Tips to Advance Your Travel Photography

Who doesn’t love visiting gorgeous places? When we travel, it is natural to want to capture those special moments. So why not explore this niche?

With the right skills and some practice, you could make your travel photography hobby into a full-time job. In this article, we have organised our knowledge base on travel photography.

What Is Travel Photography?

Travel photography is the act of photographing while travelling. The goal is to capture the locations you visit and the adventures you experience.

It is a combination of different genres. It includes landscape, street, portrait, environmental portrait and even architecture photography.

You can take landscape images of the places you visit, portraits of the people you meet or architecture photos of the buildings you see.

You can even master your self-photography skills by taking selfies everywhere you go.

Each place we visit has its own particular look, character, and ambiance. If we want photographs of our travels to be good and lasting, they should capture all of these qualities, and say as much about a place as give the literal look of it.

We are unlikely to long remember the smell and buzz of a flower garden in spring, the awe of gazing for the first time at the mountain we intend to climb, the caress of a tropical breeze, the thrill of a huge roller coaster, the wonder of our first wild bear, or the adrenaline of rafting white water. Our photographs need to bring these and other sensations back, to trigger our memories, and to communicate how we felt to others. To do this, we need to think and feel as much as look when setting out to make photographs.

First and foremost, think about what made you decide, out of all the places in the world, to choose this particular destination. Whatever it is—the beach, the rides, the mountain, the galleries, the food—obviously appeals to you. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be going there. That site or activity (or inactivity) is one of the things you want to photograph. But there are probably many other interesting aspects of the place you may not be aware of.

Travel photography requires skill, preparation, and a well-stocked kit. Follow these travel photography tips to get the most out of your trip and your camera.

The travel photographer is a collector and curator of experiences. A good travel photographer will show the emotions and sensations of a destination, evoking a sense of enviable wanderlust. Travel photography is not just about snapping photos of smiling faces on the beach, however. It is about observation, research, and thoughtful composition. While becoming a professional travel photographer requires dedication to the craft, the reward of frequent travel to new, exciting, and beautiful destinations is certainly worth the effort.

Top reasons why you should become a travel photographer:

Develop your respect and love for this beautiful planet When you step out of the hustle-bustle and chaos of your fast-paced life in cities and see the natural beauty and abundance of this fascinating earth, you feel ardent love and need to save this planet. When you capture the enchanting beauty of the places, you feel grateful and happy. You understand the lessons which your parents and teachers taught you in school about being sensitive to our environment and the planet. Travel photography strengthens the bond with our planet and makes you value it more than ever.

Learn the virtues of flexibility and patience 

Travel photography helps you grow at a personal level. It changes you significantly. When you are sensitive to the planet, you become more flexible and develop patience. It is one of the best learnings from travel photography that Nature runs at its own sweet pace and yet accomplishes everything it aspires.

Similarly, you feel that you have become more patient with people, with circumstances. Success doesn’t always come fast; one needs to persevere and show some patience. Similarly, in photography, also you need lots of patience and perseverance. You have to wait for hours to capture that perfect and mind-boggling sunrise. And if you give it the time it deserves by being patient, then you will have some of the best shots in your portfolio. Flexibility is another great lesson you learn through travel photography. There have been times when you face undesirable circumstances such as flight cancellation, a flat tire, sudden change in weather conditions, etc., but you should never hold on to an itinerary and schedule and should show flexibility instead. You won’t regret it.

Make your life an adventure

You will never find any shortage of places to see and capture in your camera. Even your entire life is not enough to photograph our vast and beautiful planet. There are endless places you can shoot. Make a list of the places you will travel to and shoot. You will be spoilt for choice. There are endless options, and it is the most beautiful dilemma to choose which places to shortlist for travel photography. So don’t miss out on any opportunity and photograph as many places as you can and build a treasure of your photographs.

Feel and mingle with your environment

Let lose yourself in your environment, be natural, and absorb every bit of it. Even ask your co-travelers to do the same. Don’t get into posing and constantly smiling. Capture natural emotions as they will come out more beautifully in your pictures. For travelers, landscape photography is one preferred approach. Be it doing travel and street photography, animals, or inanimate objects, you will find a lot of choices in picking up a theme or subject for your next set of travel photography portfolio. It is important to note that external conditions such as the weather and lighting play an important role in getting that perfect shot. So, make sure to know the right time and right vantage point to click a memorable photograph and fulfill your wanderlust and engage in travel photography.

Revel in the opportunity to capture fascinating places and moments

Every time you travel, you come back with the pictures of beautiful places and moments, some of which may leave you spell-bound, and some leave the effect of absolute tranquillity. You get to capture your dream destinations, the places which looked picture-perfect in a magazine/internet. You capture those moments which leave you in awe. One such place where you can click such pictures is Rajasthan. The picturesque beauty and history of Rajasthan make it a perfect destination for travel photography. Wherever you travel in Rajasthan, you will be inspired by the “Lands of Kings,” which is one of the best places in the entire world. Such is the charm of majestic Rajasthan.

Travel Like a Photographer

Research is the most important component of travel photography. Do your research before going to a destination. Read different guidebooks from an array of publishers, bookmark travel blogs, peruse the local tourism board’s website, ask friends and friends of friends if they have any tips. Instagram is also a vast resource for travel photographers; search destinations by tags or city names and make a list of all the intriguing sights you wouldn’t want to miss. Instagram is also great for gleaning tips on where to eat and drink, like a local. Vimeo, which has a repository of user-generated videos, is an excellent way to

Take time to understand the culture and customs of the place you are visiting. How do people greet one another? What are the predominant religions and traditions? What is the general way of life? Try to learn some of the language basics before landing, so you can easily say hello and goodbye, ask permission to take photos, and most importantly, say thank you.

A travel photographer should always carry a notebook to jot down experiences. For example, that moment you step off the plane into a remote, hot, desert airport and your glasses fog up and sand swirls around you, and the punch of humidity and heat and the smell of spice and diesel fumes overwhelms you, you step out into your new world. Write all of it down, because acknowledging these emotions and sensations through writing will help you better convey them visually.

Be open as you arrive and experience your destination. Try new foods, go new places, be spontaneous, talk to new people. Be open to the culture and the customs that may be different from yours. Wander into new places or go down a road that has less tourists. You do not always need to go to every tourist site, and in fact it may be in your best interests to skip them, opting instead to immerse yourself in the local culture (while snapping some photographs, of course). As a travel photographer, always have your eyes open, your mind focused, and your camera ready

As a travel photographer, there is no better camera than the one you already own. Travel photography is about capturing the essence of a destination, be it for yourself or for others. Travel photography, overall, is about your skill as a photographer, your ability to see the right moment and capture it, your innate creativity and artistic ability. There are a few tips, however, that can help improve your travel photography skills.

The first tool for travel photography is a small, lightweight tripod. Look for a little pocket-sized tripod, or one that you can fit into a carry-on. Full-sized tripods are heavy and awkward, so if you do feel the need to get a larger tripod, get an expandable one that is made from aluminium and telescopes from a small size. Tripods are great for composing a beautiful image—they take the camera out of your hands and allow you to focus on adjusting the shutter speed, aperture, and other manual settings. A tripod is also excellent for taking pictures in low light situations, where you need the shutter to remain open for a long time, or for creating a lens-blur effect, where people are just whips of light flying past a building or through a street.

The best gear to take with you while on a travel photography journey is whatever you have to make your photographs. If you are using simply an iPhone, be sure to bring a charger (of course) and that your phone has enough memory to store all the photos you will be taking.

If your photographic work has moved into a more professional realm, there are a few gadgets you could bring to make reduce your workload when you get home, and to be sure you have enough space to keep taking pictures. Always bring sure to bring extra SD Cards (those Secure Digital cards that you pop into cameras to add storage). These little cards are generally cheap in the United States, but can be very pricey abroad, so stock up before you go, and be sure to keep them organized while you are on the go.

You could also bring your computer, so you can edit images as you shoot. You will certainly be grateful to yourself that you did this work while abroad, but be careful not to spend too much time in the editing bay and not enough time out in your destination soaking it up and taking pictures. As well, you should be careful when travelling with a laptop, as they are targets for theft.

To protect against the damages of theft, invest in a few external hard drives. You can store all of your unedited and edited images on there for safe keeping. You could even mail hard drives home as you fill them up, so they are less likely to be stolen. In addition, you could also invest in a cloud storage service for your images. This requires a strong WiFi connection, but is more convenient than hauling around many different pieces of equipment.

Improving Your Travel Photography

Research and scout your locations 

As with much of photography, the best times to photograph are early in the morning and from the early evening to night. Not only is this when the light is best, but this is also when people and places are at their most active. You can document a city as it transitions from empty streets to open storefronts and bustling sidewalks, all the way through the end of the day, when locals go home and get ready to go out and have some fun. Or, if the destinations you are photographing are mostly natural landscapes, the early morning light and the golden hour evening light will provide the best results with their soft, romantic tones. It is important to scout your locations before shooting, to get the most out of your visit. If you can afford to physically location scout, arrive at your desired scene and survey the lay of the land. Take notes, and even a few test shots. If you cannot physically be at the location before the shoot, have no fear: conduct a virtual search online or through social media, like Instagram, and create a shot list before your arrival.

Do your research before you make the trip. There is an yellow page saying, “let your fingers do the walking.” They are virtually obsolete thanks to the internet and smart phones, bu you get the idea. Professional photographers like thos for National Geographic spend a lot of time doing research. This helps us figure out what’s there—what the place is about and what subjects we need to cover. Read brochures and travel books. Go to libraries, bookstores, or onto the Web. Talk to friends who have been there. Pick up travel information at the country’s embassy. Find whatever you can that is relevant, and devour it.

Understanding the customs and traditions of a place is vital. For one thing, you want to be sure you act in a way that is not rude or offensive while you are there, and it’s hard to know what’s acceptable and what isn’t with some knowledge. It can also help you understand things people do that at first encounter you might consider incomprehensible or even horrifying.

When you arrive at your destination, be open and try to take note of the first impressions—write them down if you have to. (A notebook is an essential accessory for a travel photographer.) When you see a place for the first time from the plane window, or when you drive around a bend and there it is, or as the ship nears some distant island—how do you feel? Where do your eyes go first? What do you notice about the place right away? A smell? The heat or cold? Blistering sunlight? Mysterious fog? A particular building or vista? The way people move? Their dress? Whatever it is, remember it. First impressions are invaluable sparks to creative interpretation, and by definition are not repeatable. You’ve seen the place in pictures, you’ve read about it. Now you’re there, and all your senses can partake.

Get out there. The only way to discover the rhythm of life in a place, and so figure out what to shoot, is to experience it. Many places, particularly hot ones, are active very early in the morning and late in the afternoon but rather in a lull around midday. Get up early, stay out late. If you are on a tour that is scheduled to leave the hotel or ship at 9:00, get up well before dawn. Wander around before meeting up with your companions. If the tour goes back to the hotel or ship for lunch, don’t go with them. Rather than take the bus back at the end of an afternoon tour, hang around until after sunset and then take a taxi. Use any spare time to get out and look for photographs. Besides availing yourself of more opportunities, time spent discovering the place will enrich your experience.

Get lost. Wander down alleys. Sit in cafés and watch life pass by. Don’t eat where the tourists do, but where you see locals. Just set off down a street and see where it leads. Look around the bends, over the rises. Get away from the crowd. I find that if I meander away from the tourists and tourist sites, away from what is too familiar and comfortable, it’s much easier to adapt to the rhythm of a place, and to be more observant.

Always have your camera with you and always keep your eyes open. Serendipity plays an enormously important role in travel photography. You never know what you are going to run into, and you have to be ready. Many times you will see what could be a good photograph but decide that the light is not right, or there are no people around, or too many—something that means you will have to come back later. But sometimes you get lucky. You happen to stumble upon a scene at just the right moment. If you forgot your camera, are out of film, or your digital card is full, if you have to fumble around getting the right lens on, the moment may be gone before you can recover. This is true whether you are doing street photography or visiting a natural or man-made site. Mountains, trees, monuments, and other static subjects are, of course, not going to go anywhere, but the ray of sunshine, the soaring eagle, or the embracing couple that add the needed element to your photograph are unlikely to hang around. Think of it as hunting—whenever you leave the confines of your camp, you should be ready and able to capture whatever pops up.

Make time for photography. Like doing anything well, making good photographs requires a commitment of time and energy. One problem with much of modern travel is that the days are chockablock full of scheduled tours, events, and meals. Our trips are usually of limited time, and we naturally want to see as many sites as possible. The itineraries rarely leave room for serious photography. You have to make time. It may help to make photography a scheduled part of every day, so you know you have the time and won’t be tempted to get lazy and say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” It might rain tomorrow. Don’t procrastinate.

When traveling, you’re likely to encounter all sorts of situations and subjects. This requires being a bit of a jack-of-all-trades—you need to be able to photograph portraits, landscapes, and everything in between.

Above all, work the situations over. Never be satisfied with your first view of a place or the first frame you snap. It’s always possible—and usually likely—that you can come up with something better. Why else would painters make sketches? Get closer, then get closer still. Try different angles, different lenses. Wait for the light, wait for the crowd, wait for a bird to land on the tree branch. Never be in a hurry to get somewhere else. Tell yourself that nothing is more important than getting the best you can get out of the situation you are in. Once you’ve exhausted every possibility you can think of, you can start working on the next one.

Do your homework on the locations you are planning to visit; start by looking for inspiration from other photographers to learn about the classic shots then move on to using Google Maps in aerial view to find the lesser-known spots that may have potential.

I recommend that you write a list of both the general areas and specific locations you’ve been scouting and include a little extra information about each place so that you know what to expect.

It’s also crucial that you’re familiar with the weather (as well as the sunrise and sunset times) and have an idea of what it might be like during your visit: this way you can be prepared for anything.

Since light plays such an important role in landscape photography, it’s important to keep in min the direction of the sun. This allows you to get the best possible light on each location as you know what time of the day visit.

Don’t plan on getting the perfect shot right away; spend some time moving around the location and test different compositions. Once you have found one you that you’re happy with, wait for the light.

Sometimes this means coming back to the same location a few times.

Some things to factor into your location research: How do the shadows look in the morning? In the afternoon? In the evening? Which way is the sun rising and setting? Do people wear special clothes to come here? If you are in a place of historical or spiritual significance, do your research and understand the context so you can convey that through your images. Scouting and understanding a location does not just mean the destination as a whole, but also specific sites, villages, monuments, town squares, or cities that you may be visiting.

The composition of your images is also important.The Rule of Thirds is a useful principle that, when applied properly, creates an aesthetically pleasing and well-composed photograph. Use grid mode on your viewfinder to split the image into thirds horizontally and thirds vertically. Place your subjects along the intersections of these points. The horizon line can sit in the bottom third of the image, and the focal point can be in either the left or right third of the image.

Photographing people within a landscape or scene is an interesting way to add extra depth to an image. Observe the locals and capture them in their everyday lives (with their permission, of course), or, if you are traveling with a group, feel free to direct a few volunteers in your shots. Avoid the standard family-portrait style photos by showing people in motion. Place people in interesting locations, like the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, or walking into a tall redwood forest. One of the best ways to draw a viewer into your image is to photograph a person’s back, as though they are oblivious of the camera, walking towards or even within the gorgeous landscape you are photographing. This almost tricks the viewer into thinking they themselves are the subject in the photo.

Play around with angles and shots

Take pictures from different angles, and maybe you can use wide-angle lenses to give more context to your images. Step out of your comfort zone and make silly poses and have a good time alone with good pictures. You will surely get some good shots which will be interesting. But first, you need to know some crucial terms like eye angle, Dutch, establishing shot, cut-in, cutaway, low angle, perspective, reverse shot, over the shoulder (for shots).

Similarly, in angles, you need to have some degree of proficiency in close up/ extreme, medium shot, worm’s eye view, bird’s eye view, longshot, or POV. The interplay of framing, angles, shots, and positions provide a different viewpoint, a different aspect of focus to the viewer, and convey varied emotions.

Capture emotions and moments

When you visit a lovely place with amazing landscapes, views, and the environment, apart from capturing these beautiful things to capture the feeling of being there. More than the aesthetics, it is about telling its own story to the viewers. This virtue can be enabled by allowing the subjects to be captured in their familiar environment or surroundings. The special bond of the familiar place can stir emotions and can be radiated into your shots.

Also, they need not be overwhelmed with elaborate directions. Just subtle guidance would be enough to keep the subjects at ease and bring out the natural pose without feeling self-conscious or uncomfortable. Another way to conjure emotion is to avoid having them standstill. Give them something to do, and see their involvement in the activity, bring out their genuine emotion.

Creative Photography Composition Techniques to Improve Your Travel Photos

Always be ready with your gear

Wherever you travel, be prepared with your camera and the supporting gear. Be prepared to take advantage of an opportunity to click photographs. You never know you might click your masterpiece at a very humble place or in any other place where you had never thought you would.

To summarize, you can say that there is a vast difference between taking photos on your trip or traveling specifically to take photos. The proof of the difference will be in the quality of the images captured by your camera. These travel photography tips and techniques aptly showed why you need to explore travel photography as an option. These tips will factor in for elevating the overall photography experience to a new level of subtlety and sophistication.

How to Become a Professional Travel Photographer

Being a travel photographer certainly seems like a glamorous and fulfilling career. Travel photography is more than a career, however, it is really a way of life. There is no nine-to-five when you are on the road, on assignment for a magazine or corporate client.

A travel photographer needs to be someone who is curious about the world around them—someone who always wants to move and explore. They are someone who has a natural empathy for others and can use that to easily show the essence of humanity. Travel photographers are patient people, who love being around other people, and who find the discovery of life and humanity to be an adventure.

Instagram is the best place to get started as a travel photographer. Find other photographers you admire on Instagram, follow them and like their work. Keep posting images, post stories, like other people’s images, comment, and keep going until you’ve built a decent enough following to be noticed by editorial outlets or potential clients. It helps to have your website in your bio, so people can go there to find out more about you as a photographer. A few things to note about using Instagram: hashtags can certainly increase your likes on a specific photo, but their conversion rate to followers is low, so use them sparingly. Additionally, maintain your profile as a “personal” profile versus a “business” profile so that your followers are more likely to see your posts.

Once you have built up a decent following on instagram (15k or more) and have a portfolio you are proud of on your website, you can start seeking clients armed with a portfolio of work (if they haven’t already started seeking you!). When traveling to a new destination, contact the local tourism board beforehand and see if they will cover the cost of part of your trip in exchange for licenses to some of your photos. Something like this could even lead into a longer-term contract.

With a large portfolio of photographs in your arsenal, you could also apply to license your images through a large licensing agency, like Getty or Corbis. Many editorial outlets, website, advertising firms, and book publishers use these agencies to obtain imagery for magazines, newspapers or ad campaigns because it is markedly cheaper than hiring a photographer to create custom content. For the photographer, it is a great deal as well because someone else handles the negotiations while you are free to do what you love—photograph. Be aware that you may be making less money per image because the agency can take a large cut, and that they may own the rights to your image indefinitely.

While it may seem that many people make amazing careers out of travel photography, the reality is that 10 times that many people have tried and not succeeded in their professional travel photography endeavors. The average salary for a travel photographer is quite low (about $32,000 per year), so you may need to learn to supplement your work as a travel photographer, be it other photographic work or something else entirely. If you can build yourself up to the level of photographer who may work for a publication like National Geographic, you might be able to demand higher fees for your work. But getting to that level will require not just skill, but hard work and a keen marketing acumen.

Enjoy your time as a travel photographer, learning about new cultures and new photographic techniques. The most important part of this job is to have fun, because that’s what this job is—fun!

Landscapes

Landscapes come in all forms—mountains, forests, plains, deserts, swamps, lakes, rivers, seacoasts. Each has its own characteristics, and individual sites within each category have their own too. The Grand Tetons do not look like the Andes—the Nile River is different from the Mississippi.

Whatever kind of landscape you are shooting, think about what the essential qualities are—and not just the visual ones; think about how the place makes you feel, what kind of emotions it stirs in you. Then look for ways to get those qualities and feelings onto film. Is it a rocky, violently wave-washed coast or a bright and sandy one? If it’s the former, you want to show waves crashing against the shore, probably in stormy weather. Blue sky and sunlight are more appropriate for the latter unless you want to show the desolation of a resort beach in winter.

Cities and Towns

Like landscapes, each city and town has its own look and feel—a distinctive setting, architecture, or skyline; a famous local site; a particular kind of food or dress. There’s always at least one thing that is unique. When covering a town or city, even a small village, you need to do three basic things at a minimum: capture a sense of place, which is usually a wide shot that shows the setting, skyline, or other view that gives a feeling for the whole; landmarks that the place is famous for; the life of its inhabitants. For the cityscapes and wide shots, as well as for the landmarks, it’s a good idea to check out the postcard racks in your hotel lobby or at kiosks. They will quickly give you an idea of where the best views are and what is considered well-known enough to warrant a postcard.

Monuments and Other Buildings

When you are photographing buildings, statues, or other monuments, think about what they represent before you shoot. For example: There’s a large statue of Vulcan outside Birmingham, Alabama. You could make a perfectly nice image of him standing on his hill on a sunny day, but such a picture would not say a lot about who Vulcan is. A photograph on a stormy evening, with perhaps lightning in the background, would. Cannons on a historic battlefield might look better in fog than in bright sunlight. Get the idea of the subject, then think of the weather, light, angle, etc. that best communicates it.

Photographing Family Members and Friends

We often travel with people we know—taking a family vacation, for example, or bicycling around Tuscany with a group of friends. We quite naturally want to come home with pictures of them as souvenirs of the trip. Be sure to get these, but don’t forget that you can also use members of your family and your friends to make your other photographs more effective.

When you are making pictures of your friends, try to strike a balance between a picture of them and a picture of the place. A friend of mine once made a close-up portrait of me in China. It wasn’t a great portrait, but more important, it could have been made in my backyard—there was nothing of the place in the frame. Of course, you may want to shoot portraits, or to capture someone’s expression at a particular moment, but often you are making the picture as a way of documenting your shared experience. You want to show enough of your friend to be able to recognize him—that vertical speck in the distance could be anybody. But you don’t want to be so close that there’s no context. If your friend is the primary subject, he has to be strong enough to draw attention and be recognizable but still keep some sense of where he is.

Photographing Strangers

It’s best to ask permission if you want to photograph someone, especially if you are working in close. Engage them before you pull out your camera. Learn at least how to say “hello” and “May I make a photograph” in the local language—just showing that you’ve made a little effort helps. Explain to them what you want to do and what it is about them that made you want to make a picture. If approached in an open and friendly manner, most people will be agreeable—many are flattered that someone has shown an interest in them and what they do. In places where there’s a lot of tourism, you may run into people who are tired of being photographed—many tourists are not courteous enough to ask permission, and local people can come to feel abused and exploited. The only way to overcome this is to spend time with the people or to go to parts of the place less frequented by tourists.

In many tourist destinations, people may ask for money if you want to photograph them. Many of these places are desperately poor, and people have few ways of getting hold of cash. The money they ask for is usually not very much to us, but may represent quite a lot to them. How you deal with these situations is up to you, but remember that every time you buy a postcard, you are happy to spend the money for a picture somebody else took. Why not spend a little on your own?

You cannot always ask permission, of course. If you are shooting a street scene or a wide shot of a market, you can’t run up to everyone and ask if it’s OK. In general, people do not mind this sort of photography—it’s only when they’re singled out that they get uncomfortable. But not always. Be sensitive to the scene in your viewfinder. If people are getting nervous, ask permission or move on.

Make use of people to give your images life and scale. If the facade of a particular building appeals to you, the picture may be that much better if you show people walking in front of it. They will give it scale and also let viewers know what sorts of people live there, how they dress, and the like. An outdoor café may be more interesting crowded with people than empty.

How to Start Travel Photography

Choose travel photography only if you love it deeply. It’s going to be tough.

Adventurous photography has many niche genres, like wildlife photography, industrial photography, landscape photography, etc. Learn about the types, the corresponding skill requirements, the temperament that is needed, the challenges involved, and of course, the monetization models involved. Make sure that you understand all the dynamics before making your final decision. Follow both your heart and mind. Once you have made up your mind on selecting travel photography as your specialty, you then need to focus and prioritize it and pursue it with all your passion. Half measures will not do.

Invest time, effort and money to learn the tricks of the trade

Falling in love with someone at first sight, is sensitivity at its highest. Planning to get married and start a family with that someone is sensibility at its highest. We are talking about marriage here. Marrying your passion and your expertise – technical, aesthetic, and commercial. Think like a pro. Start learning the tricks of the trade by interning for free as you take pictures with a second-hand camera or taking some travel photography courses. Interact with peers and seek travel photography tips by browsing good travel photography websites. Study books and magazines on travel photography. Learn from the masters. You can also attend travel photography workshops, seminars, and other training programs to learn from the best. Travel photography a lot of pre-photoshoot preparation.You need to be able to find suitable locations, handle different weather conditions, and choose the best equipment for each trip. Practising and learning how you like travelling the basis of the whole process. You should also find out which type of travel photography suits you the most.

Some Tips for Amazing Travel Photography

For many of us, going on a trip means we hope to come back with great photos. We go on this amazing adventure, see beautiful sceneries and want to capture them in a way that means something to us.

However, there’s more to taking great travel photos than just showing up to a beautiful location and snapping a few shots. If you aren’t well prepared for your trip, you may end up returning home with nothing more than a few snaps instead of the beautiful images you intended to capture. 

The good news is that going from shooting ‘snaps’ to capturing amazing travel photography doesn’t require that much. In fact, you’ll be well on the way by following the 12 tips I’ve shared below.

Know your camera

Whether you have a new camera or you’ve had it for a long time, make sure you know how to easily change the basic settings and how to maneuver your way through its menus. It’s essential know the ins and outs before leaving on a trip. Failing to do so can cause a lot of stress and in the worst case, result in you missing the shot.

Even experienced photographers should spend time getting to know their new camera before leaving on a trip. Each brand and model have their slight differences and using a new setup can be confusing for most.

At the very least, you should learn where to find and adjust the essentials camera settings such as the aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance. I also recommend that you’re familiar with the general menu and, from experience, how to quickly turn on your display light when shooting at night.Learn to make a good composition

A good composition is what makes or breaks your shot. Take some time to learn what makes up a good composition in an image so that you have the basic toolset to capture compelling photos from your travels.

One compositional guideline is The Rule of Thirds. The concept here is to break away from always having your main subject and horizon centered in the image. The frame is broken into nine squares by dividing the frame down in thirds both horizontally and vertically; try to place the point of interest along or at the intersection of these lines instead of centering it. 

This is a quick and easy guideline to follow and one that often improves the overall appearance of the image.

Leading lines is another popular compositional guideline that’s often used in photography. By using natural lines, for example a path or river, you can help guide the viewer through the photograph. Good leading lines can have a huge impact on the visual flow of an image.

Travel light

One of the more important things I’ve learned (and definitely the hard way) is to travel light.

I know how tempting it is to pack every piece of equipment you can possibly fit into your bag but sometimes it’s better to take only the essentials. Trust me, when you’re carrying it on your back all day, for several days in a row, your back/body will thank you for leaving a couple of pounds behind.

Wake up early and stay out late

Light, as mentioned earlier, is a key ingredient for great photos and the best light for travel photography tends to be early mornings for sunrise and in the evenings for sunset. These hours, known as the Golden Hour, have a softer and warmer light compared to the middle of the day when the sun is high and the light is harsh.

There’s another bonus of being up early too: you’re more likely to have a popular and touristic location for yourself. We’ve all heard the saying “the Early Bird gets the worm”. That’s very true in travel and landscape photography. 

The blue hour is another great time of day for photography. This is the hour either just before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is just below the horizon and creates a magical blue light.  

Don’t forget your tripod

Tripods are great and I couldn’t live without mine.

I know they can be bulky and annoying to lug around but I strongly recommend that you don’t leave the tripod at home, especially when going on a photography expedition. I dragged mine around while traveling by train across Europe for two months and while it wasn’t always ideal, I wouldn’t have been able to get many of the shots I did without it.

Tripods come in handy when you intend to photograph either early morning or late evening. This is because the dim light makes it nearly impossible to shoot handheld without increasing your ISO to levels that negatively impact the image quality. By using a tripod, you can instead extend the shutter speed while still getting a sharp result.

Experimenting with long exposure photography is another great reason to bring the tripod. This has a great effect on images that include water, skies or other moving elements. Creating that blur or milky look in water will not be possible without the tripod.

Always remember extra batteries

This may seem like a no brainer but you’d be surprised the number of times I’ve gone out to shoot and found my camera battery was dead and I forgot my spares. There is nothing worse than being in a beautiful location with the most epic conditions and nothing but flat batteries.

So before you head out shooting, make it a habit to charge all your batteries and be sure to have a couple of spares available in your bag.

A little tip to remember is colder weather drains your batteries faster. I would always have a couple of extra spare batteries when shooting somewhere that has a colder climate.

Be patient

A great photograph takes time.

Most of the images you see and love from your favorite photographers are the result of them going back to the same spot several times and patiently waiting for the right conditions. 

Once you’ve taken the time to set up your composition, it’s all about waiting for the light. Pay attention to the details of the light and the clouds and wait for all the elements to come together.

This can take a while and sometimes it may not happen at all. That’s all part of photography. 

Shoot in manual mode and capture RAW files

Cameras have become quite smart and you’d think they could take amazing photos in automatic mode but that’s not really the case.

Yes, the camera analyzes the scene in automatic mode and makes what it believes to be a logical decision for aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Sometimes it turns out ok, even great but other times you may find that the images tend to be a bit overexposed or differ from what you prefer.

I highly recommend that you begin to learn about what aperture, shutter speed and ISO are, how they work together and affect your image. This will lay the fundamentals for you to progress towards using the manual mode. Here’s a quick refresher for you:

Aperture affects the depth of field. Depth of field is how much of your image is in focus and how much is out of focus. The smaller the aperture is, the bigger the depth of field.

Shutter Speed is how long the image is being captured. The camera’s shutter is opened to let light into the sensor. When an image is overexposed it means that too much light has been let in. When it’s underexposed, too little light could get in which could be due to a too quick shutter speed. Keep in mind that a fast shutter freezes motion while a longer shutter blurs it.

I also suggest that you shoot in the RAW image format instead of JPEG. This is an uncompressed file that gives you more information to work with and better flexibility in post production.

Backup your images

Make sure to remember backing up your photos as you go. It’s a good idea to bring an external hard drive on your travels that you can import your images to at the end of every day. There’s nothing worse than technology failing us and losing hundreds of beautiful images.

Save yourself the stress and find a system that works for you to have photos saved safely. 

While I’m traveling I like to know that all my images are saved in two different places just in case something happens. This is why I tend to keep all my images on a memory card and have them backed up on the hard drive until I return home. Don’t stop shooting when the weather turns bad

Some of my favorite shots are taken in the harshest elements. I look back at those photos and remember standing outside for hours in the freezing cold wet rain or snow but the reward was a great shot! Dramatic weather can add an extra dynamic to your photos so don’t run away from it. 

Look at the weather forecast and be prepared. Pack extra layers, and have dry clothes in your car ready for you if possible. Make sure you have a rain cover for your camera bag and possibly your camera if you are worried about that.

I make sure to have two microfiber cloths in my bag and sometimes 2 extras in the car; one large one to dry my camera body and a smaller one for my lens. It protects my gear and helps me be able to shoot longer without my lens being covered in water spots. 

Always be respectful

My last tip is the one I think this one is the most important: always be respectful when traveling and photographing new places.

You’re exploring someone else’s home and culture so keep in mind the golden rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” 

Be considerate, don’t go tramping through someone’s private property to get a shot, or take a photo of someone’s house while they are sitting at the window eating dinner… No one feels comfortable with that. It’s better to instead ask for permission and only go where they allow. 

Make sure to ask a stranger if they’re ok with you taking a photo of them; don’t assume you can just sneak a quick shot. When in doubt, don’t shoot. Be conscious of the different cultures and that some photographs may not be allowed.

Rules For Amazing Travel Photography

Travel photography is not about your camera. It isn’t even about where you are.

It is about the stories you tell with your captured images. The way you take these stunning images is through research and observation.

Researching your location will let you know what is available to photograph. And the best time to capture it.

Preparing your gear and writing travel notes are also something you should do.

Read our article for all the 12 rules of travel photography.

How to Avoid Common Travel Photography Mistakes 

You can first ruin your travel photography but not planning it enough. Not having a shot list is a part of this mistake.

Also, make sure to have enough time for what you would like to reach. This is important when you would like to have blue hour shots of a certain place, and you are still far from there at sunset.

Don’t pack too much gear, and try not to be too shy. Telling stories with your images is always a great idea.

Follow our tips to avoid the most common mistakes!

Best Ways to Backup Your Photos While Travelling

Utilizing an external hard drive is the most important way to safely store your images once they are out of your camera.

Backing up in the field means that you need to find a solution to keep your images safe without a computer.

Having a system that will copy your images from your memory cards means not buying more of them.

Check our article above to find the best solution.

Tips For Travelling Safely With Your Camera

Travelling safely with your camera leys you enjoy yourself and keep photographing.

Having an item or camera stolen can dent your experience and budget. Travel insurance is a smart investment to make.

By covering up your cameras’ brand and model, you can really deter thieves looking to take your gear. This is best done using black tape.

Use padded cases so that your camera and lenses are protected against all knocks they will encounter.

This is a great way to keep your lenses in and out of your bag for extra protection. You can also use them separately on a strap or belt.

Travel Safety Tips Every Photographer Should Know

Staying safe while travelling should be the most important priority of your photography.

This is how you ensure that you enjoy the place you’re in for the time that you are.

Start with taking your camera on board if you are flying. Also, respect local customs to avoid conflict. Knowing your surroundings and not leaving your gear unattended are the very basics of staying safe as a travel photographer.

Read our article here for the most important travel tips to keep you safe.Photo by Kav Dadfar

Tips for Better Vacation and Holiday Photography

You can, of course, be a travel photographer without fancy locations and a huge kit bag. It’s a well deserved holiday where you decide to capture a few shots.

Even then, your photography could use a few tips. Choosing the right spot to photograph first is the number one tip.

You might also find it a game-changer to wake up and shoot before the crowd gathers.

Try avoiding clichés and find a balance between portrait and landscapes. Include your family in your images, but also make sure to capture the local culture.

Tips for Breathtaking Cityscape Photography

If you’re headed toward the city, then this article is for you. You’ll find great tips for short trips or extended stays.

Find the right location and check the forecast to check the available light. Take images from a distance and also zoom in to capture details.

Preparing your gear and thinking about your settings in advance are also essential here. Blue and golden hours might be the best time for these images. Experiment a lot, and go back if you are not satisfied and you have time. To dig deep, check out our tips on cityscape photography.

Where To Find Travel Photography Inspiration

Best Travel Photography Blogs to Follow

Travel photography blogs serve as great inspiration for us photographers out there.

You can get great tips and ideas by looking at other photographers’ images. Also, reading their stories and descriptions help you prepare for the shooting sessions.

You can find the best locations and events by reading quality blogs.

Travel Photography Destinations

You can go anywhere in the world and take photographs. And if you use a few basic compositional rules, you are halfway there.

It’s always a good idea to get information before you start planning your travel.

The Most Iconic Places in the World to Photograph

There are some places in the world that everyone recognizes. These are usually historical sites or buildings, but some of them are the wonders of nature.

If you visit these places, you must take photos of them. But try to be unique! Get creative, and bring a new perspective.

The Best Architecture Photography Locations in the World

Some places are known for their architecture. You can find unique buildings everywhere, sometimes even stories that blow your mind.

While you are travelling, make sure to do a bit of research, and don’t miss any interesting spot!

The Most Beautiful Cities in Europe to Photograph

In Europe, there are so many diverse landscapes and architecture at such small distances.

The same can be said about nature. Without these venues, cities wouldn’t be the same. Natural landscapes also play a vital role in shaping the atmosphere.

How to take Unique Photos of Famous Places

People travel from all around the world to see and photograph these delights. Because they are so famous, it’s hard to capture them in a unique way.

Start with doing research and plan what you would like to see in your images. Arriving early is a great idea to avoid the crowd. If the place is already crowded, you can even use this to show the atmosphere.

Places to Take Pictures in LA

There’s the old and classic Los Angeles. And, there are the newer, more happening spots that offer you brand new photo ideas.

The Best Places to Take Pictures in NYC

New York is an ever-changing city, with a rich history and cityscape.

You can include New Yorkers in your images as the crowd belongs to the atmosphere.

Beautiful Pictures of Japan to Inspire Your Travel Photography

Japan has a lot of historical, cultural and natural wonders you can capture.

For some travel photographers, Japan sits on a pedestal because of it’s natural and built heritage. It is also full of interesting food and neon-lit streets.

The Best Photography Locations in Tokyo

The capital of Japan is an incredible place to photograph. Whatever style of photography you enjoy, Tokyo will have you covered.

You should visit the most popular places and buildings. The architecture is amazing, and you can also find quirky settings like cosplay events.

Guide To Photography Etiquette in Japan

Like anywhere else on the planet, Japan has a photography etiquette that should be followed when capturing images.

Some of them are common sense, such as asking for permission if photographing people up-close. Others are specific to locations. In Japan, some areas have banned selfie sticks, for example.

The Best Spots For Photography in London

London is a crowded place, and not only because of people. By walking on the streets, you bump into landmark buildings or parks on every corner.

Best Photography Locations in Paris

When someone says Paris, the Eiffel Tower appears in everyone’s mind. In reality, the opportunities for photography in the many arrondissements are endless. And Parisians light up every frame.

Best Tips and Locations for Taking Great Pictures in Venice

Venice has a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere. Due to its unique location and breathtaking canals, everyone can immediately recognize photos taken here.

The Best Photography Spots in Rome

All roads lead to Rome; who can deny that? This city is full of history, culture, architecture, and food.

The Best Photography Spots in Barcelona

Barcelona is full of tourists due to its stunning sights. You can find famous, one of a kind buildings from Gaudí, beautiful parks and streets.

The Best Amsterdam Photography Locations

Amsterdam is a compact, pedestrian-friendly, and cultural city. The streets themselves are worth photographing, but obviously, you can find famous venues.

The Best Photography Spots in Budapest

Budapest is a photogenic city where you can bump into different subjects that worth capturing. From famous streets to buildings and thermal baths aplenty, there’s so much to photograph.

It has a beautiful river, the Danube, which allows you to take breathtaking images and offers many opportunities.

Best Spots for New Zealand Landscape Photography

New Zealand has beautiful places to visit. It’s like you were standing in a painting or in a scene out of a famous trilogy.

Best Iceland Photography Spots and Tips

Iceland is becoming more and more popular among tourists. It’s no wonder this place offers venues that are beyond comparison.

Best Photography Spots in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is one of California’s most beautiful places. It’s full of ancient redwoods, so this is the perfect destination for wildlife photographers.

It’s hard to say which spot is the best, but we tried to collect 10 of them. Explore Yosemite and get beautiful memories printed and framed on your walls!

Tips for Carnival Photography

From Brazil and Mexico to Venice and Thailand, street carnivals are a fiasco of colour and costumes.

Each one is slightly different in size, magnitude or duration. They also have different concepts.

How to Take Great Travel Photos of Yourself

There will be times where you want to record yourself while travelling. Either for memories or social media proof.

What to do if you were on your own? How do you manage to capture yourself in a scene?

Luckily there are a few ways you can do this. You can ask other tourists or locals to take your picture. Another way would be to use a tripod and a 10-second delay.

Compositional rules exist to help create interest in your images.

These can be layered for maximum effect, turning a somewhat dull image into something awe-inspiring. Using reflections is a great place to start.

These repetitive images are great for the viewer as they add depth and dimension to your subject.

Use the rule of thirds, symmetry, play with colours or scale, your possibilities are almost endless.

Black and White Travel Photography: How to Make the Most of It

Shooting in black and white eliminates the distractions caused by colours. By using black and white, you look at your subject and scene in a different way.

Here, your focus is on the contrast of a scene. The textures and shapes are more prominent.

Street Photography: How to Take Pictures of Strangers

Photographing people on your travels adds story elements to a scene. It also adds a sense of scale to large or difficult to gauge subjects.

Having people in a scene can change the atmosphere of the scene easily. But for this, you need to prepare and learn how to stay invisible. Or how to communicate with your subjects.

Documenting Places and People: What You Need to Know

As a travel photographer, you are documenting the people and places you visit. Each new location brings forth new moods, feelings, light, people and visual elements.

With most areas of photography, research is key. This lets you know what you can expect in each new area.

Knowing what to expect means you can change your camera and personal gear accordingly. This gets you one step ahead of other photographers.

Try telling stories, photograph strangers and spot the unique scenes.

How to Crop Your Travel Photos for Better Results

Knowing a little about cropping can really help to boost your travel photography. What you leave in is just as important as what you leave out.

It’s better to concentrate on your subjects than missing great moments while you are trying to reach the best composition. You can crop the image later.

How to Use an ND Filter to Remove People from Long Exposure Shots

An ND filter is an essential piece of equipment. It allows you to capture long exposure shots in the harshest sun.

Not only is it easy to assemble, but they are quick and easy to use. They can incorporate well into time-lapse projects too.

The biggest benefit is their ability to make people disappear. This can be especially helpful in very tourist-heavy locations and sites.

Documentary Photography – Tips For Starting Out

If you are into travel photography, why not try a small documentary project? It could boost your creativity.

Documentary projects are typically long-term projects rather than one-time photo sessions. Photograph what you see. Visualise the atmosphere, the people and the locations around you.

You are going to learn about our world, and about your creativity too.

How to Photograph the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights attract a lot of tourists and travel photographers from all around the world.

However, they are not so easy to photograph. You have to be prepared, have a tripod and a proper camera for it.

Also, you have to be patient because they are not always visible and their intensity changes too.

Set your camera and take delight in this beautiful phenomena!

How to Take Stunning Panoramic Pictures

Panoramic images are a great way to show the landscapes you encounter. The advantage is that you are not restricted to one single perspective or view.

After capturing many images on a horizontal plane, they are then stitched together.

Tips for Beautiful Beach Photography

On your travels, you are likely to come across beaches, strands, and banks. They are great areas to show sunsets, sunrises, and possibly, stories in your work.

Beach photography needs a little consideration to capture perfectly. Our list here will give you all the tips you’ll need.

After a little research, you will capture them with interesting compositions, perspectives, and exposures. Try avoiding crowds, but sometimes you can include people in your images. Details, golden hours, and silhouettes are also great ideas to capture.

Travel Photography Ethics: When You Shouldn’t Take That Picture

A camera is a powerful tool. It’s a device you can use to record the world around you.

Sometimes you have to consider whether you should photograph someone or something or not. Poverty, self-promotion or stereotyping are controversial topics.

Ask permission first, to avoid questionable situations. Don’t invade anyone’s personal space.

Tipping for Photos: Should You Do It?

Tipping is the act of giving someone money in exchange for a photograph of them. Usually, it is a local person in the native environment who adds something to the image.

It makes the image possible. But you might find these locals will ask for something, usually money, to be in your image.

This is something that many travel photographs will face numerous times.

Read our thoughts on this topic in our article on tipping for photos.

Find a Fixer: Using a Local to Improve Your Travel Photography

A fixer is basically a local person who can help with many tasks.

They speak the language, know the contacts and can show off the hidden highlights of a place.

They can be expensive, based on their experience and the lack of competition, but are incredibly useful.

How to Start a Travel Photography Business

Clearly Describe your Travel Photography Service

Define your travel photography service in unambiguous terms. Enable your clients and prospects understand the quality of work that you deliver, prices that you charge, value-added services that you render, and the scale of projects that you work on. Define the mode of payment, and the terms and conditions for hourly rates, weekly commitments of time and project deadlines. Defining your service will help you to make money with photography while traveling.

Create your professional travel photography website

Even as you continue to learn and inculcate the skills of professional travel photography, you must not forget to market your work. Build a professional travel photography website to showcase your travel photography photos. Sort and curate your work and select the best travel photos of different genres that you have for your portfolio website. Regularly update your portfolio website and add new work from recent travels. Your website is your showcase window to the world and the first point of contact with potential clients and collaborators.

Use social media to generate exposure for your work

Travel photography gets a lot of attention and response to social media. People love to like and share beautiful, picturesque images of places they would love to visit. As a travel photographer, learn to leverage social media to your advantage. Choose one or at max two social media platforms and focus all your energies on sharing high-quality posts regularly. Interact with people who comment and share your work and build your fan following. Look through the metrics of likes, shares, and comments to understand the market trends, the quality of work, and areas for improvement.

Instagram has emerged as the preferred platform for photographers to share their work. Travel photography is especially popular on Instagram, with many hub pages promoting travel photography. Learn how to use photography hashtags on Instagram to get success as a travel photographer.

Start a Travel Photography Blog

Add a travel photography blog to your portfolio website. Starting telling visual stories, share travel photography tips, and behind the scenes insights of your travels. Create photo stories of the places you are visiting. Talk about the culture, experiences, and share your explorations through your blog posts. Your blog will gradually become a magnet for attracting admirers and potential clients alike.

Explore Ways to Earn Money through Travel Photography Passion

Here is the challenge. Capturing the best travel photos as you travel across the world is one thing and making money from them, quite another. Always be looking to sell your skills, brand your work, and get a better bargain. You may try publishing your work on some of the best travel photography platforms, online tourism platforms, and wildlife adventure photography and conservation platforms that offer a good amount of money. 

There are a lot of stock photography websites where you can sell your travel photography images. There are also many travel magazines that regularly post travel photography jobs. Build your relationships with travel magazines and understand their requirements. You can plan your travels wherein you are shooting images that a travel photography magazine or website would be interested in paying. 

Join a Travel Photography Group

How about socializing with buddy travel photographers at a cool theme restaurant on the weekend? You get to know each other, bond over shared interests in adventure photography, learn cutting-edge technical tricks, and, most importantly, get recommended to clients by senior professionals. Network, share positive vibes with your tribe, and get recognized within the community of travel photographers for your work.

There are also several online travel photography communities that you can join. Fellow travel photographers are more than happy to help each other out with insider tips on the places they have visited.

Build and Grow your Client Relationships

Travel photography is not just about the camera. It is about exploring people, places, cultures, geographies, and practically whatever the roads serve your way. Flag each place you visit with a bit of self -promotion. Associate with noble causes and look to attach yourself to social campaigns. For example, you can try your hand at wildlife photography to spread the word on endangered species and animals that are on the verge of extinction. Amidst all the frenzy of meeting people, new clients and new assignments will pop out of nowhere.

Keep the faith and have the resolve to overcome a few challenges that the trade might throw your way. If you love photography and the freedom of working while traveling places, travel photography is for you. Leap with preparation and trust that the net will appear.

How To Get Paid For Travel Photography

There is a lot of money in the travel industry, which means the demand for anything tourism-related is strong.

Of course, you have to make sure if travel photography is right for you. Make a website, a blog, be active on social media and have the proper gear.

You can sell prints or write about photography. Teaching is also a great idea.

Get Paid to Travel – 10 Hot Tips From Paid Travel Photographers

A travel photographer provides imagery for the global tourism industry.

This might be for magazines, newspapers, and books aimed at marketing, information or documenting cultures and events.

Being a professional travel photographer means making money from your images. There are multiple avenues to do this.

How To Sell Your Travel Photography

Of course, you have to start with having great photos. Then you have a lot of options, like selling them on stock sites or as prints.

You can even sell the images directly to clients, not as stock photos. You can even sell your stories, accompanying your photos.

How do you promote yourself efficiently?

How to Post-Process Travel Images

How to Optimise Your Travel Photography Editing Workflow

Travel photography can result in a lot of images. Sometimes it seems to be impossible to go through them.

You should back up everything and organise your images. One way to keep track of your photographs is to create a different Lightroom catalogue for each journey.

Post-Processing Tips for Better Travel Images

Travel photography can require post-processing. You should start by choosing the best editing software.

Then go through the different stages of editing, from cropping to sharpening, noise reduction and adjusting contrast, highlights and shadows. You can even remove unwanted elements.

Simple Lightroom Tips for a Better Travel Photography Workflow

Lightroom is a popular software for post-processing. It hosts a great library system for effective image storing.

After importing your images, you can make use of the built-in map. It makes it easier to find the shots you are looking for.

Lightroom presets are also going to make your workflow faster. And you can even use Lightroom on your smartphone, to edit images on the go.

Photo Editing Tips for Travel Photography

Photographing in RAW will make editing your images more efficient and you’ll have better quality.

In the editing stage, adjust the colour temperature, the exposure, and add a bit of contrast. Adjust whites and blacks as well. Cropping and strengthening are also important.

The last step can be the removal of unwanted elements.

Best Free Lightroom Presets to Use

Adobe Lightroom presets are a great way to edit your photographs fast. You upload them to your Lightroom preset folder, and then use them as you wish.

They adjust your image at the click of a button. Exposure values, shadows, and highlights are a few modifications that could change due to the preset.

Others are more extensive, changing the tone and colours of an image to have a certain atmosphere.

Conclusion

Travel photography is a lot of fun but being in a beautiful location is only the first step in capturing impactful images. The very best shots require time, planning and consistency but I think we can all agree that it’s worth it when you finally get that one shot.

You’re more likely to return home with professional-looking images when you’re prepared. Know what to expect about both the location and the weather, know how the sun hits the scenery and know how to best utilize your camera. It doesn’t take much but this is going to be the difference between an impressive travel photograph and a simple ‘snap’.

The most important thing about travel photography is to remember to look up. You’re somewhere new for the very first time, don’t be so focused on getting the shot that you forget to stop and enjoy the views along the way.

We are confident that this article provides you with all the education you need to become a professional travel photographer!

As you can see, travel photography is a versatile genre. It needs planning, research, organising skills, patience and knowing the ethics. Be aware of your surroundings and capture everything, but also make sure to enjoy your travels!

Resources

Nationalgeographic.com, ” Travel Photography Tips.” BY Robert Caputo; thewanderinglens, “How to Become a Professional Travel Photographer. ” BY Lisa Michelle Burns; capturelandscapes.com, “12 Tips for Amazing Travel Photography. ” BY Jillian Hoiberg; expert photography.com, ” The Ultimate Guide to Travel Photography. “; pixpa.com, “Travel Photography–How to Blend Your Passion With Profession.” BY Gurpreet Singh; masterclass.com, “Tips to Advance Your Travel Photography. ” BY MasterClass;