Your 2019 Travel Photography Tips and Tricks
With summer around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start planning your next trip. Before you head out on your next adventure, check out our tips and tricks for taking the best travel photos.
- Scout out your locations before you go.
Before heading out on your trip, take a peek at the location’s tags online to see what unique and interesting spots you want to capture. Mapping out the sites you want to see can help you to efficiently plan your itinerary. You can check out which are the most iconic locations and start brainstorming ways to capture them from a unique, and fresh point of view. With that said, do always be sure to keep your eye out for the unexpected once you’re there!
2. Get up early; stay out late.
The best light is going to be in the morning or early evening. Golden hour gives your images a soft lighting which results in beautiful photos. These somewhat unconventional hours also let you check out popular landmarks and sites without the chaos of the tourist rush.
3. Don’t hesitate to get dirty.
When trying to get a unique shot, don’t be afraid to get down on the ground to achieve an angle of the subject you haven’t seen before. When you get creative with your perspective, this is when you get those memorable shots.
4. Take the time to compose your photo.
Composing your photo is all about positioning your main subject in a way that will tell the best story. Two of the easiest ways to do this is by following the rule of thirds or by taking a symmetrical photo.
You can follow the rule of thirds for both landscape and portrait photos. The goal of following this rule is to place the point of interest at intersecting points in the grid diving the image by lines three across horizontally and vertically. You want to place important parts of the photo into those sections and help frame the overall image in a way that’s pleasing to the eye. If you are shooting on smartphones, you can use the grid feature to help guide you.
You can also try composing a symmetrical photo. It can be trickier to do so, but it results in stunning images. To do this, you will want to place the subject in the center allowing the light in the photo to guide the eye to the central point of the image. Surrounding lines need to be straight and symmetrical in order to pull off this composition.
5. Be patient.
Photography is all about truly seeing what is in front of you. Make sure you’re aware of your surroundings before snapping your shot. Not only will this give you time to compose a great photo, but it will also open your eyes and heart to your surroundings, elevating your travel experience.
6. Works with the elements in your frame to enhance your photo.
Sun rays, rain clouds or birds may all seem like they’re distracting from the point of the photo, but they can actually create more of an interesting story within the frame than if you were to shoot you subject clean. This creates a more authentic feel to your photo giving viewers a snapshot of the moment rather than a simple, staged image. In the same vain, you do want to be aware of what’s in the frame. To show depth in a landscape shot think about framing an object that helps to show scale. Just be sure you aren’t capturing anything in the frame that distracts from the main subject.
7. Don’t underestimate the power of a travel tripod.
Lightweight travel tripods are a game changer when it comes to travel photography. They allow you to stabilize your shots while you take time to set up the composition of your shot. Solo travelers love them as it makes taking timed shots a breeze, allowing them to jump in as their own model.
8. Always have a clean camera lens.
This may seem basic enough, but the cleanliness of your lens could make or break your shot. When on the go, carry a cleaning cloth — much like the kind used for cleaning glasses — to make sure you’re always shooting with the cleanest lens.
9. Be prepared.
Always be prepared. Whether you’re shooting on a digital camera or your phone, you’re going to want to make sure you have extra batteries and charging cables to ensure you’ll never miss a great photo opt.
In addition, you want to keep you photos safe. Use Monument to back up and store all of your images and videos to your own private, personal cloud. Monument will organize the images for you making it easy to share your memories with family and friends when you return home.
10. Enjoy yourself and live in the moment.
The most important part of travel is to enjoy yourself while opening your mind to new sights and experiences. With this in mind along with the other basic tips of photography travel, you’re sure to capture incredible shots.