Tips to Better Travel Photography

There is no better kind of personal travel notebook than a pictorial one. Thanks to your camera, along with some practical tips you can capture the beauty and excitement of your travels that will evoke memories and experiences for years to come.

MATTERS TO CONSIDER DURING THE MONTHS BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE DATE:

• Make sure your camera is in good working condition - put a test roll of film through it.
• Replace your batteries AND take a replacement set with you.
• If you are planning to purchase a new camera for your trip – purchase it well in advance of your departure – practice and become familiar with it’s features.
• Take your camera manual with you.

EQUIPMENT:

• To avoid disappointment (if your camera malfunctions) take another camera with you, even if it is just a point and shoot or a one-time use camera.
• Travel light; carry all your equipment in one bag for convenience and security.
• NEVER EVER take your eyes of your camera bag.
• Small, sturdy tripods – for sharper images and time exposures.
• Flash – fill light for portraits and interiors Notebook or small recorder (for later reference when sorting and recording images.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION:

• Check out your destination – resources include: libraries, Internet, travel books, tourism, etc.
• Research the culture, history, customs and architecture.
• Prepare a list of the subjects and places you wish to Photograph.
• Determine the best time of day to visit these places.
• Highlight the locations on a map for easy reference.
• Study local postcards for finding good subjects, sites and places of interest.
• Coincide travel with events and festivals. Check out local market days.

PHOTO ETIQUETTE – PEOPLE:

• Try to establish a repore with your subject.
• Be sensitive to their privacy.
• Ask permission before photographing someone.
• Use a long lens – subject can be photographed without risk of attracting their attention.

WEATHER/LIGHTING:

• Inclement conditions add instant atmosphere to a photo.
• Overcast is great for people portraits.
• Haze and mist add interest to landscape and street scenes.
• Early morning/sunsets – worthy opportunities for any travel photographer.
• Midday – poor light - use time to your advantage and scout out the area for better lighting opportunities.

HOW TO ADD INTEREST TO YOUR IMAGES:

• Take overall shots – include as much as possible.
• Include family or travel companions in some shots.
• Use verticals/horizontals/ different camera angles.
• Move in close for details – doors, windows, window boxes.
• Include lots of colour, use light creatively, textures.
• Printed/ or painted word – shop signs, unusual traffic signs – identifies where you were and what you saw.

WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH:

• Landscapes – include a road – gives you a sense of depth and distance.
• Bridges, Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls.
• Forests, Woodlands, Mountains.
• Familiar Landmarks – windmills (Holland), Stonehenge (England) Taj Mahal (India).
• Buildings – architecture, modern, historic, castles, churches. Try to include surroundings.
• Interiors – add interest to your overall travel story.
• People – in their own environment – show life and character of a place’s people, children, and people at work.
• Trees and Plants – shapes, colours, textures (single or a group) - an effective subject to add and extra dimension to describe the region – create a sense of place and character.
• Events and occasions – festivals, folk customs, parades and markets.
• Animals – captive or wild.
• Close – up.
• Photo Essay – a series of images taken to tell a story.

SEASONS:

Winter: light is dim; trees are bare, but great to capture shapes in snow, delicate ice formations (Yellowstone in the Winter).
Spring: good time. Lush, fresh greens, a sense of rebirth and hope.
Summer: not the best choice for a photographic vacation (except perhaps for the alpine meadows) grass is brown and parched, sun is at it’s brightest.
Fall: a photographers delight – bewitching colors, - usually the best weather conditions.