With the Instagram Era reigning strong and mighty, it is almost a crime to not take photos during a trip. Of course, we always recommend enjoying the moment while it lasts, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t capture those moments. If you are an aspiring travel photographer, travel blogger or both, here are some tips on how to take the best travel photos for your followers and keepsake too.
Invest in a good camera
You do not have to have an expensive camera to be a good photographer. In fact, you might not need a camera at all, depending on the scale of photography you hope to reach. With a good phone camera and a computer with editing apps, you are good to go. Just make sure the camera you choose to settle on is easy to carry, has great focusing features and is user-friendly.
Create a theme
Once you have your equipment ready, you need to know what you want to shoot. Well, not in the literal sense. What we mean is that most photographers have a specific theme to their art. Not that you should be limited by it. But you can choose a specific type of photography that you enjoy and are interested in and then become very good at it. Examples of travel photographic themes include nature, people, urban life, water, vintage, lights etc.
Be patient
Great travel photography requires high levels of patience. Alan McFayden, a wildlife photographer had to wait 6 years and 720,000 failed attempts for him to get the perfect photo of a Kingfisher bird diving into the water without making a single drop’s splash. You might not have 6 years, but to be a great photographer you have to be patient enough to get the best takes.
Be a fly on the wall
Like with journalists, most people change from their real selves once they notice the camera is on them, You might therefore end up capturing fake and altered shots if you do it openly. Real photography requires discretion and the element of surprise. You have to step out of the crowd in order to capture unique and deep moments.
Create your own angles
All photographers are different individuals meaning their minds work in different ways. Unfortunately, the media has made certain photographic angles to appear to be the only ones worth applause. This has, in turn, caused photographers to take an overwhelming amount of similar photos until the style or angle becomes cliché. To be a great travel photographer you have to think outside the box. Capture moments that people wouldn’t have thought could be associated with travel.
Be your follower’s eyes
A common mistake for travel bloggers is to take photos centred on themselves all through their trips. It is not wrong to show your readers how much fun you had, but eventually, they might get tired of seeing the same face every day while not having learnt anything about the destinations you go to. Instead, try to be the eyes of your readers and followers. Allow them to see the places through your photos thereby creating the desire to travel themselves. Let your photos tell a story about where you are.
