Travel photography allows you to look back at the unique places you visited and reminisce the rich experiences in those destinations. That’s why it’s best to bring a camera, and not rely on your smartphone, whenever you travel around the world.
And to take exceptional and lasting travel photos, National Geographic suggests capturing a place’s unique look, character, and ambiance. But how exactly do you do this?
Start with the right equipment.
Choosing a Camera to Use
Your camera choice affects the quality of images you’ll produce. For high-quality photos, digital single-lens reflex or DSLR cameras are ideal for capturing images in high-resolution. This is also what commercial photography services use to produce travel photos that encourage tourists.
Choose a camera that allows you to adjust settings, such as ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. These settings will allow you to shoot images with the right exposure and capture the unique characteristics of the place.
If you feel a DSLR will be difficult to carry around, you could use the right smartphone. Technological advancements have enhanced the performance of smartphone cameras. Some even have almost the same quality as the photos taken with a DSLR camera.
Of course, a camera is only a tool. You still need to figure out the best shots.
Taking Striking Travel Photos
No matter what camera you use, it’s important to have an eye for the beauty of every place you visit. Here are three travel photography tips to help you produce stunning images from your trip:
Get to Know Your Destination
Find out the local landmarks, architecture, and destinations that feature the city’s natural beauty. Learn more about the culture, weather, and events that may happen at the time of your visit. Researching the destination prevents you from missing out on picture-perfect opportunities.
Learn the Basics of Photography
Learning the basic concepts in photography will help you produce beautiful images. It will also help you adjust camera settings to fit your subject, whether you’re taking photos of landscapes, food, or people.
Exposure is a crucial aspect of photography. It refers to the amount of light that goes into your shot, making your photos too dark or too bright. Knowing how to control the light that enters your lens gives your photos the right amount of exposure.
The three basic tools that will help you control exposure are:
- Aperture – this tool controls the amount of light that will enter the camera. The size of the aperture is expressed as f-stops. Higher f-stops mean smaller hole and less light will enter the camera. Lower f-stops, meanwhile, means bigger holes, so the camera sensor gets more light. This tool also manages the depth of field, which gives dimensions to a photo. A small aperture is equal to a large depth of field, and a large aperture is equal to a small one.
- Shutter speed – it controls the time a camera shutter opens so that it exposes light into the sensor. More light enters the camera sensor when the shutter speed is slow, and less light for faster shutter speed.
- ISO – this tool adds brightness to a photo if you can’t use a wider aperture or a longer shutter speed. Lower ISO produces darker images, and higher ISO makes photos brighter. Be careful in increasing the ISO because it makes graininess or noise in the photos more visible.
Take Photos of Local People
Portraits of local people are an ideal way to capture the essence of a certain place. It is also a way to tell a story about your trip. You can shoot from a distance, but be respectful about it. For close-ups, ask permission first.
Make the best memories last through beautiful travel photos. Whether you go with a DSLR or an innovative smartphone, choose your subjects carefully and use the right settings on your camera to take great pictures.
