Travel Photography Tips for Budding Photographers

Tap to Read ➤ Tanmay Tikekar

Photography and traveling are inextricably linked, and many travelers want to know more about taking better photos. Read this to know more about travel photography.

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still!" ―Dorothea Lange

Traveling and photography go hand in hand. Most of us can't travel without taking photos, some travel for photography, while some work as photographers in order to travel! The allure of photography to a traveler goes much beyond just having a memory of having been at a particular place.

It is an attempt to capture the very essence of the place he/she has visited, an effort to bring to life what makes the place tick, an innate desire to make others see the place through his own eyes.

In today's digital age, it is virtually impossible to take a bad picture, with the variety of tools at our disposal. However, there are still some basic methods that need to be followed and tips that need to be mastered through practice so that your travel photography becomes more than just a pastime.

Here's more about the practicalities of this enriching hobby. Here are some tips and tricks in travel photography for beginners.

Travel Photography Tips and Tricks

Start Using a DSLR Camera

Starting off with a seemingly obvious one, but a surprising amount of wannabe photographers still desist from buying a DSLR, and persist with their point-and-shoot playthings.

A DSLR gives you complete control over a lot of things that you can't adequately control in point-and-shoot cameras, the most important of which is the type of lens you want to employ.

It also allows you to shoot RAW pictures, which is akin to having the negative of a picture at hand to be molded however you want to, rather than the ready-made JPEG pictures captured by point-and-shoot cameras. The latter is fine if all you are going to photograph is family gatherings, but for serious photographic journeys, you seriously need a DSLR.

Variety of Lenses

Different lens are useful for different scenes. Use 2 types of lenses: one that can be versatile with its focal length; a 25-200 mm lens and another that has a prime focal length, a 50 mm.

... But Don't Pack Too Much

Unless you are a professional photographer, you don't need (and probably can't afford) a whole range of variable lenses. As said before, you only really need two lenses; even one would suffice.

As they say, it's the photographer that clicks the photo, not the camera! If you find a beautiful scene, even a standard, kit 18-55 lens is more than enough to make it look fantastic. When the perfect moment unfolds before you, you don't want to be stuck changing your lens―you want to be clicking away.

Research Your Location

There are beautiful scenes wherever you go, but getting the opinion of other, more experienced photographers about certain places is really important.

If someone you know has been somewhere you are going to go, bug them for information about scenery, the best locations to view it, and weather conditions. Look up various locations around your destination on the Internet, and get involved in photography forums.

Limit the Number of Touristy Photos

Yes, you got to have a photo of you and your smiling partner next to the Eiffel Tower, or holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but try to limit yourself to wasting a minimal amount of time on such photographs. A photo is not just what you see, it's about what you want to show . Try to take pictures with your unique take on the familiar scene.

Include People in Your Shots

And it doesn't just mean portraits by that. Places don't come alive thanks to the stunning architecture on a medieval wall. They don't come alive thanks to fields of flowers stretching before your eyes. They come alive thanks to the little boy staring intently at the wall, and the little girl running through the flowers.

There may be appealing scenes, but in travel photography, what you want to show is the people that make up a place. The places remain the same, but the people may never come to that particular spot again.

Use the Golden Hour

Golden hour photography is a freebie given away by nature for newbies. It makes everything appear more beautiful and warm. Use the moments just before and just after the sun sets and rises to give your frame that enviable golden luster.

Cityscapes look much more inviting and appealing in the golden light, and portraits carry a bronzed hue.

Keep a Backup

Memory cards love getting lost and putting you in a fix. An easy way to defeat their purpose is to back up your photos to your laptop daily. Better be pedantic about keeping a backup than sorry about losing your precious memories in one tiny stroke of bad luck, right?

Stay Safe

That shot you think would be amazing of a waterfall taken from its summit? There's a device for taking such shots, and it's called a helicopter. That shot you just got to have of that snake staring into your lens? What you actually need is a lot of distance between you and it.

Don't put yourself in undue danger for the sake of a photograph! The point of photography is to make memories, not be one !

Use Image Editing Programs Lightly

Some 'serious photographers' are incredibly self-righteous about photographers who use such software, and fair enough, if your photo has to be 'rescued' with the help of Photoshop, you shouldn't be clicking photos. But there is nothing wrong with using it for basic functions, such as optimizing the contrast and color settings, or removing red-eye.

Do the best you can with the initial photo, and only use editing programs to refine the shot, not to virtually make the shot. Employ these tips the best you can, and enjoy the stunning results!