If you are looking for tips for travel photography then this travel photography tips guide is just what you need. Travel photography to me is one of the most rewarding categories of photography. Traveling is exciting as you get to see and experience all the beautiful places in the world, and what is more exciting is capturing all those beautiful scenes with your camera. I never leave home without my camera.
Traveling around your country or going overseas is always an awesome experience, discovering new places and towns you have never been to. When I travel, I don’t always just take photographs, I also enjoy visiting the landmarks in South Africa and museums. It’s always good to learn about a town or country you have visited.
Travel photography tips
You don’t need top of the range equipment when taking travel photos, most cameras take good images, even mobile phones are used today. It’s more about how you take the photo, where you stand, and your location to finding the best view point, your lighting also plays a very important role. I’ve been taking landscape photos for the past 6 years and I have discovered that your best time to take a landscape or travel photograph is early morning or late afternoon when the light is at its best. Midday photos are normally slightly bland. The best time to capture a sunrise is about 30 minutes before the sun rises and for sunset it’s normally about 15 minutes after the sun has set, that’s when you get the best light.
I specialize in Landscape Photography so finding beautiful scenes in and around a town or city is my main aim. I always have someone with me to do the driving so that I can concentrate on the surrounding scenery. You have to find the best view point, and sometimes it’s difficult to reach because the terrain can be quite rugged. I’ve had to do a lot of climbing to get to a suitable spot to capture an image, it’s really not easy but always rewarding, once you’ve captured the image.
If you want the best photos, you have to be dedicated and willing, for example if you want to capture a sunrise photograph over the ocean you will have to wake up very early. I have done this many times, and it’s not so easy to get up very early, especially in the winter. But once you are there and admire the vibrant colours of the sunrise and the beauty thereof, it’s absolutely amazing. After I’ve captured a few shots and downloaded them onto my computer and scanned my photos, I normally feel quite satisfied and feel it was worth the effort.
Everyone has their own style when taking travel photos and that’s perfectly fine, but there are a few pointers to keep in mind when taking landscape images. Always have a tripod handy, it keeps your camera stable when you are capturing at a slower shutter speed. I always use my tripod when capturing sunrise as it’s still quite dark before sunrise. It allows enough light in and makes your image more vibrant. Always keep your “rule of thirds” in mind as it is rather important when capturing landscapes, either more sky when the sky is more vibrant than the foreground and vice versa.
Happy snapping, hope you found these tips for travel photography useful.
Words by Cindy Bester.
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