Okay. So you've read up on the technical side of taking wonderful pictures. You know your aperture from your exif and you have experimented with shutter speeds. But there's something missing from the photos you've been taking. They're ok, but that is it. Just ok. Why? You question. Well, here's a little secret: it is all about luck. Well not really. More to the point, great travel photography is all about creating your own luck.
Preparation
There's an art to being lucky in travel photography, and it usually involves lots of hard work. Research is the key. Find out all you can about where you are going. Read travel guides, books, newspaper and magazine articles, scour the internet, watch television programs. Knowing a little about what life is like in that part of the globe can go a long way to getting the most out of your time there. For example, how would the locals react to somebody trying to take their picture? Some cultures can be quite offended by having their picture taken. This is especially true of women in Islamic countries. At other times, people will practically beg you to take their picture. Occasionally, you'll be expected to pay for the privilege.
If you're intending to photograph well known landmarks, there will be plenty of images available in the various media, so that you can get an idea of what it might look like during different times of the day or various seasons. This might help you in your planning. There's nothing quite as useful in photography as knowing how to be in the right place at the right time.
Flexibility
Sometimes the shot you would like is just not possible. You might be in a busy city square trying to photograph a tranquil monument basking in the afternoon sun, but being interrupted by a stream of passers by wandering through the frame. Unless of course you are able to stop traffic, you aren't going to get the shot you came for. This is where you might need to modify your approach. Try to capture the feel of the place as it is. If the square is bustling with people going about their day, show it as such. Make your focus the intensity and speed of which life moves within the space. Be creative. Maybe use a bit of motion blur to capture the essence of a city in a hurry. You may also be able to return at a quieter time to capture that monument at peace. Again this comes back to preparation and research. Yes, I'm harping on about that again, but it really is that essential.
The Wider Picture
Doubtless you'll arrive at your destination with an intended subject. Perhaps the local people, or architecture, or you've planned your trip around a specific festival that's taking place. Nevertheless, do not limit yourself to this one subject. Instead of fixing your viewfinder on a subject and keeping it trained, try looking around you. Look up, down, behind you. You will be amazed at how much more there is to photograph. And how much more of a sense of time and place you will be able to show in your images. Is not that your purpose anyway?
Great travel photography does require great technical skills. Let's not kid ourselves about this. But more often than not it is about being in the right place at the right time and having the awareness to take complete advantage of it.
Preparation
There's an art to being lucky in travel photography, and it usually involves lots of hard work. Research is the key. Find out all you can about where you are going. Read travel guides, books, newspaper and magazine articles, scour the internet, watch television programs. Knowing a little about what life is like in that part of the globe can go a long way to getting the most out of your time there. For example, how would the locals react to somebody trying to take their picture? Some cultures can be quite offended by having their picture taken. This is especially true of women in Islamic countries. At other times, people will practically beg you to take their picture. Occasionally, you'll be expected to pay for the privilege.
If you're intending to photograph well known landmarks, there will be plenty of images available in the various media, so that you can get an idea of what it might look like during different times of the day or various seasons. This might help you in your planning. There's nothing quite as useful in photography as knowing how to be in the right place at the right time.
Flexibility
Sometimes the shot you would like is just not possible. You might be in a busy city square trying to photograph a tranquil monument basking in the afternoon sun, but being interrupted by a stream of passers by wandering through the frame. Unless of course you are able to stop traffic, you aren't going to get the shot you came for. This is where you might need to modify your approach. Try to capture the feel of the place as it is. If the square is bustling with people going about their day, show it as such. Make your focus the intensity and speed of which life moves within the space. Be creative. Maybe use a bit of motion blur to capture the essence of a city in a hurry. You may also be able to return at a quieter time to capture that monument at peace. Again this comes back to preparation and research. Yes, I'm harping on about that again, but it really is that essential.
The Wider Picture
Doubtless you'll arrive at your destination with an intended subject. Perhaps the local people, or architecture, or you've planned your trip around a specific festival that's taking place. Nevertheless, do not limit yourself to this one subject. Instead of fixing your viewfinder on a subject and keeping it trained, try looking around you. Look up, down, behind you. You will be amazed at how much more there is to photograph. And how much more of a sense of time and place you will be able to show in your images. Is not that your purpose anyway?
Great travel photography does require great technical skills. Let's not kid ourselves about this. But more often than not it is about being in the right place at the right time and having the awareness to take complete advantage of it.
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