They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and with smartphone cameras getting better and better, it’s never been easier to capture a moment and relive it again later. However, travel photography isn’t as easy as it seems. It can be difficult to capture the perfect shot or to capture the perfect moment.
Here are some tips and tricks for taking great travel photos.
Experiment With Composition
To capture better travel photos, you need better equipment, of course. But even so, sometimes the most arresting images come from simple tricks, like experimenting with composition or simply noticing your surroundings. “Photography is all about composition,” says photographer David Brauner of Seattle, Washington. “There are so many levels of composition—from pure technical composition to the aesthetic composition, which is more art.”
Don’t Underestimate the Human Element.
Travel is as much about the people you meet as it is about visiting new places because most of us travel with our phones. It’s easy to document those memorable moments with just the right filters.
Most travelers want to bring home memories of their trips. Technological developments like cameras with high-quality lenses and wide-angle focal lengths exist. But the human element is still important. In fact, capturing candid moments, like shots of people interacting with their surroundings, can make your travel photos more meaningful and memorable. As a photographer, the thought of snagging these shots is exciting, but knowing how to take better travel photos takes more than just being in the right place at the right time.
Shoot Travel Photos In Manual Mode
To take your photography up a notch, try shooting in manual mode. Doing so will free you from the constraints of automatic mode. By simply pressing the shutter button, you get to choose when to shoot, what aperture and shutter speed to use, and other important camera settings.
If you’re a travel photographer or simply love to take great photos, then you probably already know how important it is to shoot in manual mode. You can control almost every camera setting, including focus, aperture, shutter speed, and even ISO, when you shoot in manual. In other words, you’re in total control when shooting in manual mode.
Look For Leading Lines
If you want to take the best photos, look for the lines with texture or color, and lines that capture movement. Some of them draw your eye directly into the subject. Leading lines draw your eye into the photo, and it’s what photographers call one of the photography rules most ignored.
Everyone wants great travel photos, but with everyone taking snaps on their cell phone these days, the quality of your photos is only going to get worse. If you want to take better travel photos, the key is to find lines that lead the viewer’s eye into the center of the photo. When traveling, you’re always going to have busy scenes, so the key is to keep in mind that you don’t need every element in the photo to be in focus. In fact, it’s better to blur out some of the backgrounds so that viewers can focus on the main subject.
Framing Your Photos
When you are traveling, you want to ensure that your pictures reflect your travels in the best possible light. But there are a variety of things that can make or break your photos. From the type of camera, you use to the way you frame the shot, there are a variety of factors that go into creating the perfect picture.