Best Travel Photography Tips You Need to Know

Travel photography is all about capturing the grandeur and essence of the locations you visit. It’s a wonderful way to preserve memories, inspire wanderlust, and even earn some money! Whether you’re a neophyte or a seasoned traveler, these tips to help you take your travel photography to the next level.

First of all, it’s vital to comprehend the potency of travel photography. Not only does it enable you to relive the incredible moments of your voyage, but it also inspires others to explore the world. Seeing breathtaking photos of exotic locations and cultures can conjure up a sense of adventure that’s hard to resist.

Travel photography also allows you to be creative and experiment with various angles, lighting, and composition. It’s a way to express your distinct perspective and capture the essence of a place in a manner that others may not have seen before.

1. Composition Is Everything

If you want your travel photos to stand out, consider playing around with the composition. Be careful to take photos at various heights, angles, and distances away from a subject.

Instead of just capturing a photo while standing erect, consider kneeling or standing on top of something to get a better angle. Move left or right to see how the composition alters. It’s all about experimenting to see what looks finest. Eventually, this will become second nature and you’ll know what to do in any situation.

2. Take Advantage Of Natural Light

Want to capture the ultimate traveling photo? Use natural light to add depth and dimension to your images. And I mean, who wouldn’t want to make their photos appear utterly breathtaking just by utilizing what’s already around them? Here’s the deal:

Natural light is simply the light that comes from the sun, moon, and stars, and it’s some of the finest light you’ll ever work with! It can be pleasant, gentle, and stunning in the golden hour, or dramatic and melancholy during sunset and daybreak. And the greatest part? It’s gratis!

3. Rule of Thirds

Want to capture the ultimate travel photo? Rule of thirds is essential. This is a classic photography tip that will help enhance your travel photos and balance the composition. Here’s what you gotta do:

How Rule Of Thirds Works:

• Break down your image into thirds, vertically and horizontally, so you have 9 portions. (An LCD display on your camera can show you this).

• Place your subject or point of interest along one of the four intersecting lines. This enables your image to be more “balanced” and “natural” for the viewer. Studies prove that this frame is more aesthetically appealing to the human eye.

• If you’re capturing a portrait photo, the eyes of your subject are typically the most natural intersecting point.

• It’s perfectly acceptable (and encouraged) to violate this rule sometimes, but you should have a reason to do so (i.e. you don’t want to take out a lovely part of the photo).

4. Human Subjects Contribute An Essential Element To Photography

Though I prefer to capture landscape photography, I’m becoming more and more receptive to taking photos of me and other people.

People enjoy living vicariously through human subjects in photographs, as if they are being taken along on the voyage. That’s why Murad Osmann’s “Follow Me To” photos made him a viral sensation.

In addition, capturing a candid picture of a person is fantastic way to add a feeling of authenticity to your travel photos.

5. Use Action Photos To Up Your Travel Photography

Using action photos refers to documenting moments in motion, and it’s a fantastic way to add vitality and enthusiasm to your travel photography! Whether it’s a vibrant street market, a vivacious local festival, or diving into an ice plunge, capturing movement can bring your photographs to life.

To start, seek for opportunities to capture action in your travels. This could be anything from people strolling, pedaling motorcycles, dancing, or playing in the park. The key is to be aware of what’s happening around you and to be ready to press the shutter button when the action transpires.

6. Create A Sensation Of Depth To Your Photo

It’s always a good notion to create a perception of depth in your photos. Simply stated, you want to make the image more three dimensional so the observers feel like they are there. This is one of the finest travel photography techniques out there.

There are many various methods to add depth to an image, but for the purposes of travel photography, let’s focus on landscape photography:

I recommend using a wide angle lens to capture a panoramic view, such as mountains and valleys. Then, you’ll want to use a tiny aperture (i.e. f/16) to maintain the whole image (both the foreground and the backdrop) distinct. Finally, to add depth to the image, add a person or object in the foreground, which gives the viewer an idea how far away the distant view is. Below is an example.

Read Also: Essential Travel Photography Tips for Beginners

7. Get To Know Your Camera

You don’t need a costly camera to be excellent at travel photography.

Sure, having a basic digital camera can limit your full potential, but having a costly camera won’t automatically make your photographs appear outstanding. You can gaze at my Instagram feed as confirmation. I didn’t start using my current camera, the Canon 5D Mark IV. I believe my photographs looked good before then with an inexpensive camera and an iPhone (I still received plenty of gigabytes before then).

8. Get To Know Your Lenses – An Essential Travel Photography Tip For Novices

Based on your camera’s capabilities, you’ll want to have the appropriate lenses to best capture the locations you visit. For example, photo content you’ll acquire on an excursion to the Grand Canyon will be much different than that of a small village like Rothenburg ob der Tauber or street photography in NYC.

Having said that, novices in travel photography don’t need to have more than just a conventional telescopic lens. This fundamental lens is very near to what the human eye sees, anyway. However, as your travel photography talents develop, consider acquiring other lenses, including:

9. Use Reflections To Your Advantage

On our list of travel photo suggestions is all about experimenting with reflections! And let me tell you, reflections can lend a whole new level of enchantment to your travel photography.

Whether it’s a still pond, a gleaming window, or a glassy mirror, reflections can add dimension, symmetry, and intrigue to your travel photographs. For example, if you’re photographing a gorgeous structure like a castle, try capturing its reflection in a nearby reservoir. This will not only double the amount of attractiveness in your image, but it will also create a sense of symmetry that is appealing to the eye.

And here’s an interesting fact: reflections can also lend a sense of mystique to your photos. If you’re photographing a lively street scene, try capturing the reflection in a store window. This will create a surreal and dreamlike appearance that is bound to turn attention.

10. Slow Down The Shutter Speed To Obscure Movement

Playing around with the shutter speed will allow you to photograph some very fascinating effects. It’s one of the most essential travel photography techniques out there, and here’s why.