Traveling is an absolute passion of mine as it is for many people. As photographers we all love to take a million photographs while traveling and are often in amazing places to capture wonderful images. Unfortunately many people end up with flat, boring and blurry images with some bald guys head in the shot. Here are 10 tips that will help you get incredible travel photographs every time!
#1 Understand What Travel Photography Really Is
Travel photography is about telling a story. The story of your trip, the feelings and emotions of the moment and also capturing the environment in a way that explains what's going on.
Travel photography can encompass almost every style of photography from landscape to architecture to intimate portraits. I am a landscape and nature guy but enjoy capturing candid street scenes and architecture when travelling. I'm not the kind of photographer that wants to annoy some poor homeless dude because he looks like something worth photographing, but if that's your thing then go for it. If you get back from your travels and you have 200 photographs that really explain what you've seen and done then you're on a winner. If they come back blurry and over exposed then, well... read the rest of this post.
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| New Orleans at Dawn Available Here |
#2 Travel light
Don't over complicate it! Only take what you need and nothing you don't. You can't do everything. If you really need those grad filters for landscapes then take them but I wouldn't bother. I take a DSLR that I know and can work quickly, a 28mm f/1.8 lens a 50mm f/1.8 lens and a 100mm macro lens. They all take the same filter size so I take ONE, good quality, Circular Polariser and that's it. Traveling with a tripod is mental for most people and the light, crappy ones really don't do anything for you, especially in any kind of weather that's not completely calm.
#3 What Gear To Bring
I've already mentioned what gear I use but that is just my personal preference because I know my needs so well. If I were fairly new to travel photography and wanted to use a DSLR I would get a mid range camera, such as a Canon 7D or Nikon D7000 and a GOOD quality zoom at the range of roughly 24 - 70mm. Try to get a f/2.8 lens as you WILL be in low light some of the time. This zoom range will allow you to go wide enough for indoor or landscape stuff and stretch far enough to say, capture that Bear in Yellowstone National Park. It's a good all round kit but I would also recommend a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 or Canon's new 40mm pancake lens. These lenses are amazing in low light, are cheap and light! Perfect for traveling. I also chose the 7D and D7000 because they both have built in flashes, which work brilliantly with a Gary Fong Puffer. So here you have amazing image quality, low light performance and flash capabilities in a relatively inexpensive and light kit.
Another must have is a laptop and storage device. You will need to back up your images as you go, especially if you're shooting more than 500 photographs a day.
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| Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 24 - 70 f/2.8 |
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| Canon 650D with Canon 40mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens |
#4 Plan Your Photographic Trip
Plan, plan, plan! Don't wait until you get there to plan all of your locations. There are heaps of websites that will give you tips on photography locations around the world. For example, if you are photographing the Golden Gate Bridge you can do it from about 5 different areas. Figure out which angle you want before you even leave your house. I plan my holidays around photographic locations and art galleries. I plan everything in advance and know where and what time I will be capturing major subjects. REMEMBER! Some attractions/subjects are only available at certain times of the year. Plan it!
#5 Timing Is Everything
Chances are, if you're in San Francisco (for example) you are going to want to take a photograph of Lombard St. It's a major tourist attraction and will be packed with tourists for most of the day, walking down it, taking snap shots, kids running around, cars, dogs, cats!!!! aaaarggghhh!!!!!! If you want to photograph major tourist attractions you must get there early in the morning, besides that's the best light anyway! I captured this image of Lombard St early one morning, I walked about 12 blocks to get there and the place was deserted. It was magical.
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| San Francisco From Lombard St Available here |
#6 Be Safe
If you're a seasoned traveller you will already know how to be safe but here are my tips anyway. The first thing I do when I get to a new place (especially a city) is ask the taxi driver or hotel staff where the more dangerous areas are. This information and a good map will help you to steer clear of those areas and (hopefully) reduce the risk of getting your gear stolen.
I always have my camera attached to a BlackRapid Strap. These straps are more like slings and (in my opinion) are harder to rip off the body than a flimsy strap around your neck. Never leave your camera or camera bag unattended, even right next to you. Anything can happen, Just be careful.
Try to do things in pairs, especially in the wee hours of the morning or at night. A single person with $5000 worth of camera is an easy target.
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| The Golden Gate Available Here |
#7 Don't be scared to use auto mode
When taking travel photographs many of the best moments pass by so fast that we miss them completely. To give you the best advantage, forget manual mode... Forget manual focus... Just put the camera in auto mode, even auto ISO if you have to. This will ensure that you get THE SHOT and don't end up trying to explain what that blurry image was. I use aperture priority mode because I am used to it but sometimes I do miss a shot because, in the heat of the moment, my shutter speed was too low, guilty.
#8 Bump Up Your ISO
Don't be scared to turn up your ISO! ISO is your film speed or the digital sensors sensitivity to light. This means if you turn the ISO up, your shutter speed can also go up, allowing you to capture motion in low light. Most cameras these days have amazing ISO capabilities with very little grain (noise) so don't be scared to turn your ISO up to 800, 1600 or 3200! It will help you capture motion and stop unwanted blur from you and your subject.
#9 TECHNIQUE!
This is a big one. Technique is so important when trying to capture tack sharp images. As I said, the tripod for travel photography is a bit crazy, especially when flying because of weight restrictions e.t.c. It's also useless when you are in a crowded place or in a building that does not allow tripods (Central Station NYC, yes there are many).
The following images were captured on a freezing cold Christmas Eve in New York City. At the time I was using a Canon 7D with 17 - 40 f/4 lens. YES A f/4 LENS AT NIGHT!!!!!
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| Dirty Dogs Available Here |
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| Christmas in New York Available Here |
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| NYC Colour |
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| Radio City Music Hall New York City Available Here |
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| Christmas Eve On Ice Available Here |
The way I got these images so sharp was by using supports that were around me, such as poles, fences and railings to assist in steadying the camera. I also pushed my ISO to 1600 and 3200 to help capture the motion. Many of the photographs had low shutter speeds, which allowed the subjects to have some artistic motion blur. Knowing how to hold your camera is an absolute necessity for low light photography. If you are interested in learning more please check out the camera techniques page at ImprovePhotography.com.
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| Best of Friends Available Here |
#10 Look For Something Different
I am always looking for something different to capture. Of course, get the (Ansel Adams) shot of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park but also look where other people aren't looking. Try to be different and tell the WHOLE story! The photographs below show how I have captured more artistic renditions of recognisable subjects.
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| Golden Gate Bridge Pieces With Moon Available Here |
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| The Way Out of Alcatraz |
#11 Back up your photographs!
I learnt this the (really) hard way. One day in New York I walked all the way over the Brooklyn Bridge and claimed my spot for the evening light. I stayed there for hours waiting for the right light, taking around 200 photographs in and around the bridge. At the time I felt this was easily the best bridge landscape I had ever captured, it was beautiful. After returning back to the hotel I got distracted and forgot (I think) to back up my images onto my hard drive and somehow... those images were lost. I'm from Australia so the Brooklyn Bridge is a long way away. It's a devastating feeling and one that I hope to never feel again. BACK UP YOUR IMAGES STRAIGHT AWAY!
#12 Take Your Camera Everywhere
This tip is really a no brainer. Anything could happen at any time so be prepared and take your camera! Get a little 50mm f/1.8 lens and keep it in your bag or take a small point and shoot camera for when you can't take the DSLR. Remember travel photography is about telling a story so every moment counts!
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| A Crossing to the Empire |
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