I love capturing memories of my travels with my camera. Every destination offers something unique and interesting to photograph….the people, the culture, the architecture and landscapes. The images I capture tell the story of our trips and I try and take as many photos as I can. I will admit, I’m an over-shooter but I’d rather come home with too many photos than not enough.
So in addition to taking lots of photos on your travels, here are a few other photography tips I’ve learned along the way…..
- Decide on what gear you want to take with you and only pack what you need. When I went to South Africa last year, I knew I’d need my DSLR to capture the animals on Safari. I felt the same when I went to New Zealand. I wanted a wide angle lens and my DSLR to capture the amazing landscapes. But on my recent trip to Spain and France, I realized that my iPhone and Sony RX100 III would meet my needs and I was thrilled with the images I captured. Plus it was so nice to walk around Barcelona without that heavy gear.
- Be sure to bring extra batteries and memory cards. I purchased 4 additional batteries prior to going on my recent trip because I knew that shooting video exhausted the battery quickly on my camera. And memory cards are always a good idea to have handy.
- Turn on your iCloud and backup photos as you go. I was pick-pocketed in the train station in Barcelona and my iPhone, passport and wallet were stolen. I was upset to lose my passport but even more upset to lose my phone, that is until I realized I had turned on the iCloud backup and my photos were all safely stored in the cloud.
- Do your location research. Instagram is a great way to find inspiration in the cities you visit. Just search hashtags that correspond with the city’s name or tourist location. Postcards are also a great way to get ideas. Check out the kiosks in local souvenir shops for inspiration.
- If you bring a laptop, download your images each night and back up to the cloud. On my recent trip, I wanted to travel light and did not bother with a laptop. I was definitely in the less is more mindset but when I do bring my MacBook along, I try and download photos to my computer regularly and not have everything sitting on my memory card.
- Incorporate the 3 C’s. My good friend Suzanne O’Brien introduced me to this concept. It is such a great framework to use when photographing your travels. Think about and capture images that reflect the Context (landscapes), Characters (your subjects), and Close-Ups (details).
These are just a few suggestions to keep in mind as you explore new cities or even your own backyard. If you have any other tips that have served you well, I’d love to know. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
