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I always travel with a reporter's notebook (Staples Office stores). On long trips, I take two. These are similar to steno books but the width is smaller (4"x8" with cardboard covers and held together with circular wire rings at the top).

In the front of it, I make trip notes, starting each day with a fresh page. Because it is small enough to slip into a back pocket or the side pocket of my small camera bag, I can make quick notes while sitting at a cafe, riding a bus or plane, or whenever I just have a spare minute or two. In addition to the details of what I did, saw, or thought, I also note the weather conditions through the day. I've found that very useful when setting an atmosphere or tone for an article or comment.

In the back of it, I keep a log of each photo taken which includes the date, the main subject of the photo, any notes on the background, location, and any other details I think pertinent. Since I now use digital cameras exclusively, this is less tedious than it used to be when I was shooting film. Now, all I have to do when I have a spare moment is go back and review the photos and make my notes. I try to do that several times a day, especially if I'm shooting a lot, but sometimes I only do it in the evening when I have returned to my room for the night.

One trick I have found essential is to record each photo using the image number the camera assigns. Once I get the images off the camera and onto the computer, I never use that number again but it works very well to identify similar images of different subjects.

Once I return home, I transcribe those notes into a travel journal which can then be converted to an article, a trip report, or a family letter. I know there are writers who travel with a laptop computer and transcribe their notes each day but I refuse to burden myself schlepping a computer around with me.

If I have used the bulk of the notebook, I file the book so I always have my original notes to refer to. If, not, I tear out the pages containing the details of that trip and the photo descriptions, put them in an envelope labeled with the destination(s) and dates, and file them. At times, reviewing my original notes will remind me of details that did not make it into my journal.