“Have you packed the camera?” must be one of those things that’s always asked when people are getting ready for some traveling. But more often than not, that’s as much considerations as people give to what or how they want to take photos whilst away on a trip. Here are a few travel photography tips to help you come home with something you’re proud of.
1. Check your gear
It’s a frustrating situation to be in when you are missing that vital bit of kit. Arguably, the most common thing to be lacking in is storage. So make sure you transfer those old photos off your memory card or phone and give yourself plenty of chance to be snap happy. If you’re taking a power hungry camera then consider extra batteries, it’s always a worthwhile investment in my opinion (eBay can be a good source for some third party batteries at little cost).
2. Landscape, street or something else?
Think about where you are going and what scenes you’re likely to encounter. A trip to New York might lead to lots of street photography, most cameras will work well for this style (for the geeks of you out there…something offering you a focal length of 35mm-50mm will be perfect). If you’re off to somewhere like Iceland or Canada then something capable of wide-angle shots will be essential. It must be said that wide-angle shots are extremely versatile, so try working on those wider shots and you’ll find it useful for future travel photos.
3. Get to the right place, at the right time
Do a little research into sunrise and sunset times so that you can capture those golden moments. If you’re on a city break try and see if there are any local markets or events going on during your visit. You might only visit these places once, so make sure you don’t miss out on any once in a lifetime moments.
4. Give it a quick tweak
One of my aims when taking photos is to give the photo viewer a sense of what it was like to view the scene with my own eyes. Sometimes your photo might not come out just how you remember it, so go ahead and bring it back to life in the digital darkroom. Try out a few simple editing softwares, if you’re a phone shooter then go for Adobe Photoshop Express or Flickr (it’s had an amazing update recently). If you’re more adventurous then go for Adobe Lightroom, it’s a wonderful tool for any photographer.
5. Don’t get obsessed by “getting the shot” and enjoy your surroundings
Above all, enjoy your trip! There have been many a time where I’ve not looked up from the viewfinder enough and enjoyed my surroundings. You’ll enjoy those photos more if you have fond memories attached to them, so make sure you have a good time and know when to put the camera down.
There it is: five quick tips to capture great travel photographs for your Cloud Frame. We hope these tips will help you proudly display amazing photos on your frame! Enjoy exploring and clicking away!
Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.