How To Take Better Travel Photos

Ansel Adams said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” For me, this statement could not be any truer. Photography is more than ‘point and shoot.’ It is focusing on an object that you not only appreciate but find yourself involved with. Taking the time to think about what you want to portray, setting up the shot, capturing what you intended, immortalizing it forever and sharing it with the world is a beautiful thing.

I fell in love with photography ten years ago, and it still brings me as much joy as it did when I was first learning how to use a camera. I have been blessed to travel the world creating beautiful images, and having amazing experiences that all came from my passion for photography.

Once upon a time, I was shooting a 24-hour project at a skate park in Buenos Aires. It was a fairly large skate park that hosted some very talented skaters, bladers, and BMXers. At one point during my project, I decided to sit on top of the half pipe and capture the action.

When the athletes saw my camera, they started showing off their amazing skills and let me see their passion for their sports. As I captured these moments, some of the people I was shooting started asking to see my photos. While going through the pictures, a half English, half Spanish conversation sparked up. People started telling me about their lives, how they’ve been skating since they were five, or how every day after work they meet at this park to skate.

As I kept shooting and they kept skating, the conversation flourished and soon, we were all laughing and sharing a beer. Not only did I get a glimpse into these people’s lives, but I formed a relationship with them simply based on my passion for photography and their passion for skating. It was the kind of moment that makes you realize how beautiful life is.

Even though I now know how to create beautiful photographs, I wasn’t always great at. Often, the first 10,000 photos you make are garbage, and this was very true for me. The first photos I took were complete rubbish. It took time, practice and learning new techniques for me to start creating images I am proud of. I am constantly growing in my skills and getting better and better the more I shoot.

If you want to take a better photo on an upcoming trip, or if you just want to create better photos to get Insta-famous, I recommend you take some time to learn some basic photography techniques. Luckily, I have some tips for you right here in this blog! If you are wanting to learn, even more, I recommend you join Skillshare and enroll in the photography courses available. Skillshare is super affordable and is a great place to learn new creative skills, like photography. 

Here are five photography tips that will take your photography skills to the next level and enhance the photos you create on your adventures.

1. Lighting – Golden Hour

The word photography means “drawing with light”. Understanding light and practicing how to best use it will dramatically change how your images turn out. One aspect of lighting is knowing when to shoot. The golden hour refers to 1 – 3 hours after the sunrise and before the sunsets depending on the time of year. The golden hour is the best time to shoot using natural light. The light at these times is warm and soft and will give your photos a more even, golden look. 

2. Rule of Thirds

This is a really simple technique that can enhance your photography skills instantly. The rule of thirds is dividing your photo into a grid of nine equal sections, divided by three vertical lines and three horizontal lines. When you are lining up your shot, imagine the grid being placed over your subject. Line up your subject on one of the lines or where the lines intersect. This will make the main subject of your photo placed either more to the left or right – not in the center of the image, making the image more dynamic. This rule is great for landscapes as well as portraits.

3.  Frame

Another simple tip that can add depth and context to your images is framing. To successfully implement this technique, you want to use elements in the photograph to frame your main subject.  

Taking the time to think about what you want to portray, setting up the shot, capturing what you intended, immortalizing it forever and sharing it with the world is a beautiful thing.

4. Leading Lines

When you look at a photograph, your eyes are automatically drawn to one part of the photograph first. To control where your audience looks and where they focus their attention, try using lines to lead your audience’s focus to your main subject. Roads, fences, train tracks, and bridges, are all great examples of elements that you can use to direct your audience’s attention to the focal points you want them to see. 

5.  Check Your Background

This is a very important tip that a lot of people overlook because they are too busy focusing on their main subject. After you line up your photo, and your subject is where you want it to be, take a look in the background and make sure it is clear of any imperfections. For example, if your main subject is a person, check to see if there is anything behind the person that may look odd in your image. Is there a tree that looks like it is coming out of the person’s head? Is there someone in the background picking their nose? Is there an inappropriate word written in the graffiti on the wall? You get the point.

These five tips are a great place to start your photographic journey. Practice, practice, practice, these five tricks and I guarantee you will see improvements in your travel photography. If you have any questions about photography leave it in the comments below, or send me an email and I’ll be happy to help you.

Happy shooting,

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