Have you ever captured photos during travel and edited them only to wish you were able to get another shot? No matter how much your camera costs, travel photos are one of the most challenging to get right. And while it might seem like a good idea to carry lots of equipment, it can have the opposite impact (by making your bag heavier and increasing the difficulty of capturing the perfect shot). What you need is a healthy dose of tips to improve travel photography than another camera, which is exactly what you’ll get in this post. If you rely on Instagram to showcase your travels and life, make sure to stand out by taking better images using the advice below.
8 Best Tips for Travel Photography
1. Develop patience
The most effective way to snapping memorable photos of sites and landmarks is to develop patience. Sure, it’s not pleasant to find yourself crammed in a touristy spot with a crowd of people occupying all the space. But if you just wait for a few minutes (20-30), they will usually move away, clearing the space for you to capture the perfect shot. Have the patience to get the right angle because that’s what matters in travel photography.
2. Aim to capture first and last lights
The best lighting is there at the start or end of the day. While you might not be able to exactly time everything, you’ll get some Facebook-worthy shots around these times. Sunset is ideal for those hazy, saturated, dreamy images, while sunshine works wonders for fresh, sharp, clear snaps. When you’re in a tropical or beachy location, images in such lighting can make memorable photos.
3. Get the selfie stick out of sight
If you love photography, you would know that selfie sticks aren’t as cool as they’re made up to be. Plus, it’s better to leave them behind when visiting a crowded spot or a gallery. However, there are times when you’ll need to use them, such as when traveling in the wild. But here’s the thing that most travelers don’t know – you can get a shot from a distance without the stick being visible in the frame. If you angle the camera at 110 or 130 degrees to the stick instead of the usual 90 degrees, you can keep your hand down by your side and eliminate the stick from the frame. The technique allows the camera to be “parallel” than “perpendicular”. Trust us when we say that your images will come out much nicer this way.
4. See details by using your eyes
Before wrapping up a shot, it can help to take a look around to ensure everything was captured. For example, a litter flower setup on restaurant table may serve as the ideal accent to the image. Or perhaps the wall at a little distance from the hot dog cart you are looking at boasts an intricate and unique design. One of the best ways to improve your travel photography is to keep an eye out for these little details.
5. Make it fun
The secret to capturing great photos during travel is to have great experiences. A lot of people take too much pressure when they make it a mission to capture memorable images. Let’s not forget – photos not only demonstrate the subject, but also reflect the person behind the camera. Research your destination before leaving your home but let loose once you reach. When you have good knowledge of the destination and are familiar with your equipment, you’ll spend less time navigating the camera screen and more hours on capturing beautiful surroundings.
6. Go for variety
If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve probably seen tourists taking photos of everything they find interesting. Well, that’s one of the best ways to take good travel photos. And instead of capturing the typical horizontal eye-level images, consider rotating your camera and taking vertical snaps in portrait mode (they work better for certain subjects and backgrounds). You can even rotate your camera to see if it helps you capture the ideal image.
7. Tell stories
The ABC of travel photography is to capture memories rather than standard subjects. Pro travel photographers will always capture with the intent to tell a story, and so should you. If selfies are a must, make sure to capture as much of the background and surroundings as you can. And if you have a travel buddy who’s crazy about selfies, capture images of them takinselfies in beautiful surroundings. We promise that they’ll like and cherish your photo more than the selfie they took in that place – no matter how good their facial features look.
8. Learn the possibilities of your camera
A lot of travelers purchase expensive camera, which is set to auto. According to us, that’s a waste of time and money. In fact, it’s like taking a 15-hour flight to an exotic location far away from your home and staying in the hotel once you get there. So here’s what you should do: read the manual of your current camera, get some online courses, experiment with the settings, and Google stuff up. Most cameras offer plenty of possibilities and if you only learn 10% of these, you will drastically improve your travel photography.
Conclusion
There you have it – 8 tips to spruce up your travel photography chops. By applying these tips, you’ll be able to impress your Facebook and Instagram friends. However, don’t get carried away or you could end up sharing lots of images over the internet. Not only people may think that you’re trying to get attention, but some adversaries may steal your original photos and put their artwork on it. These people can then sell them on stock image websites. Make sure to copyright your images or only share them with people you trust. Also, posting 2-3 images per day is enough to keep everyone informed about your travels.