Tracy Foster epitomizes who we love to follow in the travel industry. She’s a get-out-there kind of lady, traveling at every opportunity with her husband and taking exquisite photos alongside her fine travel bags, called ONA. In 2010, Tracy launched ONA, a luxury brand of multipurpose camera bags that don’t resemble your typical camera bags. With her beautiful outlook on life, food and travel, I knew that she was Our Type of Traveler. Follow Tracy Foster and ONA on Instagram.
When did you fall in love with travel and photography?
It’s kind of hard to pinpoint, but I do remember becoming really excited about traveling after taking a trip to Tulum, Mexico, with my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) back in 2002. I was a junior in college, and he was a senior. I distinctly remember enjoying the balmy weather and gorgeous coastline, but I was especially taken by the Mayan ruins. Having mostly traveled within the US, I was pretty amazed to get a glimpse into an ancient civilization. I think that trip really inspired both of us to want to do more traveling abroad.
I’d always had a thing for photography and remember playing with cameras and taking photos even as a small child. But it was when I received my first DSLR in 2007 that I really got “into it” and found myself signing up for photography classes and taking my camera with me just about everywhere.
What was your first camera?
I’d had several point-and-shoots through the years, but my first DSLR camera was a Nikon D40 that I received as a Christmas gift from my mother and grandmother.
What birthed the idea behind ONA?
My husband and I were traveling in South Africa in the summer of 2008. I was carrying a ubiquitous black, ballistic nylon camera bag at the time, and I wished that I had one that complemented my style. When I returned to the States and couldn’t find a camera bag that was discreet, protective and stylish, I decided to start developing my own line of bags. I chose the name ONA, which in Swahili means “to see or to experience with the eyes.” I thought this name was the perfect connection to both style and photography.
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
Can I really fit clothing, plus my Canon Rebel XTi, into an ONA bag?
Depending on the bag, yes! Our largest bags, including the Camps Bay and Astoria, are big enough to carry an extra set of clothes if you’re packing only a small amount of gear, such as a camera and a small lens or 2. Most of our bags are a bit more compact and are ideal for carrying your camera, a few lenses, a laptop and small personal items.
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
What’s your go-to camera when in the city vs. rural, mountaintop areas?
These days, I’m shooting with a Leica M240 almost exclusively. I love how compact it is, and the image quality that it produces with the 35mm Summicron lens is outstanding.
What’s your recommendation when choosing a camera: Nikon, Canon, Fuji, iPhone 6? There are so many options out there.
There are so many good cameras on the market these days. I think it really depends on your budget and what’s most important to you. Size, camera performance in different lighting situations, and how much flexibility you’d like to have in terms of lenses are just a few factors to consider.
How do you choose the places you’re going to visit?
In my mid-20s, I decided that I wanted to visit all 7 continents by the time I turned 30. I didn’t quite reach that goal, but having that intention helped me to start planning and mapping out the places that I wanted to visit. I also enjoy reading travel publications, such as Travel + Leisure, AFARand Conde Nast Traveler, both in print and online. And I peruse various travel websites and blogs on occasion for inspiration. When I’m planning a trip, I spend a lot of time on TripAdvisor doing research and reading reviews, particularly for hotels and activities. In terms of blogs, I usually just Google destinations that I have in mind and see what kind of inspiration I can find from the different blog posts that appear in the search results.
How many countries, cities and continents have you traveled to?
I’ve traveled to 6 continents and 28 countries to date. I’m hoping to get to Antarctica to check off all of the continents soon!
What are 2 items you never leave home without?
My camera and my lip gloss.
What’s your favorite destination so far?
I’d say South Africa. My trip there in 2008 was just beautiful and carries so many great memories — from enjoying the scenery on Table Mountain to traversing the streets of Cape Town to going on safari in Kruger National Park. And of course, it also holds a special place in my heart as the country where the idea for ONA was conceived.
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
What country and/or city impressed you the most?
That’s a tough one. New Zealand is probably the most majestic country I’ve ever visited. I’ve never been so struck by nature as I was while navigating Fiordland National Park by helicopter. But Italy is also distinctly impressive in so many ways, from the food to the scenery to the art and the people. It’s hard to say!
What’s the funniest thing that has happened during your travels?
In 2008, my husband and I stayed in a tented safari camp in Kruger National Park. Late one night, we heard the distinct roar of a lion, and every time it roared, our tent literally rattled. So we were convinced that this lion was a few feet away — like, directly outside our tent. We were terrified and afraid to get out of bed or speak above a whisper for fear that the lion would hear us and try to get inside. Needless to say, we got zero sleep that night! We learned the next morning that a lion’s roar can be heard from several miles away and that there were not any lions on the campgrounds. Phew!
What real-life lesson have you learned during your travels?
In 2006, I spent 2 weeks traveling in Italy. I was fortunate to spend part of the trip staying with a friend whom I’d met during a fellowship the year before in New York City. While staying with her and her family in Como, we ventured to Milan together, took a boat ride on the lake, went to her favorite gelato and pizza spots, and had a beautiful evening enjoying aperitivi with her girlfriends.
Experiencing Italy with my friend opened my eyes to how nice it is to have real, authentic experiences that are unique to the destination — and that help you better understand the local culture — as opposed to doing only the “touristy” things. So now, even when I don’t have a friend to meet up with in a particular destination, I always look for opportunities to experience the true essence and culture of a place rather than visiting only the main attractions.
Is there 1 place in particular that you return to again and again?
I travel to the Dominican Republic at least 4 times a year, because that’s where ONA bags are manufactured. For personal travel, I don’t have a go-to destination that I return to regularly, but I think it’d be fun to make more frequent trips to Paris and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.
Where’s home for you when you’re not on the road?
I live in my favorite city in the world, New York.
See more of Tracy’s stunning photography.
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Foster