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Travel photography is something that everyone participates in. From your average tourist who has a point and shoot camera to a hobbyist or even semi-professional photographers. It is one of the fundamental parts of travelling. As a travel photographer, you will be looking for more than just holiday snaps. You’ll want to take the type of photos that will inspire people to travel to that destination and tell a story. So if you have ever been disappointed in your travel photos, fear not. Here are 6 tips to help you capture great travel photographs.

Show an experience

One of the common mistakes that people make when it comes to travel photography is missing the type of photos that show an experience. For example, a photo of the Eiffel tower will look great. But on its own, it’s simply an observation of the place. But add a couple of photos of people’s experience around the Eiffel Tower and suddenly you have a story of the place. This could be as simple as a couple sitting and enjoying the view. Or a cyclist riding under it. These types of shots help you to capture more unique photos of places that have been photographed millions of times and give a much more rounded picture of the destination.

Stop getting mesmerized

We are all guilty of it… You walk up to that famous landmark that has been on your bucket list for years and you can’t see anything beyond it. It is almost like you become unaware of anything else. While that’s understandable and you should absolutely photograph the main subject as much as you want, you also need to try and pull yourself away to see the bigger picture. By stopping and looking around you will often find a whole host of other less obvious photo opportunities. From close-up details to the potential viewpoints that might give you a different angle of the landmark, try to see beyond the main attraction. You might just end up with a photo that is completely unique.

Slow down and take a breath

I am always amazed when I see people rushing around like headless chickens taking photos at any location. They can’t possibly be thinking about the shots properly or composing them in the best possible way. It is more about just ticking off the shots than making each photo the best that it can possibly be. Don’t be one of those photographers! Instead, train yourself to slow down and take in what is in front of you and really thinking about the scene. Work out the best angles and the settings that you may need. Try to picture the photos you want to take in your mind before lifting the camera. Once you have taken a set of photos, go back and start again. You’ll be amazed at how often you will end up with better photos the second time around. This does, of course, mean that you need to give yourself more time at a location than the average tourist. But it will be worth it for the photos you capture.

Use the resources available

I often talk about the importance of research before any shoot. It is the basis of any successful photography trip and without good research, you are not going to get the photos that you would want to capture. But one of the great advantages that photographers have these days is that they have so many more resources for research. Beyond just searching on the internet there is also Google Maps that can be invaluable in giving you the exact spot you need to be at for a shot by using street view. Google Earth is also incredibly useful for anyone wanting to see what an elevated view would look like when using a drone for example. Beyond these, there is also social media. It is an incredibly useful source of information where you can often get insider information from locals on potential shoot spots. So learn to utilise all of the resources available to you to plan your shoot.

Visit out of season

If you go to any famous photography destination at the recommended time of year, you will no doubt be joined by loads of other photographers. That shouldn’t discourage you, but it does mean that you are likely to end up with photos that look like lots of other photographers. But go to that destination at a different time of year and you might just end up with some truly unique photos that very few other photographers might have. For example, everyone has seen plenty of photos of the Eiffel Tower in beautiful sunshine and blue skies, but on a snowy day, well that is something that is more unique. So don’t be afraid to go to places out of season. It will be cheaper, less crowded and give you different photos.

Learn to edit effectively

Some photos require very little editing. Others might need more. But one thing is for sure that every photo will benefit from some level of editing. How much will depend on the type of photo and also what you are hoping to achieve from that photo based on your style and vision. But learning to edit your photos effectively can open up new possibilities in being able to improve your photos. I would always recommend trying to capture a photo as best as you can in-camera. This will save you a lot of time and effort in post-production. But sometimes that isn’t possible and you need to adapt the photo to make it work the best you can. This could mean converting a photo to monochrome or even bleaching colours for a different effect. The more you know about editing the more you can adapt your photos during the shoot when conditions dictate a different look and feel.

Travel photography is a wonderful genre of photography to be involved in. But it can also be incredibly frustrating as you are always at the mercy of the elements and the scene in front of you. But with a little bit of planning and by using the tips above you will be sure to see an improvement in your travel photos.

One of the biggest challenges as a photographer these days is capturing unique photographs of places and landmarks that have already been photographed millions of times. Whilst there is no doubt that it is becoming increasingly difficult to capture unique photos, with a little bit of research, planning and creativity you will be able to capture photos that are different. So here are 6 tips on how to capture unique travel photos that will stand out against the crowd.

Go to undiscovered places

The most obvious answer on how to capture unique photos is to go to places that other people don’t go to as much. For example, trying to photograph the Eiffel Tower in a new way is going to be much more difficult than capturing unique photos of a destination which is off the beaten path. Despite all of the travelling and Instagram photos that exist these days, there are still pockets of places in the world where they are simply not as popular for tourists and photographers to go to. Sometimes this is because these places require a lot of effort to get to (a waterfall that requires a four-hour hike is going to more secluded than one that is next to a big car park). At other times you have to be specially trained to be able to get to some of these places. But there are also places that are simply local to you that you will know and have a far better knowledge of than the masses. So always be on the lookout for potential places that are not the regular well-known photo spots that you can capture photos of.

Find a different view

Another option for capturing unique photos of already well-photographed places is to try and find a new view or somewhere that will give you a different angle to what you already know and have seen. This may not be as difficult as you may think because even in big cities there are often places that are simply not as well known as the usual popular spots. The other benefit of photographing in cities is that there are always new places opening up offering rooftop views of the city. So there are always potential unique places. But granted they won’t stay unique for long.

Even in the wilderness photographing well-known natural landmarks do offer the opportunity for unique photos. Often the most popular and easy to photograph viewpoints are simply the ones that are most accessible for the masses. So if you’re willing to work hard and put the extra effort needed into a shoot you may be able to find other locations that you can hike to for a completely different view and perspective of what everyone else sees.

A different view of Alhambra in Granada.

Try to photograph people

The best way to capture completely unique photos is to try and include people in your shots. Whether that is to make the person central to the actual photo or to use them as a point of interest in a bigger scene. The thing about photographing people is that every single person is unique and so capturing photos of people straight away gives you the added advantage of a unique look, style and even feeling that a person could portray. If you want to take things further and give yourself even more unique photos you could aim to photograph festivals, events and carnivals that are often steeped in history and tradition. Whether it’s a religious festival or carnival these events offer fantastic opportunities for unique photos.

Develop your own style

Over time you will notice that most photographers will develop their own style. Often this is what makes their photos unique to the ones from other people. In fact, you could send two photographers to the same location and they would probably come back with different results. So one way to make your photos unique from other peoples is to develop your own style. Once people become familiar with your style, as soon as they look at your photos they will immediately be able to tell yours apart from other peoples. This is something that will happen naturally over time as you develop your own way of working and your own preferences in what and how to photograph things. A good exercise is to look at a selection of your photos And see if there is a common style that runs through them. If there is, then that is your own style that has started to develop.

Go at the “wrong” time

Okay so there isn’t necessarily a completely wrong time to go somewhere but there is a time which isn’t the usual time that most people will photograph a scene. For example, if you look at beach photos the vast majority of the time you will see them basking in beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine. But photograph a beach in stormy weather or in winter when it is snowing and it will give you a completely different photo. Even the most well-known of sites can be photographed completely differently when there are different conditions happening at the scene. So always be on a look-out for those “wrong” times where the conditions might transpire to give you completly unique photos.

Art direct your shots

Art directing is a term that is used quite frequently in the world of advertising. This is when the photographer is briefed on exactly how the creative team who has come up with the advert wants the photo to look. This may even involve the creative team sketching out what they want for the photographer to follow. Art directing your shots is another way that you can attempt to give your photos some uniqueness. For example, photograph a normal street scene and you will probably end up with photos that look just like everyone else’s. But now get a colleague to drive a red campervan in that street and suddenly you have a completely different and unique photo. Clearly this isn’t always feasible but sometimes there is the opportunity to use people you are travelling with or even friends and family to be able to do this for you. The key is to make it look natural But if you can do that it will give you a completely unique photo.

Capturing photographs which are unique isn’t easy these days. But that shouldn’t stop you from trying. With a little bit of research and hard work and some out of the box thinking, there are still opportunities out there to be able to capture unique photos. That includes already well photograph places. The 6 tips above should help you on your way to being able to capture unique photos.

Avoid Disappointing Travel Photos With These Tips