How to take fantastic travel photography

Traveling across the globe enriches the soul for eternity, but the sad truth is that memories fade over the years. Fortunately, there are several ways to battle the tooth of time. Some individuals turn to writing memoirs, others buy souvenirs to remind them of the special places they visited, but photography may actually be the best way to keep the memories vivid for a long time.

Naturally, creating great photos isn’t all that easy, as there are many factors one needs to consider, but there are a couple of general tips which can get you on your way. Trust me, by applying these tricks, the quality of your images will improve in no time.

Choose the appropriate lenses

High-end gear can be quite pricey, but when it comes to capturing the best possible shots, having a good camera and quality lenses is absolutely essential. On the plus side, this is a one-time investment, as decent lenses will usually last for a long time.

We understand that you might not have the funds, or space in your luggage to go for the wide angle lenses, but sticking to fast zoom lenses from 18-200mm or 28-300m should do just fine. It will allow you to capture great macro photos, as well as focus on far away objects. Believe me, you’d want to have both.

Don’t run out of memory

In case you’re planing to shoot in RAW format, know that these photos take up a lot space. Fortunately, nowadays, memory cards are getting dirt cheap, but in reality, images quickly add up. To avoid running out of space, pack a few extra memory cards, just in case.

There are also several terrific websites which offer free storage, so use that to your advantage as well. The least you can do is transfer the images to your laptop. Not only that you will  free up memory, it will also create a backup, just in case.

Work on your craft

We aren’t talking about those photography courses which can take up a ton of time you might not have. Instead, there are several ways in which you can pick things up on the go. If you have any social media accounts, such as Instagram or Facebook, start following renown photographers. This will provide you with inspiration to capture your own images, and you might actually pick up a thing or two without even knowing.

Visit a photography exhibit near you, or read a book which relates to this topic. Remember, having a high-quality equipment is only have the battle, you need to know how to use it properly as well.

Explore the unknown

Sticking to regular patterns will always give out the regular results. However, once you step outside the comfort zone, wonderful things may happen. Similar examples can be found with photography as well. If you only use a tripod to capture images of well-known tourist attractions, your images can turn out dull.

Don’t be afraid to climb on top of the hill to capture the image you always desired to. Wake up an hour before the sunrise, and start shooting away. This time of the day is not only ideal because of the lighting, it’s also a time when everybody is still in bed, leaving you free to roam the terrain looking for the best possible place to capture an image of a lifetime.

Honor the rule of thirds

As you might have noticed, we tried not to force too much data on you in the article above, focusing primarily on the most important things an amateur photographer needs to know about. At the end, we will only touch upon the famous rule of thirds, which is one of the basic rules towards capturing a great scene.

Beginners might find it useful to turn on the „grid“ camera feature, as it will divide the scene on your LCD screen. Always make sure to keep the horizon straight, and try placing the important focal points in one specific grid. Although it might take some trial and error at first, after you master this technique, your images will look much more balanced and composed. Good luck!