Be observant and prepared for an unexpected moment.Be observant and prepared for an unexpected moment.
 

We all know that packing is a bore. Even if we’re already in holiday mode, we find that making a list of what to pack and trying to fit it all in our luggage is just a waste of time. The dreaded hours of packing are also spiked with anxiety because we just know that we will forget something. And it’s always something essential: it’s either our passport, our favourite dress, or that book we planned on reading during the journey.

One thing we never leave behind is our camera. And even if we did, there’s always our smartphone, which takes pretty decent pictures.

Travel photography is a genre that we’re all good at. That doesn’t mean that the photos we take while on holiday are all exhibition material – some are blurry, in others the light is all wrong, and our finger tends to get in the way. Rather, it’s because the main aim of travel photography is to serve as a reminder of the good times of holidays past. And even in the case of a badly shot photo, it can still be a reminder.

That said, there’s added pleasure in improving our travel photography skills. Here is how.

What to pack

First things first: pack your camera, battery chargers and a travel adaptor. If you have extra batteries, take them along as well as they will save you precious charging time.

Look around bends and explore places which aren’t on your tourist guide

Don’t forget that when travelling, we tend to try and capture every moment on camera. And that means that we risk running out of storage space half way through the holiday. A laptop is great for backing up images, doing some basic image editing and storing in the cloud. You can also opt for a portable hard drive to have a secondary backup just in case your laptop gets stolen.

Zoom in on your location

Before departing, make a list of all the places and landmarks you want to visit and photograph. While some places are accessible all day and night, others might not: public gardens or monuments, for instance, might have strict opening and closing times, while to view others, you will need to book in advance. Do your research well so that you don’t waste time commuting or queuing up.

Also, plan the approximate time when you will be visiting: taking photos of the Bosphorus at sunset is very different from capturing a morning moment. Also, get a feel for the flow of the place you’re visiting. In very hot countries, for instance, the busiest hours are the early ones, and these are followed by a lull in the afternoon. Plan the time you will be visiting depending on the shots you’re after. That said, don’t plan too much. After all, photography is not a science experiment – rather, it’s capturing moments as they happen. And moments have an uncanny way of happening when you’re least expecting them. A bird in mid-flight against the backdrop of a setting sun, a beautiful car driving by, and a stranger silhouetted against a Parisian bridge: these are all moments that you cannot plan for.

The best way to be ready for such moments is to get out there. Experience the city that you’re visiting. Get up early and stay up late and in between, wander around, getting lost in winding streets. Just hang around and eat where locals do. Sit in cafes and watch people walking by. Look around bends and explore places which aren’t on your tourist guide. Be observant, and sooner or later, a beautiful moment worth capturing on camera will happen.

Photographing people

Photographing landscapes, buildings, monuments and markets creates a sense of the location that you are visiting. However, the essence of a place can be captured in a stranger’s face.

Taking photos of people is a social affair. A person is not a tourist site and so you need to be respectful, friendly and have the right approach. You need to build a relationship with your subject.

That doesn’t mean you have to take them out to dinner or spend hours chatting to them – however, exchanging some anecdotes, telling them something about yourself, and showing an interest in their culture are all good ways of making them feel comfortable about having their photo taken. If you manage to do all this, you will find that photographing people can be an enriching experience.

If you are taking photos of your travel companions, strike a balance between taking a photo of them and of the place you’re visiting. If you go for a very tight close-up of your family, then the surroundings will not be in the photo and they could be anywhere. The trick here is to give context to a family photo.

One issue that frequently crops up when photographing people is whether you should ask for permission before clicking away. It all depends on the kind of photo that you’re taking. If a person is the main subject of a photo, then do ask permission first. However, if people are part of the background or incidentally end up in your photo, then you don’t need to ask for permission.

Landscapes

Mountains, hills, rivers, deserts, beaches – they all have their own individual characteristics which can influence your final photos. Whatever kind of landscape you are shooting, adapt to its characteristics and try and capture its qualities. For instance, if taking photos of a dramatic cliff, show the waves crashing, but if you’re on some tropical beach, zoom in on the stillness of the sand and the bright sun. It’s all about creating layers and adding multiple dimensions to your photos.

It’s all in the details

Photos of wide-angle vistas can look great: the rugged Grand Canyon, a starry night, the rolling green hills of Ireland, the spread of a busy Champs Elysées and the dramatic Scottish highlands are all impressive. However, don’t be afraid to zoom in because even the tiniest details can speak volumes. A row of spices add a Middle Eastern flavour to your photo while a plum blossom set against the roofline of a pagoda will capture the essence of Japan. You can also use details to create a pattern or add texture to your photos.

Variety is the spice of travel

Flipping through your travel photo albums, you will realise that most of the images all look the same. The buildings are all framed in the same way and people are always posed and in portrait.

Sticking to the same subject, framing, colour and composition will make your travel album look a bit one-dimensional.

First of all, vary your subject. Turn your camera on your travel companions, architecture, landscapes, transportation, street scenes, food and drink, signage and yourself. Also, take shots in different ways. For instance, if shooting architecture or food, zoom in to capture the details. And when capturing a street scene, add some blurs for extra movement. If using your smartphone to take photos, use an app that allows you to use different filters and effects.

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