Travel photography – a very popular hobby right now! One of the main reasons why people go travelling is to enjoy the landscapes, cultures and parts of the world that they have probably never seen before. That is why, most of the time one of our main goals on our travels is to capture as many high quality photographs as possible. Travel photography is something that has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the popularity of Instagram.
Many opt for reflex cameras; others opt for the brand new, famous GoPro cameras when thinking about their travel photography. The more laid-back people simply take photos using the camera on their mobile phones, in other words a “selfie”, while the stragglers decide to pass on the travel photography work to other travellers. If you fall into the first category, there are a number of tips, which show you that it isn’t enough just to know that you should take the best photographs on your travels. Make a note of the following:
1. Be sure about which photographic equipment you’ll bring
This is one of the things in terms of travel photography that you should prepare before you leave. The destination is an important thing to keep in mind when deciding which type of camera you will use for your travel photography. Keep in mind that there are more humid places where a GoPro camera may be a better choice than a reflex camera. Other places where perhaps the city is flat without any uneven terrain, there you can whip out your reflex camera with ease. Additionally, many people have equipment which is too heavy and too large to carry. There are destinations, like Turkey where you are not permitted to have any cameras in practically any of the tourist areas. So seriously think about whether you really need to bring a camera or not.
2. Quality vs Comfort
If you have opted for a reflex camera for your travel photography, you should consider that it will be more comfortable to carry a single lens that is suitable for any type of photo; a good option to consider especially when there isn’t much time. Or if you prefer to put quality first for your travel photography, bring a wider range of lenses, flashes etc. Also value your knowledge. If you are a first-timer when it comes to professional travel photography, perhaps the best option is to start off simple. Nowadays professional photographers complain that the iPhone takes better pictures than older cameras and that they seem to make anyone seem like a photographer. You should really take advantage of this opportunity of being something without having to perfect anything. Social networks like Instagram will help you achieve that.
3. Do you want to take a tripod with you?
Our advice is that if your destination is not suitable for taking pictures, then the best thing to do is to avoid taking a tripod with you at all. Travelling involves taking the bare minimum, not taking things that are going to make your journey more difficult and being aware of the fact that taking the perfect photo is for professionals and not for tourists. Besides, there are places that you won’t even be able to take your tripod to. Think about whether you really need it before you take it.
4. Be original
By this we mean that we don’t want you to settle for the four photographs of the most important monuments that every traveller will most likely take a picture of. If you want your travel photography to be well received, you must go for added value and focus on your surroundings from a different perspective, which will capture the reality of where you are without falling into the traps of photographic stereotypes.
5. Do not take selfies with a reflex camera
There’s nothing tackier than taking a selfie with a professional camera. Besides, doing so would be totally counter-productive: You will not be able to see how the image has turned out on the big screen, the focus will not be very good, the background will not appear the way it should on the image and from an outsider’s point of view, you will appear completely inexperienced.
6. Do not use ‘manual’ without knowing how to
The manual reflex option is only for the experts. If you think you will not know how to control the depth of field settings, ISO, the beginning etc, it’s better to opt for automatic.
7. Control how much you post on social media
Your Facebook and Instagram followers will definitely be impressed with your photos from exotic places around the world, but do not get carried away and end up posting too many of your photos all over the Internet. People will get tired of seeing your posts, they will enjoy your photos more if you don’t post them all the time. Even though you have taken 100 great photos, make sure you are selective when it comes to which ones will make it to social media.
Posting one or two photos per day is enough and you can upload the rest of the album, creating a collection of holiday photos when you return from your travels.
8. Quality of the image
Finally, before you publish an image, it almost always needs a small amount of photo manipulation so that it’s perfect. That’s why photo elements such as contrast; brightness or colour saturation should always be monitored before the final upload.
Forget all of these Instagram filters that were created by the devil! Good travel photography should capture the essence of the place you are visiting and choosing a random filter will not do that. Maintain the standard and keep an eye on which colour effects you use but don’t imitate other photographers.
We hope that these tips will help you recognise the important things to remember when taking and sharing photos from your travels. Remember, take photos but enjoy yourself too. Practice your travel photography with these trips on our Eurotrip at Christmas!
Translated by Lauren Burn
