Her Campus (HC): You’re a very well-rounded traveler. What specifically is it about traveling that brings you so much joy? And how has it impacted your internal growth as a young adult?
Betsy Hughes (BH): My whole life I’ve grown up in Arizona, until three years ago when I moved to Utah. Living in two very different places has taught me to love the desert, the mountains, the lakes, the forests, the summer, the winter and everything in between. When I was little, I watched the documentary “Earth,” and I fell in love with everything this world has to offer. Any chance I can get, I love to travel. It has become something I see as an opportunity for me to meet people from places all around the world and become a more open-minded person. One of the main reasons why I love traveling is because I love creating. I picked up a camera when I was 15 years old and began to capture memories that I could hold onto forever. Over time, the idea of taking pictures of beautiful destinations, animals and people sparked something exciting for me. I learned that I would want to do this for the rest of my life. The world is big, and there are billions of people on the planet, but there is only one of you. This shows me that it’s good to embrace my differences and utilize my talents because nobody else is exactly me. It also teaches me to have eyes to see people from other places. Together we become a global community when we embrace new cultures and see people in their own space.
HC: A lot of your photography focuses on combining people and scenic landscapes. Are these your favorite subjects to photograph? If not, what are they? What specifically do you love about capturing images when you travel?
BH: My photography focuses mainly on people and scenic landscapes. In my mind, everybody has a different story to tell, and I tell their stories through my pictures. Photography captures the raw and genuine emotion that comes from the people I take pictures of. When I travel and bring my camera with me, I fall in love with everything I can capture, whether it be a man who’s playing his guitar nestled in a corner in Rome or a jungle filled with lush palm trees in Bali. I feel like I have been able to remember so many more experiences because I have taken my camera with me and captured every bit of my travels.
HC: Times are tough right now pertaining to the COVID-19 situation, especially when it comes to traveling. However, when this is all over, what three places sit at the top of your bucket list to travel to next and why?
BH: First on the list is Japan. I have always loved everything about it. The culture is so fascinating and filled with people who are so unique. I also love the idea that a lot of Japan is centered around safety and peace of mind. Another place I would love to go to is Iceland. This peaceful place is full of volcanic deserts, black sand beaches and waterfalls. It is my dream to see the northern lights, and Iceland is one of the best places to do that. The third destination on my travel bucket list is the Maldives. It is a tropical paradise that sits in a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean. Each island is surrounded by its own lagoon. I hope to visit each of these places someday!
HC: You’ve lived the past few years in Utah. How has your environment and the people you’re surrounded by impacted your creative journey?
BH: Living in Utah has allowed me to expand my skills. Utah is full of creative people. This has been good and bad for a few reasons. I’ve been able to learn from many talented photographers, videographers, models, and designers on how to get better at what I do. One downside to living in a state that has a lot of creators is that there is more competition because everyone is doing the same stuff. I see it as an opportunity to perfect my craft and become a better creator than the person I was yesterday.
HC: Can you expand on a specific moment from your travels that really struck you? In other words, what’s a memory from these experiences you’ll carry with you forever?
BH: There is one specific experience that has changed the way I think about traveling forever. In September of 2017, I entered a giveaway on the @Earth Instagram account and won a round trip ticket to anywhere in the world. I picked Bali, Indonesia, and went there in March of the following year. It was the first time I had ever gone out of the country. That experience is what made me fall in love with traveling and I started to get into photography after I got home. There’s no way for me to describe the feelings that I felt in Bali when I met the people there and learned about the Indonesian culture.
HC: Lastly, what do you see in store for yourself on the horizon, and what does your “perfect future” look like? What do you want to make sure you continue to incorporate in your life, and what do you want to add more of?
BH: Even though I can’t predict the future, I still have an idea of what my ideal life would be like. If I could picture my dream life, it would include lots of traveling and time spent outdoors. I want to continue to grow my Posting the Positive campaign and better my skills in photography. I also hope to meet someone I can spend the rest of my life with, and start a family down the road. I want to add some more balance to my life because things can get a little bit crazy. But then again, I wouldn’t want it any other way! If you’ve made it this far, I want to leave you with a quote that has gotten me through my life the past few years. “Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.” Having this mindset will help you remember what your goals are and will motivate you to go out and change the world. Everybody has a different story to tell, so go out and tell it!
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