Travel photography is favored by many different photographers because it gives them the chance to extend their skills and abilities to photograph in a variety of different situations while exploring new places. Digital photography has made taking images while traveling even easier than ever before.
Before you can even begin to learn how to take the best pictures while on the road, you need to know a few things about the actual traveling part of the travel photography. Here are some tips for creating the very best travel photography trip possible.
Jakub Jankiewicz – Ready for the trip
Planning the Trip
Of course, the main highlight of travel photography will be planning the trip. You will need to choose a destination that will provide you with plenty of different photography options. Keep in mind that landscapes are only one part of travel photography. There are numerous different options for amazing photography, including architecture, specific sites, and even people. There are many different places that you could travel to see amazing photography opportunities and once you decide where you want to travel, you will need to know some general tips so that you can have the best experience and the most opportunity for amazing digital photography. Here are some travel suggestions that will most certainly help you have an enjoyable travel experience.
Do not act like a tourist.
When you make it obvious that you are a tourist, you will become very conspicuous, especially if you are carrying around a big camera. Not only will you be opening yourself up to being the prey of pickpockets, but in some regions, you may find that people do not trust you very much. In addition, when you act like a tourist and you go to all of the touristy spots, you will be missing out on numerous different opportunities for travel photography. Everyone can take a picture of the Eiffel Tower, but what about that fascinating out of the way French Bistro that few tourists would ever see? Start thinking like a native and not like a traveler and you will find that you have many more opportunities for photography.
Do not go on the tours.
Of course, going on guided tours may seem like the easiest way to get around, but it will definitely constrict your digital photography. You will only be taken to the touristy spots, and as mentioned above, you will be missing out on many opportunities for unique and special images. In addition, guided tours will cost a great deal more. Take the time to do research and create your own travel plan.
Look for out of the way hotels.
When you first start looking for hotels, you will find that they are very expensive, modern and located in the tourist areas. When you travel for digital photography, you will be more interested in photographic locations with fascinating architecture or visual appeal. The best way to do this will be to look for out of the way hotels. The added bonus is that these hotels will likely be much easier on the wallet.
Be sure to do something new.
The more you get into travel digital photography, you will find yourself being drawn to the places you have been before. It is true that you may find more photo opportunities in the same spots, but if you truly want to hone your photography and you want to get more diverse images, you will most definitely want to mix up your travel locations. This has the added bonus of seeing numerous different parts of the world.
PauL – Day-sixty-four: Traveling…
How to Pack for Travel Photography
Of course, anytime that you will be traveling very far from home, you will have to consider packing very carefully. It costs a great deal of money to take much luggage with you and you will need space for your regular items like clothes and toiletries. You will also need to take the right digital photography gear. You cannot take it all, so how do you decide what to take and what to leave at home? The best thing to do is create a checklist for a travel kit. Once you get more involved in travel photography, you will find that creating your travel kit will become like second nature. Just what should you take along? Here are the items that should be essential to your digital photography travel kit.
As a reminder, it is never a good idea to check luggage with your camera equipment. Checked luggage is treated fairly rough while being loaded on and off the plane. This could equal damaged equipment. In addition, checked luggage does get lost from time to time. You certainly do not want to lose all of your digital photography equipment. It is better to make use of your carry on for your personal items and to store all of your camera equipment so that you can make sure it is cared for properly. Just what camera equipment should you take?
Your number one camera.
Of course, you will need this camera. There is no way to take travel photography without it!
The camera bag.
Of course, you need a way of carrying around your camera. For travel, it is a good idea to choose a camera backpack so that you will not have to set it down anywhere and risk losing it. This is where choosing a high-quality camera bag will benefit the longevity of your photography equipment as traveling can be rough on your gear.
A backup camera.
Most travel photographers know that there is always a chance of camera failure. If you have a small camera, like a point and shoot, then you can make sure you always have the capability of taking images.
No more than three lenses.
You may be tempted to take them all, but you simply will not have the room. And traveling usually involves a lot of walking so you want to try to find that balance of having a few lenses to choose from without overloading your bag.
Memory cards and lots of them.
You can never have too many memory cards but you certainly can have too few.
Battery charger.
You certainly do not want your battery to die, so make sure you pack the charger and the cord.
Extra battery.
If your battery does die, make sure and have an extra charged battery or two with you at all times.
Digital photography can be an absolute joy when you make the move to travel photography. In order to really get into travel photography, you most certainly need to plan accordingly by packing properly and choosing the right trip.
