Dyer & Jenkins sits down with Calgary native, adventure traveler and outdoor photographer to hear how he does it.

Name: Scott Bakken.

Location: Calgary.

Gig: Outdoor Adventure and Travel Photographer.

Insta: @scottcbakken

What’s the best travel advice you have?

Over the last two years, I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit. There are two different types of travel for me. Work travel and family travel. These differ in many ways!! When I travel for work, I usually take limited amount of clothes, book the early flight and have very packed days. These trips often mean travelling to multi destinations. My work involves alot of photography so this can take me to remote places which call for early morning wake ups to get great light. No work trip would be complete without days full of adventure. It often means eating on the go and getting to bed late. When I travel with my team, we have a completely different pace. We take the later flight, sleep in in the mornings and take our days very slow. It is more about taking in the sights and sounds on a much more relaxing pace. My best advice is design your trip for your needs. If its about work, then look at what is essential to take with you. I find packing light is best in this case as you may be taking your bags with you quite a few places. When it comes to family travel, I always prebook and map out the whole trip. When I travel for work, I take it as it comes and have booked hotels the day of. I use hotels.ca because the rates are great and for every 10 nights, you get a a free night!

What are your favorite places you’ve ever visited? Why?

I really fell in love with San Francisco. It offers everything! From amazing urban life with cafes and restaurants to beach life at Baker Beach and of course the beautiful landscapes of Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais and Point Reyes.

What are the best lessons you’ve learned from traveling?

Plan. Pack light. Investigate the city and area online before you arrive so you know where you want to travel or visit upon arrival. And always reach out to a local to get the inside scoop. Find the true gems, not the tourist spots. Do your research.

What gear can you not travel without?

My camera. Laptop. Mophie and of course my iPhone.

What do you shoot with?

I shoot with the Canon 6D and my lens of choice is 24-70 f/2.8.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see ________ before I die.

Italy.