Taking good photos on a great trip isn’t as easy as it looks; but it’s also not as hard as it seems either. Good photos rarely just happen—but they can occur more often if you know a few tips. It just takes a little pre-trip preparation and some eyes-wide-open situational awareness on the go.
We want you to take home some amazing pictures to match the transformative travel experiences you’ll have over the coming 23-days circling the globe. We know that capturing some of the eye-dazzling sights and scenes that simply defy words, will help you extend your memories of those experiences. Yet on the other hand, we don’t want picture taking to get in the way of your experiences, or the people you will meet along the way, and so, being fluent and comfortable taking those photos is important.
Over the years, we have been lucky enough to have some of our travel photos published in scores of international outlets; and our philosophy on travel photography is simple: that a little prep goes a long way. That said, below are a handful of tried and true photo tips that we’ve acquired over the years from both fellow travelers and professional photographers alike that have helped us take better pictures—one’s that verge on professional quality. Some, you already know but worth remembering their relevance; while some are new, that you should absorb before you go. Old or new, make no mistake, they will help you better capture your coming memories of a lifetime.
Here are eleven simple tips to help you take better travel photos:
4. While traveling: Charge/recharge your batteries every night, and download/upload photos each day to prevent loss due to chip corruption or camera loss.
9. To avoid shutter lag, always lock your focus before you snap. It is the difference between blurred and missed photos, and clear timely photos. Pressing your shutter release button halfway down, not only focuses but automatically picks an exposure setting too.
11. Photographers need to have ethics. Always ask permission to take a close up of someone; and always adhere to the posted “no photos,” and/or “no flash” rules. If you’re ever in doubt about taking pictures, ask before you shoot. Two things make for better people pictures: 1) Make friends first and you practically invite great photos—never pass up on this opportunity to make new friends; and 2) Ask for their e-mail/text so that you can send them a copy. It’s just plain polite.
12. Finally, taking short videos with your camera can be fun too, when you follow a few rules of thumb: Avoid herky-jerky unnecessary zooming and panning (it is really annoying); try to pick your zoom levels before pressing record and then keeping them constant during your shoot. When scanning, keep each scene going for about 3-5 seconds, never longer than about 10 seconds. Shoot different angles and distances…there are three basic shots: Wide Shot, a Mid Shot and a Close Up. Always keep your camera as steady as possible—try not to walk too much while shooting… or talk too much either! Always shoot more than you need; you can always delete footage, but you cannot take more after you’re gone. And remember, good video is about action and reaction, try to have both in each shot. Finally, we are big proponents of 1-minute video takes—as you will soon find out.
Have fun and enjoy your around the world photos.
Did we miss something important? Please let us know at: GSH (at) GlobalScavengerHunt (dot) com
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