Anyone who has ever sat through a slide presentation of Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob’s travel photos will tell you that most travel photos are dull, boring, repetitive and mean nothing to anyone except the person who took them. With the onset of digital cameras travelers are able to take more photos and the potential for a Power Point presentation that will put most people to sleep after the first few minutes is huge.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. By following a few guidelines and photography tips, your travel photos can be the kind that people actually want to see.
First of all digital cameras are great, you can and should take plenty of pictures of your trip. But what should you photograph? I always look at the postcards being sold in a particular place to see what the major attractions are and how the pictures are composed. A professional photographer has taken the picture from a specific angle or location for a reason and I can use this information to compose my own travel photos to try and get the best shot possible. But don’t just take that postcard shot, use some imagination and take a similar but more creative picture.
Follow the basic rules of photography; use the rule of thirds, S curves and diagonal lines in your photos.
The rule of thirds states that you should not center your subject in the middle of your photo. Divide your photograph in three areas either left, center, right, or top, middle, bottom. Center your subject in either the left or right of the photo or the top or bottom. This makes your photo easier to look at and much more interesting.
Diagonal lines are used to draw the viewer’s eyes into the photo. Don’t shot streets or sidewalks as a straight line, instead make them diagonal. S Curves are common in nature and easy to find. You want something that curves in the shape of an S, like a river or sand dune. They make the photo more interesting and draws the viewers eye into the photo.
Light is also important. The best time to take photos is supposed to be the early morning or around sunset when the light is softer. Unfortunately when you are traveling you can’t always wait for perfect lighting to take your photo, so try turning on the auto white balance setting on your camera, this will help your camera capture light more realistically.
Familiarize yourself with all your cameras bells and whistles before your trip. Bring your camera manual, you never know when you might just need it. Set your cameras ISO at no greater than 400 for outdoor shots.
If your camera is a digital point and shot take advantage of the scene modes and use them when taking photos. The camera is designed to compensate for aperture and shutter speed settings based on the scenic mode you have selected. Use this technology. Always shot at the highest level or mode that you can. Most digital cameras have three setting to choose from, use the highest or finest mode available that way if you take a fantastic shot and want to blow it up you can.
Mix up your photos, don’t just take shots of building or historic sites or people, take pictures of a variety of subject matter to make your photos more interesting. Take photos with you and your traveling companions and friends in them.
Take photos of signs and historic plaques to help you remember where you took the photos and put them in context. A photo of a tombstone that looks like any other tombstone means nothing but if it marks the grave of a famous person or is in a well known cemetery, it will become an interesting picture.
When taking people shots, you need to get up close. The best people pictures are close ups. Use your flash for fill light, it makes for better shots of someone’s face. Take to the person you want to photograph, ask their permission. You will not only get a better photo but will make a new friend and have a story to tell with your picture.
Respect other cultures and people’s preferences regarding photos. Some people don’t want their photos taken for what ever reason. If this is the case don’t take the photo. Don’t try and sneak a photo as that is disrespectful. Remember you are a visitor in their country so be on your best behavior. Ask first before you take photos of people, most of the time they will be flattered that you want their photo. Offer to send them a print.
If a particular place does not allow photos, please respect their request. Buy a postcard if you must have a picture. Many churches and historical sites ban photography inside buildings for very good reasons. The flash can cause degeneration of a priceless artifact or work of art. So if you come across a place that says no photos, don’t take any photos, period.
Don’t delete your photos from your memory card until you have looked at them on a big screen. The small screen at the back of your camera doesn’t accurately show the picture, you must see it on a big screen to judge if it worth keeping or can be deleted. Bring several memory cards so that you can take as many photos as you want without worrying about running out of space. 4 gigabit memory cards are considered the idea size.
If you bring a USB memory stick and a card reader you can upload your photos to the memory stick at any internet café. That way you will have a backup and can reuse your memory card if you do run out of space or if some thing happens to your card.
Rotate your cards. Don’t put all your photos on one card, again technical problems can and do happen. Be prepared and you will not loose all your once in a lifetime photos if you do have a technical problem with your memory card or camera.
Always carry an extra battery. Nothing is worse than having your battery go dead and not being able to take any more photos. I always carry two batteries; one in the camera and one fully charged in my pack, that way if my battery goes dead my ability to take pictures doesn’t die with it.
When putting together your travel presentation, only use the very best photos you have taken. You may have taken 50 photos of a historic landmark but only use 1 or 2 of them in your travel log. No one wants to see dozens of photos of the same thing from different angles. Use photos that will give the viewer an idea of what you did and saw. A few carefully selected photos of each place you visited will keep their interest and will keep them from being bored.
Photographs are a great way to remember your travels. Know your camera and how to use all the settings. Follow the basic rules of photography when taking pictures. Take lots of photos of different things and don’t delete them until you have viewed them on a big screen. Rotate your memory cards and backup whenever possible. Respect other people’s cultures and requests regarding the taking of photos. Put together a carefully selected set of photos to show your friends and family and you will have a photo record of your trip that people will actually want to see.
For more travel photography tips:
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/travel-photography-tips-2/
http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/52
http://www.collectivelens.com/article.PHP?id=9
http://h10084.www1.hp.com/canada/portal/hho/digital_photography/take_better_photos/index.HTML?jumpid=google_search/ipgconsumer/taking_photos_learning/en/cd/092007&tafcjnef=fy08&ppc=DSp58739392
