Everyday guide to taking better travel photos

omotolani

November 9, 2017 10:10 AM

Follow this simple rules and you are ready to kick off that travel photography career in no time.

From searching for pictures that tell stories to going that extra mile for a special shot, these guide sets great travel photographers apart from the rest.

1. Have a little respect

Take candid photos of people from a distance, using a zoom lens. It would be very rude to be all up in their face without an explanation. This is also an unobtrusive way to get an authentic sense of local cultures, without any posing.

People around the world are friendly and are surprisingly open to having their photo taken.

Just ask them to “pretend I’m not here”, so you can take authentic, natural shots.

2. What story are you looking at?

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Like the saying goes, a great photo opens up the world to people. With adventure travel photography, you need to capture the actions of people during that rush. Whether it’s surfing at Tarkwa Bay or going down a zip line, people looking at your pictures have to feel that sense of adventure.

Also, if you’re spending time with local cultures, you need to communicate a sense of character and how people live.

Whatever it is you’re looking at, you need to figure out what the story is and who the main characters are.

3. Show something real

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Photographers have obviously got carried away with Photoshop, editing their pictures to the point where they bear no relation to what they saw or to scenes that are even physically possible.

Photos with intensely oversaturated colours might get likes on Instagram but they're likely to be rejected by editors at newspapers and magazines.

Instead, capture something real. There are plenty of incredible sights in the real world, without adding magic effects.

4. Always look around

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To take great pictures, you need to pay attention to your environment. It’s small details that others might miss or walk by, rather than the obvious main attraction, that’s the detail that brings your story to life. Sometimes, it's the spectators at an event, rather than the event itself, that makes the standout photo.

5. Be Original

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It takes something original to stand out and make people look. The world probably doesn’t need another photo of the Ikoyi link bridge. If you are going to photograph a well-covered subject, you need to find your own fresh take.

6. Seek out interesting places

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One of the great pleasures of travel photography is the travel itself. It pays to go to unfamiliar and remote places, even if that means difficult journeys.

The extra effort is usually rewarded with fascinating cultures, wildlife, buildings and other new sights.

Keep an ear out for local festivals or find out about local practices, from religion to art, farming to celebrations, all of which can make for original pictures.

7. Be a decent human being

Photos tell stories, good or bad, and even have an impact on the outcome of those stories, from violence and human rights to wildlife conservation.

Taking pictures that promote any kind of suffering to humans, animals or the environment isn’t something you want to be involved in.

omotolani