Travel Photography

Travel Photography Dos and Don’t

With the advent of social media and the advances in camera phone technology, the worlds travelers consider themselves to be photographers par excellence.  However if you aren’t careful your Facebook, Instagram and X accounts can become your own version of your friend’s boring holiday slideshow hell.

There are ways to avoid being “that annoying friend” however, and the first way is to put your phone away and use a proper camera; despite the recent technological advances there simply is no substitute for a solid, robust, purpose built camera for taking quality photographs.

Here are some dos and don’ts:

• Don’t be a sheep and follow the crowd.  Try something different; something a little less touristy.  Nobody wants to see anything landmark surrounded by overweight tourists eating lunch on the run.

• Use the personal touch.  Try to capture how the landmark made you feel by taking atmospheric shots with different angles or lighting.  Most of all wait for that Dude using a selfie stick to get out of the way!

• Don’t take repetitive shots.  You might like fountains or bridges or road signs…well maybe not road signs, but there’s nothing worse than a set of holiday snaps which are repetitive, boring and too samey.

• Take the time to edit.  Often you can tell a better story with a handful of shots rather than one hundred.  Get the pacing of your shots right and try to identify a theme such as light or architecture that you can run through your shots.

• Don’t deliberate and pontificate.  Don’t doubt your shot, just take it.  You can edit, delete or ask permission to take pictures of government secrets later…Don’t let hesitation ruin your pictures.

• Take pictures at all times of the day and night.  Early morning and late night can give you different lighting, hence your shots will have a greater spectrum and warmer atmospheric feel.

  

Picture I took of a tourist at a temple in Cambodia

Comments?