7 Tips for Travel Photography

I have a dream to visit every continent in the world and every state in the U.S. in my lifetime. So far, I’ve visited 4 out of the 7 continents! And I’ve stepped foot in 45 of the 50 states. So yes, I love traveling. Photographing each place I visit is one of my favorite things. Not only to document the time spent there but also to challenge myself to see things I might have never noticed. When I hold my camera, I view my surroundings differently as I look for ways to capture what I see in unique ways. And then, I have a beautiful story in photos of my time away. I love it!

So here are some pieces of travel photography wisdom I have gathered over the years…

Take your camera with you everywhere.

You won’t be able to capture that once-in-a-lifetime moment or capture that unique angle if you don’t have your camera with you! You’re in a new place. You never know what you’ll encounter and you’re going to want to be ready to capture it if it’s good!

Give the viewer of your photos an experience of the senses.

What did it smell like while you were there? What did it feel like? Taste like? Sound like? You want to tell a story with your photos and using your viewers’ senses is powerful. Can you use colors to create a mood? Or textures to give a feeling? Get creative. There are so many ways to do this.

Be careful and watch for theft!!!

As I mentioned earlier, the type of bag you have helps so much! Think through what is important to you and research. Also, keep in mind how you carry your bag. Would it be easy for a pick pocket to snatch something out of it? I typically wear my backpack the wrong way… Meaning I carry it on the front of my body. This works for a number of reasons. 1) I can see the whole backpack at all times, 2) I can physically wrap my hands around the bag for extra security in crowded spaces, 3) it makes it easier to grab things out of it without taking it off, and 4) it acts as a little hand rest!

Keep your camera accessible.

I mentioned in the previous post to take your camera with you everywhere. Almost equally as important: make it easily accessible when carrying it around! You won’t pull your camera out to capture something real quick if it’s not easy to get to.

The backpack I carry with me when traveling has a little side pocket with an easy grab angle for me to pull my camera out at a moments notice. And sometimes I just keep my camera out of the bag in my hands. It all depends on the situation.

Be patient for the best lighting, angle, timing, etc…

Travel schedules don’t always allow you to camp out in one spot all day but sometimes you can plan your activities around the lighting. For example, go to the beach during golden hour. Or walk the streets when you know a certain festival is taking place. Think through what you want to capture and plan accordingly. You can still see all the sights you want to see as a tourist but also capture them in their prime lighting or circumstance!

This photo wasn’t one I had planned but I did know we would be walking through NYC in the evening so a sunset photo was in order! I can tell you for sure that the buildings in this photo were not interesting and would have been quite boring in daylight but when framing a sunset, they worked beautifully!

Don’t always follow the crowds.

Explore unique places off the beaten path. Those often lead to gems no one ever photographs. Everyone takes pictures of the ferris wheel in Geneve, Switzerland, but not too many people hike up the hill to walk down the cobblestone alley at the top of the hill between quiet stone buildings. There’s nothing wrong with following the crowd because that often means there’s something neat to see. But don’t be afraid to stray from the crowd for a bit.

Learn about what you’re looking at!

It’s great to take photos of beautiful things but it’s even more rewarding to photograph something with a story. So learn the story! Hire a walking guide. Talk to locals. Go to museums. Learn.

This building housed the very first commercial passenger elevator in 1857. It was a department store in NYC and the elevator was a huge success to attracting business! Also, fun fact… the elevator went up at a speed of 40 feet per minute.

See? Isn’t this photo way more interesting and fun to look at now that you know this???

I know there are so many things to think about while doing travel photography but these are my top 7 tips. So now when we start to get out there and explore this world again, hopefully you’ll keep these in mind and will help! I CAN’T WAIT to travel again!!!!!

Do you also love travel photography? What would you add to my tips list?