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5 Ways To Improve A Travel Photo At Any Location

Any outdoor photographer will tell you that a successful photo will often require more than just turning up to a location that you have researched, setting up a camera and taking some photos. If you really want to capture great travel photos – whether that is to sell or to hang on a wall, then you need to actively think of ways to give your photo that little bit extra. So here are a few tips to help you improve your travel photos whatever location you are at.

Don’t take any photos

You are probably thinking that I have lost my mind so let me elaborate… Often one of the biggest mistakes that I see people make in my photography workshops is rushing to take photos when we get to a location. If you ever watch tourists when they arrive at say a landmark, they do exactly the same thing. They take a few quick photos and move on. So, my first advice to anyone wanting to improve their photos at any location is to just pause for a few minutes and look around.

Granted that there might be occasions that there is a fleeting moment or a beautiful light that won’t be around for long. In these situations snap away. But when you have finished don’t move on. Go back to the beginning and look. If you get into the habit of getting to a location and just waiting for the right moments, you will find that you are far more likely to capture great photos. Spend the time to visualise the shot in your mind and work out your settings. You may just find that you are surprised by the results you end up with.

Look for people

When I look at my travel photos, by far and away my most popular and best-selling shots have people in them. This is something that is often backed up by photo editors that I work with. They regularly tell me that the types of shots they are looking for are the “untouristy” photos. It is really difficult in this age of digital photography to capture anything unique enough that doesn’t look like a tourist photo.

Including people in your shots can really help do this as it’ll be very rare to have the same type of travel shot with the same person in. So naturally by including a person you are making that photo unique. But including a person in your composition doesn’t just mean head and shoulder portraits. It could be a slow exposure by someone walking across your shot. Or it could be someone in the distance. Next time you are at a location try to think of ways of including someone in your photo.

Look beyond “eye-level”

Every photographer is guilty of taking photos primarily at eye level. It’s the natural thing to do and I myself am probably as guilty of doing this more than I should. But if you can learn to take photos beyond this view you will be astonished by some of the results that you’ll get. All digital cameras these days have LCD screens with “live-view” mode. Some also have tilt screens that make it so much easier to take shots at different heights.

So, instead of just taking photos at eye level, set yourself a target of taking a high shot where you hold your camera above your head as high as you can and take a photo. Then do the same as low as you can close to the ground where it will automatically create a foreground in your shot. These types of angles are rarely seen and if you execute them well can look fantastic and very unique.

Go slower

Another really great way to take your photos to another level is to experiment with your shutter speed. Slower shutter speeds are only possible by using a tripod, but often what they offer is the ability to add movement to your photos. This can add things like light trails from cars, blurred movement of people, clouds, water or even structure like Ferris wheels. This movement can add colour but also it will make a photo feel much more dynamic and alive.

Another benefit of using slow exposure is that you can often make an image cleaner by blurring some of the people or cars in the shot. This is one of the main reasons that often landscape photographers use this method of photography to smooth out water in coastal scenes. The same can be done in places like cities where the long exposure can mean some people and cars don’t appear in the image.

Wait for the “bad” weather

Is there such a thing as bad weather for photography? Whilst conditions might not be ideal, I believe you can take photos anytime. You may just have to work harder to find interesting subjects and compositions to make up for the lack of good light. But often weather conditions such as storms, fog and mist can really help enhance a photo to something extraordinary. So, a great habit to get into as to be ready to go and shoot somewhere when these conditions arise. For obvious reasons, this is much easier to do in places that are near you. But if you do happen to be away and these kinds of weather condition occur, don’t despair, grab your camera and head outside.

For example, if there has been recent rainfall, look for reflections on the ground and water droplets on windows that can add a really great story to an image.

Capturing great travel photos requires some luck but also hard work. The research and planning prior to visiting anywhere are essential. But nothing beats getting somewhere in good time and spending a bit of time exploring and composing shots in your head. But even then be willing to try new things, whether it be interesting angles, techniques or exposures. You might just be surprised by the results.

4 Reasons That Your Travel Photos Could Be Letting You Down

Taking a great travel photo might seem straightforward. You turn up to a location take a few shots and that’s that. If only… Great travel photography is a bit more complicated and time-consuming than that. Often newbie travel photographers are astonished at some of the reasons why their photos might not be turning out the way they thought. So, to help you ensure you are not making these mistakes, here are 4 reasons that your travel photos might not be turning out the way that you wanted.

Not enough time

Travel photography can be the ultimate contradiction. Sometimes you will face fleeting moments that will disappear in the blink of an eye. But more often, you will arrive at a location to find that it isn’t ideal for photography. This might be the light on offer or the weather conditions. It might be that someone or something is in your way. Or it could just be that the scene is missing a vital component to make the composition work (like for example a point of interest). This is where professional travel photographers often differ from newbies or hobbyist photographers. A professional photographer will wait or keep coming back to a location until they get the shot that they want. Whereas all too often I’ve seen some photographers turn up to a location, take a few shots and leave.

So my first bit of advice if you want to capture those awesome travel photos is to simply give yourself more time. I will sometimes just concentrate on two or three locations a day and spend hours waiting for the right moment to take the photo that I want. If you rely on a quick visit and hope to capture a stunning photo, you may be very disappointed. Give yourself as much time as you can at any location to maximise your shoot.

Didn’t research enough

I recently showed the attendees at one of my workshops my research from a previous two-week shoot in Scotland. They were astonished by the level of detail with one person commenting that it looked like an “encyclopedia”. I spend months researching any given shoot whether it’s a city, national park or country. I will make notes, create maps and mood boards. I will look on social media and contact local guides or businesses if I want access to shoot from their rooftops for example. I will read guidebooks, articles and even watch documentaries about the destination to get a better understanding of the destination. By the time I arrive at the location, I will have a folder full of clear and detailed maps and shot lists that include alternatives if for example my plans are ruined by the weather.

If you want to capture great travel photos you need to try to be the most informed tourist in town. Try to find out as much as possible and build a detailed shot list for your shoot.

The wrong time

Just because you’ve arrived at a location doesn’t mean it’s the best time for photography. Any outdoor photography relies as much on the conditions as the subject you are photographing. Even the most amazing vista will look dull and uninteresting in the wrong light. Whereas on the other hand even if your scene isn’t hugely interesting, a beautiful light can do wonders. So, the first element that you should always look for when you arrive at a location is the light. Ask yourself if this is the best time to be photographing this location? What is the direction of the light and is it enhancing the scene? You will generally find that early morning and late afternoon light is much better to photograph in than harsh midday sun.

Try to spend a bit of time when you are on location really studying and thinking about how the light is falling in the scene. If you find that you are there at the right time, then shoot away. But if not then be prepared to either wait for the right time or come back.

Wrong settings

Of course, once you have done all of the things above, it’s important to ensure that you capture the photo correctly. There is nothing more frustrating than looking at a great photo on a computer screen only to realise that it is blurred. But how do you know what setting to use for each scenario? Well, that comes from experience. But if you are photographing something for the first time spend some time reading online articles or watching tutorials so you have a rough idea of the settings that you will need.

These are by far the most common reasons that I have come across as to why people are often disappointed with their travel photos. The good thing is that all of these are pretty easy to fix and just require better planning, research or some learning. But the results will be great and could transform your photos.

6 Attributes You Should Develop To Become A Better Travel Photographer

Becoming a better travel photographer takes time and practice. But you also need to actively try to improve areas that you may struggle with. Some of these areas of improvement will include things like settings and specific scenarios. For example, you may struggle with capturing sharp photos when handholding the camera. So you will need to practice to become better at doing so. But there are also certain attributes that will help you become a better travel photographer. You may already have some of these attributes. If not, try to develop them as they will help you in your photography.

Be an early riser

Most travel photographers will tell you that their favourite time for photography is early morning around sunrise. This is mainly due to the soft golden light that appears at this time which can transform a scene. But another reason for getting up early is that you will generally benefit from fewer people being around. Go to a famous landmark in the middle of the day and there will be lots of tourists and visitors. But visit at sunrise and you will only find a handful of people. Obviously there are some exceptions. Some experiences have become so famous at sunrise that they can be even busier than during the day. For example, Angkor Wat at sunrise pulls in huge crowds. But generally speaking, you will find yourself alone in most places early in the morning.

Left: Alhambra viewing spot in the afternoon. Right: the same spot at sunrise

Become an explorer

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I have walked down a street in a city and hit a dead end. But I have also on occasions come across some great spots for photos that most people would miss. Part of being a travel photographer is capturing images of already photographed destination and locations in a new way. Sometimes the only way to do this is to explore places on foot to try and find new shot locations. Sure it can be frustrating as you might find yourself walking around and not finding somewhere. But ever now and again you will come across somewhere that gives you a unique shot.

Keep a positive attitude

Travel photography can be incredibly frustrating at times. After all, you are at mercy of everything from weather to unplanned closures and construction work. Sometimes even other people (like for example a truck parking in your carefully composed shot). Unfortunately most of the time you can’t do anything about it. So the best way to approach the situation is to keep your calm and be positive about the shots you can capture both at that time and for the rest of the shoot. For example, can you crop out the truck that has parked in your shot? Or can you come back another time? If there’s bad weather, is there something else that you can photograph? Such as museums or parks and waterfalls? The more positive that you are, the more chance that you’ll be able to find those hidden gems to make the best of a bad situation.

I was disappointed to see building works on Angkor Wat. But with a careful composition, I was able to capture a good photo.

Leave your “shyness” at home

This is by far one of the most common reasons that amateur photographers give me for not wanting to photograph people. I can certainly understand why people may feel uncomfortable photographing strangers. I always say to people; imagine if someone took a photo of you? Or even if you were asked by someone who wanted to take your photo. Would you be offended or angry? Or would you be flattered? Most people would react in the same way. If someone really doesn’t want their photo taken, they would normally just wave a hand to indicate it. So don’t worry unless you are taking a photo of someone you shouldn’t be photographing, like military or police, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Learn to relax

Being a travel photographer can be difficult. You are often getting up early in the morning and usually not getting back to bed till late. You spend most of the day on your feet walking around. Meals become a distraction and so you are often eating as and when you can and there’s no time to just sit by a swimming pool and relax. But whilst you may not be able to relax in the same way as someone who is on vacation can, it is still really important to try and give yourself a bit of time to relax. That might just mean a few hours during the middle of the day to relax and catch up on some sleep. Or it might mean giving yourself a morning off to sit and enjoy a coffee. Depending on how long you are going to be away, having a bit of time to relax is important as it will keep you fresh and able to shoot more.

Get into a routine

When you are on location, it is important to ensure that you don’t forego some of the admin and maintenance parts of the process. For example, you need to ensure that your camera equipment is in working condition and clean. So get into the habit of giving your lenses and camera a wipe every night. They will no doubt get dirty from the dust and smog in a city. Or make sure that you charge all of your batteries and clear your memory cards by backing up your photos on a hard drive. You can also give your filters a clean and even prepare for the next day by packing your bag, checking your shot list locations and laying out the clothes you will wear. By getting into a routine you won’t suddenly find yourself running out of batteries or memory card space.

Travel photography is such a rewarding branch of photography that everyone does it to a certain extent. But beyond your skills as a photographer, you also need the skills above to be able to maximise your creative output when on location.