People differ in their purpose for travelling to different places. Their itinerary gives priority to things they like to do. For example, an adventurous person will first check on the water or sports activities or if it is a family with children then visiting the parks and zoo will be top priority.
On travels several tourists collect souvenirs, while a few collect photos in their cameras. Every travelling destination takes pride in its individuality with respect to culture, history, looks, people, landscapes, stories, and feelings. Travel photography freezes memories from tours, which can be relived in future. If you are also a photography aficionado then learn the techniques of capturing the destination spirit.
Travel photography tips for enhancing your images
Pre-trip location research
Read travel guides about the destination, you are about to visit. Research online, to get ideas about the photographic location. Gain more knowledge from relevant blog posts on which images can capture the soul of that place.
For example, if you plan to get an ESTA visa for travelling to America then gain knowledge about the photographic locations.
Prepare a list and research more deeply to find the time when to visit, which day has best light, difficulty to reach specific vantage point, when tourist traffic is low and the weather. Wandering without plans is waste of time but pre-preparation helps you produce amazing travel pictures.
Wake early
Light is crucial for great photography. The warm and soft morning rays create awesome images. Other advantage of waking early is less tourist crowd to handle. You can even have the place for yourself to capture epic shots of popular landmarks like the Taj Mahal and Chichen Itza ruins.
Stay out late
Even sunsets are great golden hours as the light includes soft, warm tones with eye-pleasing shadows. After sunset, when city light turns on and the sky is blue, you can click good images.
Noon times are not best to shoot photos, so take a nap. Gain energy for an hour before sunrise and sunset missions.
Interact with locals
Shooting portraits of the local people may be a little difficult for some. What if they feel offended or don’t understand or say no are some questions that disturb tourist photographers.
The solution is to interact with people saying ‘Hello’ or buy a souvenir or ask for directions or chat for some time prior requesting for a photo. This is a least invasive way. Always ask for their permission to take close-ups. Learn some local words in advance because they appreciate your effort but some may not agree or ask for money. It is personal preference. You can thank them, move away with smile and try again!
Patience
Good Photography needs time, focus, and lots of patience. Before pressing pay attention to details like are clouds in pleasing spot or at street corner wait for photographable subject to pass. People spend all night camping in Iceland to shoot magical Northern lights.
Experiment with composition
Try shooting images from different angles and distances. Never feel satisfied with the first image, for example try wide-shot, next is mid range version, then close-up. Include powerful background, mid-ground, and foreground elements to give 3D feel and helps to grab the viewers eyes into the remaining photo.