7 tips to creating memorable travel photos
How many times have you gone on a trip, and taken a million photos only to let them sit on your phone or in the cloud? I get asked quite often, how do I take good travel photos that I actually want to display. I could probably teach a whole course in this by now. Here are my top 7 tips to help you capture beautiful images that you will actually want to get printed, and share with your friends.
#1 – Arrive at an “off time”
Sometimes on vacation, all I want to do is sleep in. And I know if you’re traveling with kids like I usually am, waking up early is the last thing I want to do. But, sometimes if there’s something you really want a photo of without a horde of people in the foreground, going early is the best bet. This isn’t the only reason to go early though. Keep reading for another reason why going early has its perks!
#2 – Look for the best light
Golden hour, it’s when the light is the least harsh as far as shadows and highlights.
Photography is all about light! The best light of day is early in the morning when the sun is rising, or in the evening when the sun is setting. It’s known as golden hour, and it’s when the light is the least harsh as far as shadows and highlights. I know when you’re traveling you can’t always get that golden hour light. So, if you’re taking it of people, try and step into a shady spot. If it’s dark inside, try to move near a window to get some natural light. For night time shots, if you’re using a cell phone, try and get near some sort of light source, a street light or shop sign for example. Most new cell phones have a night mode feature in the camera settings, so experiment with that. You will have to hold it very still, so try and prop it up somewhere safe if you can.
#3 – Ask around
Sometimes my favorite thing to do is ask a local or our tour guide where the best place is to get a photo. For example, when we were in Marrakech, I really wanted a photo of the market. But all the views from the street were boring. I asked our tour guide where his favorite place to view the market was, and he told us about a rooftop restaurant. We booked and asked to have our table near the balcony. It was the most amazing view over the market, just what I was looking for.
#4 – Don’t forget your manners!
If you can establish a connection with them that’s great.
Taking street photos can be a beautiful way to remember places you’ve traveled. However, easily forgotten is a respect for the privacy of others. Before you snap an obvious photo of someone on the street, think about if the roles were reversed. A tourist was in your neighborhood, ogling and taking a photo of you outside as you swept your front porch. Weird huh! Especially if there’s children involved – that’s a whole other level of privacy that is uncomfortable for most people. Politeness is a common courtesy to remember when you’re taking a picture of someone. If you can establish a connection with them that’s great. But if not, at least quickly ask and let them know the photo is only for personal use. Sometimes I’ll even offer to WhatsApp them the photo once I’m done editing it, or email it to them if that’s an option. If you can see the back of people, or they are unrecognizable in the photo it’s a safe bet to say you are ok.
#5 – Appreciate the moment
It’s easy to just snap away when there’s so many things you want to remember. But I encourage you to kind of unplug. Be in the moment. What are you going to really do with 50 photos of the Arc De Triomphe? Do you remember shooting with a roll of film? You had 26 shots, that’s it and you had to make them all count. Something I try to remember when taking photos on a trip, is to try and capture the feeling, the emotion behind the moment. Something that tells a story of your unique experience. Pause, be in the moment, take mental snapshots, and challenge yourself to wait for the perfect photo that summarizes that adventure.
#6 – Know the capabilities of your camera or phone
Whether you have a cell phone or another digital camera, be mindful of it’s capabilities and limitations. For example, unless you have a top of the line cell phone with dual cameras (one with optical zoom instead of digital zoom for all my nerd speak friends), don’t even try zooming in to get a good image. I’ve had people ask me when to use flash and when not to. That’s a topic for a whole other time, but generally I avoid using flash, unless there’s something in the foreground (within 1-5 feet) I really want lit. Speaking of manual features, most newer camera phones also have a pro feature. And the capability to shoot in RAW, which is a large file size, but it’s the highest quality image and if you have any sort of editing software on hand, having a RAW file to start with will land you in a good place once you finish editing. I’d recommend learning a bit about how to shoot in Pro mode and learning the manual settings on your camera. YouTube has a plethora of videos, especially when it comes to learning about your specific camera or phone.
#7 – Think about composition
Composing a photo goes right along with #5. Waiting for the story. I could tell you to remember the rule of thirds (google it if you don’t know), but when it comes to travel photography, I see a lot of images fall flat, literally. A building or a landscape that looks beautiful with different angles and curves, quickly becomes 2 dimensional in a photo. My biggest piece of advice is to layer and create depth. For example, you’re walking along the street and you love the architecture of a building right next to you. Instead of pointing the camera straight up in front of the building, think about going caddy corner to the building, getting some trees in the foreground, or people walking by. It adds atmosphere that not only adds better composition to your photos, but it also helps tell a story and creates a feeling. Every time you look at it, you’ll remember that experience of walking back down that street.
I hope these 7 tips on taking good travel photos help you next time you travel. As someone who loves to travel and document the experience, having these photos for my family to remember and eventually display around the house is something that is so special to me. If you have any questions, contact me and I’d be happy to help you get them answered.
