Top 10 Travel Photography Tips

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Here are Top Ten Tips to getting the best out of your travel photographs. Make the most out of your trip and come back with perfectly captured memories with these simple bits of advice.

1. Look For Light

Every destination has a signature way the light bounces off its skyline. Take some time to head out at the crack of dawn or in the evening light and see what unique pictures the landscape paints. Previously lifeless buildings can transform into glowing monuments in the softer light. The city itself can become a fantastic reflector when the sun is angled low, often projecting huge swashes of color over a scene. Avoid midday sun, where the shadows are at their starkest and least flattering.

2. Avoid The Cliché

Every single camera that travels to Saint Peters in Rome has taken the same picture. Though it is expected, don’t waste your time snapping away at conventional views. Seek out the less-traveled path and be rewarded with photos that are stunningly unique and fresh. Angle the camera in different ways. Try and shoot from above and below your subject. The entire mood of a piece can be conveyed in how the shot is lined up.

3. Stay Portable

Pack a single, wide-use lens, a lightweight and compact tripod with minimal lighting gear. After that, pack items in order of their essentiality until your pack is comfortable. Being weighed down in a bustling street is a sure-fire way to get your equipment lost or stolen. At the very least, hauling unnecessary items across a city will only frustrate you, and this may throw off your eye.

4. Take a Backup

When you head out, take a backup of as many pieces of equipment as you can- extra batteries, memory or film, even an extra compact camera if you can. You never know when something will fail or get misplaced. Be sure to always bring a cleaning kit for your lenses.

5. Communicate

Travel shots are often at their most powerful when they capture the communities and cultures of where they were taken. Locals are essential pieces in your composition so take the time to let them feel a part of what you are doing. Use a compact with an LCD to show them what you are taking and they will likely let you get away with awkward positions and exceptional images.

6. Bring Your Shots Home

A day of incredible photos will be wasted if the data is lost somewhere on the way back home. If you can, get the data from each day on a laptop and push them online as soon as possible. If you’re shooting big, consider the possibility of using a server to host while you’re away. Then you can start with fresh memory cards each morning. Try not to email pictures raw, as the file sizes may be an unwelcome burden on the recipient.

7. Live Without Flash

Using a camera flash is often prohibited in museums as it can damage art and disrupt tourists. Look for spots that can be used without flash. For still images set up your tripod and lengthen the exposure times if a decently lighted shot it too hard to find. Portable reflectors may help here also, but make sure you ask any staff first or they may be confiscated.

8. Get In The Shot

If you’re with a group as the "alpha" photographer, don’t forget to pass off to someone else for a few of the shots. When you show off your photos to your friends and family, you will inevitably hear the question, "Where is one with you in it?" Traveling alone can make this trickier so it may be more risk than it is worth unless there is no-one around, or you can really trust who you hand off your camera to.

9. Variety Is Key

Don’t give in to the temptation of taking wide shot after wide shot. Landscapes, no matter how impressive, can become numbing after a while. Vary the focal depth every so-often. Zoom in on some curious detail that catches your eye, or capture a close moment when the subjects aren’t looking. Our eyes constantly shift focus range as we look around and doing so in your photos will give viewers a better impression of the location.

10. Time Your Trip

Research local events before planning your trip. There may be a festival or some other event that would not be impossible to shoot on any other day of the year. When attending large events make sure you have enough memory or film to keep you going through the event. Stay as light and portable as possible as you may need to scramble to a vantage point or mix with the crowds to get a shot.

And there you have it, 10 ways to turn those all-too-common, bland tourist shots into something well worth showing off. Take care through customs, especially with electronic equipment. Be careful in securing your belongings, and be sure to check out our other Travel Tips here on our TripMama.com forum for more sound advice.