of the Gods into Washington, Cheryl Strayed uses her time alone to come to terms with the death of her mother and the tumultuous events that followed, including the break down of her marriage.
4. Hola Amigo by Jason Smart – Simple travel journals from his whistle stop tours around the world, Smart’s books give you just a snapshot of a country. Hola Amigo sees him explore central America from Costa Rica to Guatemala, zipping off to the islands of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, before ending the adventure in Mexico.
5. How Not to Travel the World by Lauren Juliff – A collection of tales from Lauren’s anxiety ridden adventures backpacking around the globe. Whether it’s bad luck or just plain naivety, Lauren’s disastrous escapades are constantly pushing her out of her comfort zone. Read her blog Never Ending Footsteps for a better idea of what to expect from the book.
