How To Take More Creative Travel Photos

Taking creative photos while travelling may seem like a thing for only those with amazing cameras and lens. However, the truth is that anyone can take more compelling and in depth photographs with practise and a little help. Here are five tips that will help you take more creative photographs.

Five Tips To Take More Creative Photographs:

1.       Try different angles.

A great way to spice up your photographs and add some creativity to them is by shooting the same subject at different angles. Stop shooting your subject only from face on – do not be afraid to move! Creep down low, get on someone’s shoulders, move to the left, move to the right, take two steps back, one step to the left, get low and look up at your subject.  The point is to try a bunch of different positions and angles, and see what works best for what you are trying to portray in your image.

2.       Observe your subject/ the area you are shooting.

Before you start shooting, take a minute or two and have a look around to see what is happening. Look for any sort of element that could take your photo to the next level. For example, maybe you are in a plaza capturing the amazing buildings around you, then when you look around you see a street clown blowing bubbles. You could easily use the clown and his bubbles in your photos to enhance your photos of the plaza and the architecture you see.  Another example, one time I was shooting a photo story at a skatepark in Argentina and at first I was just on the side of the half pipe snapping photos as the skaters went back and forth. As I watched them for a while I realized that I could take way better photos if I climbed up and sat on the half pipe. I did and I was able to connect with my subjects so much more and was able to take more creative photographs.

3.       Try shooting the same subject at different times of the day.

Places look different depending on what time of day you are there. If you are looking to take the most creative image of your subject, try coming back to the same spot once in the morning, afternoon and evening, and see how the difference in light changes the feel of your photos. Also, if you are shooting on a sunny day, you could return and shoot maybe when it is raining or overcast. While I was in Rome I visited the Spanish steps twice, once when it was raining and the other when it was very sunny out. Believe it or not I prefer the photos I took when it was raining because a) there was no one else on the steps, which is a rare thing to happen, and b) I got to capture photographs of my friend laughing in the rain holding a red umbrella which created more creative and engaging photos. 

4.        Don’t be afraid to get closer.

If you are looking through your photos and you are feeling like they could use a creative pep talk, try getting close to your subject. If you are shooting a person look for unique features they have and focus your attention on it. Maybe they have a beautiful freckled face, and bright eyes, why not capture one of their eyes and half of their nose and create an image that allows your audience connect with your subject in a more personal way. If you are shooting a landscape, look for little details that you can zoom in on to show your subject in a different way. For example in the two photos below, they are both of the Colosseum but make you feel completely different. 

5.        Study what other photographers are doing.

Good artist copy, great artist steal! Obviously do not steal anyone else’s images, but what I am suggesting you do is to look up some great photographers and see how they set up their images. Really observe their photographs. Pay attention to how they set up their shot, where were they standing when they took this image – were they even standing? What elements did they use to highlight their subject? What time of day did they shoot at? You could take it one step further and exam what camera they used as well as what lens they used to create the images that you love the most.

Use these 5 tips on your next trip and see a difference in your photographs. Remember that like anything, to get good at photography you need to practice, in fact they say that your first 10,000 photos are going to be complete garbage. But that’s ok! The more you shot the better you will be. For more tips for beginners ready my post How To Take Better Travel Photos.

Happy shooting friends,