How to take great travel photography

Taking photos in exotic new locations is one of the most fun and enjoyable aspects of traveling. But at the same time there can be a weird stress around it – you feel extra pressure because in many cases you won’t ever come back to have a second shot at the locations you’re visiting.

 

So, here are some tips to ensure you’ll take great travel photos that you’ll enjoy when you get back.

 

Keep your setup simple. This allows you to be more in the moment, and to focus on enjoying your experiences and shooting photos. You don’t want to be fumbling around trying to change lenses while out and about. My advice: one camera, one lens. Having a minimalist kit will simplify your decision-making process, as well as keep your packing light. Using the same camera and lens the entire trip will help make your photos look more consistent.

 

If you’re shooting digital, keep your settings simple as well. The less time you spend thinking about your settings, the more time you can spend just shooting photos. I prefer putting my camera in A (aperture-priority) or P (program) mode, choosing some reasonable defaults for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and then leaving it all up to the camera. I especially advise against using any special “custom” modes such as “scenic”, “landscape”, or “sports” etc. These modes just add to mental overhead and don’t accomplish anything that A or P mode couldn’t do.

 

Shooting photos while traveling is fun. The only thing that can bring an end to your fun is running out of battery charge or memory space. 3rd party batteries can be easily and cheaply bought on Amazon. Same goes for memory cards. As a bonus tip, I recommend buying an extra charger (also can be acquired on Amazon). Camera batteries are notoriously slow to charge; having multiple chargers lets you charge in parallel.

 

On my previous trips, I’ve brought only one camera, but five batteries, two chargers, and three memory cards. Having multiple batteries also reduces the stress from having to make sure you charge your battery every night. Some nights you won’t be able to plug your charger in (lack of available outlets, need an adapter, you’re camping out in the desert, etc); you’ll be able to rest easy knowing you have multiple backup batteries fully charged and ready to go.

 

I believe this tip applies to photography everywhere, but to travel especially so. Walking slowly will put you more in tune with the street around you. Your visual senses will be heightened, and you’ll be able to see more unique and interesting things – which is probably why you wanted to travel in the first place.

 

My rule of thumb here: find the pace that you would normally walk at, and instead walk at 75% of that. 

 

You don’t want your travel photos to be picture after picture of you or a travel companion standing in front of some landmark or touristy place. Go to the touristy spots if you must, but realize that your best photos likely won’t come from there. They’ve already been photographed to death. Instead, focus on documenting experiences that are unique to you.

 

Take photos of the AirBnb that you’re staying at, or the street that it’s on, or the locals on that street, or the local cafes that you eat at, or the local grocery stores that you shop in, etc. Document the street bikes that the locals ride on, or the cups and plates that your meals are served on, or the bus stops that you wait in. These are the photos that will most help you relive your trip and remember what it was like to be there. There’s a cultural significance here too – photos of the landmarks and major tourist spots will live on just fine on their own, but what about documenting everyday life? How much of our knowledge of what everyday life looked like in the past is due to individuals documenting the “mundane”?

 

It’s easy to tunnel vision on documenting life where you’re visiting, and to forget to take photos of your travel companions as well. Take their photos “in the moment” – not just standing in front of landmarks but spontaneously, at all moments throughout the trip. These are the photos you’ll end up cherishing the most. 

 

The point of traveling is to see the world and have fun, not take photos. You shouldn’t rely on the “exotic-ness” of traveling to produce great photos for you. The best photographers are not the ones who travel to the most exotic locales, but the ones who know how to create the most compelling images.