Travel photography can be incredibly rewarding—and frustratingly difficult. Luckily, with a little practice and some knowledge, it doesn’t take much effort to get great results. However, if you want to progress from snapshots to high-quality images that showcase your destination in the best possible way, you need to work smarter and not harder. Below, professional photographer Har Kwan Luk shares some tips on how you can hone your photography skills to increase your chances of getting awesome shots wherever you go.
Be aware of your surroundings
Travel photography is all about capturing a moment in time. To do this, you need to be aware of your surroundings. This includes where you are, who you are with, and what is happening around you. When you’re traveling, you need to be hyper-aware of your surroundings. This is especially important if you’re trying to photograph a street, a beach, or a monument. You need to be aware of where other tourists are and what they’re doing so you can frame your shot correctly and make the most of your time in the area. When you’re visiting a new city, Har Kwan Luk recommends being on the lookout for interesting architecture, unusual landmarks, and interesting street art. If you’re traveling to a tropical or desert location, be aware of the weather and look for opportunities to include some interesting landscape shots in your photography.
Learn to use a slow shutter speed
When you’re traveling, it’s easy to be in such a rush that you forget to stop and smell the roses. This is especially true if you’re visiting a busy city like Bangkok. However, you can’t fully appreciate a place if you’ve got your head in the clouds. Make sure to take the time to explore your surroundings, walk around, and get to know the city you’re visiting. This will help you to better appreciate the place and also give you a better idea of what kinds of shots you want to take.
When you’re in a hurry, you need to slow things down. Shutter speeds are how you do this. They’re measured in fractions of a second, and they’re measured in 1/50th of a second, 1/100th of a second, 1/200th of a second, and so on. The lower the number, the slower the shutter speed. As well as being useful for when you’re trying to take photos of moving subjects, low-numbered shutter speeds are great for taking photos of cityscapes. They’re great for creating blurry, surreal-looking images, which are perfect for showing off a city’s stunning scenery.
Look for interesting light
Light is one of the most important elements of travel photography. If you don’t have access to interesting light, you’re never going to be able to take great photos. This includes things like interesting sunlight, interesting cloud formations, interesting light at dusk or dawn, or any other kind of light that inspires you. Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can use light to your advantage, both on the road and in the hotel lobby. For example, you can use a remote flash to create interesting light on a street while you’re traveling. Alternatively, you can use a tripod and Creative Live Photos to create interesting light in a hotel lobby.
Frame and compose your shot correctly
Your photos don’t have to be big and bold to be compelling. Instead, it’s often better to take more subtle photos. This is especially true when it comes to framing your shot. The frame of your photo is the part of your image that appears on the edges of the photo. It needs to be interesting enough that the viewer will want to focus on it. The best frames are the ones that include parts of the scene that were actually in front of the camera and parts of the scene that weren’t. This will make your photo more interesting and more compelling overall, advises freelance photographer Har Kwan Luk.
Don’t be afraid to try new things
One of the best things about travel photography is that it allows you to try new things. You don’t have to be limited to the traditional methods of travel photography, as there are a lot of creative ways to practice your photography skills. For example, one of the best things you can do is to travel with a DSLR camera and a large memory card. This way, you’re able to shoot RAW images and edit them later, which means you have more freedom for creative experimentation. For example, one of the best ways to practice your framing skills is to take photos of things you see on the street.
Shoot RAW and develop your images later
While it’s important to edit your photos, it’s also important to shoot RAW images. RAW images are essentially the digital equivalent of a negative. You don’t need to edit them, but you do need to develop them using Lightroom or a similar program. This allows you to quickly edit your images and make any necessary adjustments before you upload them to your photo-sharing website or send them to your friends.
Final Words
Travel photography can be incredibly rewarding—and frustratingly difficult. Luckily, with a little practice and some knowledge, it doesn’t take much effort to get great results. However, if you want to progress from snapshots to high-quality images that showcase your destination in the best possible way, you need to work smarter and not harder. These tips will help you to hone your photography skills and take better travel photos.