Capturing great travel photography can be tricky; you want to preserve treasured memories but still enjoy your trip.
Whether you’re documenting a weekend city break or a month-long journey across continents, taking photos makes your fading memories stand the test of time.
Capturing images that are realistic, powerful, and original will enrich your adventure, but how do you do that?
There are an endless amount of travel photography tips available, but f you are just starting out, it can be confusing.
Never fear–join us as we list easy travel photography tips to help take your images to the next level.
Always Carry Your Camera
There are two essential steps to improving your travel photography: learn how to use your camera, and carry it with you at all times.
The good news is you don’t need the latest camera to capture majestic landscapes or cityscapes. You can achieve impressive results with a point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone–if you know what you are doing.
Learning the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture can take time and practice, but it will be worth the effort.
You’ll find good subjects where you least expect them, so make your photography a priority and be ready to shoot at any moment. You’ll be able to rest when you get home.
Do Your Research Before You Go
Location scouting before you go will save you a huge amount of time–don’t leave finding the best spots to chance.
Thanks to the internet, this can now be done from the comfort of your own home. Finding the best photography spots in a city can be as simple as scrolling filtering through hashtags or geotags.
Make an Itinerary
Windy Maps is another great tool if your goal is to conquer peaks and capture off-the-beaten-track landscapes. This application is targeted mainly at hikers and provides detailed information on walking trails and altitude profiles, all offline.
Researching in advance can help you decide not only where to go, but also when to go. Traveling to a far-flung destination will only be worth the effort if you are there at the right time.
Get Up Early
There is one piece of advice that never gets old: wake up early and stay out late.
The one ingredient that will truly make a difference to your images is light, and the best light is found in the early hours of the morning, just before sunset during the golden hour.
The soft light projected by the low sun will minimize contrast and give your images a warm glow.
Another plus of shooting early is that you’ll avoid crowds; this is important if you are visiting well-known tourists.
Shooting late is just as important as rising early. The opportunity to capture a sunset or night cityscape can be just as rewarding. Carry a tripod to capture long exposures and light trails.