Josh McNair is the founder of the travel blog California Through My Lens which he runs with the help of his wife.
USING HIS two big passions in life, travel and photography, Josh McNair started a blog showing off all that his home state of California has to offer the travel enthusiast. It has grown to become a huge hit and today is Josh’s main source of income. Its success has encouraged him to author a number of eBooks as well as blog and capture in photo and video other cities and regions in the US.
In this exclusive interview Josh talks to us about where his creativity for the site stems from and what you can expect when you visit www.californiathroughmylens.com which is an eyeopener for those not only intent on visiting the Golden State but with any interest in travelling or road-tripping in the US and even further afield.
Tell us about why you started this blog and did you have any idea how big it would become?
I started the blog as a creative outlet when I was working full time and wanted something that I could do in my free time. I thought about creating a world travel blog but since I didn’t have the money or time to travel worldwide I just decided to focus all of my efforts on California. No, I had no idea how big it would become and that I would be able to make it my full time job. I continue to count myself as blessed to be able to travel and do what I love and to have others be excited about it with me.
Josh believes it’s his photos and videos which have drawn so many people to his blog.
What is it about being a travel junkie and a photographer at the same time which gives you an edge over other travel bloggers?
While I still think that written content is super important, I have noticed that people now in days are more interested in photos and videos when researching where to travel. Being a good photographer or videographer can be hugely beneficial as it has the potential to really encourage people to visit a new place through the content created. I encourage any potential blogger that emails me to get into photo/video as I see that being really important in the future.
Climbing and exploring mountainous regions is one of travel junkie Josh’s particular interests.
From all the places you have been which one gave you the most unforgettable experiences and provided the most adventure?
Oh man, I have so many places that I have loved and had unforgettable experiences at. One of my favorites early on though was climbing Mt Whitney, which is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. This had been a bucket list item for me for a long time and it takes training and winning the permit lottery in order to get a chance to do it. I was so excited to be able to accomplish it and standing on top of the summit is a huge highlight for me.
What makes your website so popular and tell us about some of the contributors you have working with you?
I think people just love California, so they are always researching new places to explore in the state, or what to do when they visit if they are international. I have had a lot of people say that they like the descriptions provided since it makes experience a new place easy and I try to tell a story with the photographs in my posts as well. I have no idea if that is what makes it popular but those are a few things that came to my head.
As far as contributors go, I don’t have them too often, but if someone approaches me with an interesting experience they have had in California and they have good photos to go along with it then I am always interested in a new perspective.
What are you currently planning as your next trip and what can our readers expect from it in terms of photography and blogs?
I am planning on driving Pacific Coast Highway again soon so that I can gather a bunch of photo and video content in order to hopefully inspire others to drive this awesome California highway.
