People travel because they want to experience something new and create memories they can look back on in years to come, and what better way to help store those memories than in a picture.
Over the past few years, we have seen a dramatic and revolutionary change in how we take pictures, with huge advances in mobile phone camera technology and access to cameras aimed at an entry-level market today that would have been classed as professional-grade equipment only 10 years ago people can capture some truly amazing images when they travel.
BUT, even with all this technology at everyone’s fingertips a lot of people still aren’t happy with their holiday pictures, they want them to look like they see in magazines or Instagram, but find it hard to replicate the standard they see and end up with the usual run of the mill holiday snaps that don’t inspire them.
So I’m going to give you 7 tips that will help take your travel photography from zero to hero in no time.
1 - It’s not about how good a camera you have.
Ok so using an expensive top of the line camera with an expensive top of the line lens will yield some amazing results if you know what you’re doing in the first place, but if you don’t know some of the fundamentals of photography your pictures will still look like they did before, so don’t get too hung up on what camera you have, some of the best travel photography I’ve seen have been taken on a point and shoot or mobile phone.
And this is because the people taking the images understand that a picture isn’t about the equipment it’s about the story of the image, it may sound a bit cliche but I guess it does for a reason, the story is key to a great image, look at any picture that captures you, or inspires you and there will be a story within it, so look for the story in your picture, it could be a moment that shows joy, excitement, wonderment or even sadness but I guarantee your favourite pictures will have a story behind them.
2.- Good light, Bad light.
The word “photography” means “drawing with light” so of course, light is the single most fundamental and influential aspect of photography, without light you have no picture, period!
And the type of light has a huge impact on the way your pictures look and feel, I prefer to take my pictures during the hours around sunrise and sunset, these are known as “Golden Hour” when the sky has the best colours and the light isn’t too bright and harsh.
Midday sun on a cloudless day will mean harsh light and shadows meaning your image will be hard to balance and understand, cloudy hazy days are good but avoid midday sun if you can. if you can’t shoot at any other time look for shady areas to help control the light a little.
also, look for how the light can become a tool to direct the viewer to your subject. as in this image the light has created a frame and also a pattern that helps draw the viewers eye to the subject in the frame.
so always look for some interesting light.
3.- Composition (Rule of thirds)
Composition, What does it mean, and how can I get it right? well, the definition of composition in photography or any visual art is “the artistic arrangement of the parts of a picture”, still don’t get it?
in basic terms, it means putting things within an image in a certain place to make them/it look good, and that’s it, and there are a couple of rules you can stick to, that help you out.
firstly - the rule of thirds, split your image into 9 boxes by imagining a line a third of the way down from the top and another a third of the way from the bottom and the same left to right (see below)
So in this image, the lighthouse is located on left-hand third line and the horizon is resting on the bottom third line, this helps balance the image and create a more interesting overall picture.
Rather than putting your subject front and center of an image always look to put it on one of the “third” cross points.
The rule of thirds rule is a simple starting point for you when composing your picture, if you always have it in mind when taking a photo you will quickly learn to move and create angles you may not have before and your image will be better for it.
4.- composition (Leading lines)
leading lines are a fantastic trick to draw your viewer’s eye to a certain part of the image giving them less work to do, that might sound a bit strange, a viewer not having to work but it’s true, people want to be able to understand an image easily and a confused unorganised picture will mean they lose interest straight away, so use “leading lines” to help make sense of your picture and draw the attention to whatever your subject may be.
this image of a woman at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a great example of leading lines, the pattern on the tiles direct your eyes to the woman in the centre of the picture making it easy for the viewer to understand the story.
So the next time you’re out and about, look for any type of patterns, be them in nature or man-made to help create those leading lines.
5.- Editing
Photography has changed dramatically over the past 15+ years from film and basic digital cameras that would have cost the earth to affordable and extremely capable pieces of kit.
Along with the digital revolution in photography has been the advancement of digital editing, I use Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom for all my editing and they help me ensure my vision comes to life. Editing is a skill within itself and does take a little time to master but not too much time to learn the basics and help you get your images looking their best.
I would recommend checking out youtube to find some great tutorials to help get you started.
6.- Don’t follow the crowd
This may sound a little odd, every one wants to get a shot of the main attractions whenever they travel. the pyramids in Egypt, Statue of liberty in New York and so on and there’s nothing wrong with getting a snap of these to get that memory, but if you want your travel photos to stand out try and look in other places, check out I always try and get away from the hustle and bustle of the main attractions and look for what’s happening around me, those little interesting moments you get when you travel
take this picture, its not a monument or an ancient site even though it was taken at an ancient site in Cambodia, it’s just a moment of a woman taking her surroundings in and experiencing it.
For me that’s what travel photography is all about, experiencing what’s going on around you rather that just the “must see” places.
so make sure you take a moment and take a=everything in around you, not only could you capture a great image but you’re also going to ensure your time in the place you’ve visited has been a special one and you’ve taken as much as you can from being there
7,- Enjoy it and don’t worry too much
With all these tips you may get a good “Technical” photograph but that’s not really what photography is always about, unless your trying to sell your images to websites and magazines it may not matter how well you compose or edit your image.
If photography is a new hobby or just something you do when away the best thing to do is just enjoy it, try your best to get that great angle or moment but some of the best pictures are of the people you love and care for being happy in a place you aren’t always going to be and a holiday or vacation is a great reason to take as many photographs as you can so you can look back on them for year to come with fond memories.
I often spend too much time and put too much pressure on my camera settings or the lens i’m using or wait in a certain sport believing its where ill get the “best” image and then completely miss something amazing just a few feet away because I not taking in what’s going in around me.
so enjoy it, snap away and see what you get, you never know you might just end up with a cracker of a picture that you’ll love to bits.
Like this Blog? well dont forget to check out the others, you may get some travel and photography related tips and tricks that could help you on your future adventures.
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