Has The Pursuit Of Aesthetic Travel Gone Too Far?

As a former social media editor and now a travel editor, I admit that my pursuit of creating visually appealing holiday content can sometimes go to extremes. During a recent family vacation in Kefalonia, I amassed over 1,500 photos and videos in just a week. A subsequent five-day trip to Tuscany yielded nearly 1,000 more. My camera roll is cluttered with meticulously curated restaurant tablescapes, stunning sunsets, and highlight reels from recent travels.

I often justify this behavior as creating lasting memories or fulfilling my role as the group’s designated photographer. Yet, it may simply be that I’m as captivated by social media as many others in my age group. Although I enjoy revisiting old photos and my friends appreciate the shared memories, there are moments during every holiday when I question whether my subconscious drive to perfect the travel aesthetic has gone too far.

Scrolling through Instagram, it’s evident that others share similar concerns. “I love capturing beautiful images and postcard-perfect moments has become a hobby,” says commerce editor Sarah Bannerman. “However, I can’t settle for just one shot, and I often feel self-conscious around others—wondering if I should act like I’m indifferent. The best reality check for me is when I try to capture something, usually a view, and it just doesn’t translate on screen. That’s when I remind myself to put the phone away and appreciate the moment with my own eyes, not through a screen.”