Paul Stamatiou creates some fantastic photo stories of the trips he makes. I first discovered him last year, when I saw the one he made after returning from Japan. These photo stories are gorgeous, beautifully designed, and the pictures are stunning. In this article — the first of two parts — he does a wonderful job of explaining how he approaches the issue of planning for a trip. If you appreciate travel photography, this is a must-read:

A result of moving apartments just about every year since 2004, I’ve been pretty good at keeping my posessions to a minimum (camera gear aside, obviously :D). I try to own fewer, higher quality items and often they’re only items that augment my travel experiences — portable stuff like good clothes, camera gear or simply last minute airline tickets and car rentals. I’d rather spend money on experiences than things that will tie me down to one place.