On the outside, travel photography seems glamorous. Travel the world and take photos? Where do I sign up? But behind carefully curated Instagram feeds is a lot of work that goes into getting those pics. Traveling isn’t easy, and it can be intimidating to explore foreign countries, let alone document them. Here are 10 travel photography tips you can use on your next trip to help you focus your efforts on your images.
1. Dress The Part
Travel photography is mainly shot outdoors. Contending with the elements brings its own set of challenges. Before you even think about the photography aspect, you need to be prepared for the weather. In my travels, I’ve encountered tourists that didn’t have the proper attire and it put a serious damper on their trip.
Dress for the season. If you’re in-between seasons and the temperatures rise and fall, dress in layers. Bring thermal underwear if you’ll be in the dead of winter. Invest in waterproof gear to survive the rainy season. A waterproof jacket, pants, footwear, and a cover for your backpack will save you a lot of headaches.
Speaking of footwear, look for value and comfort. Spend more money on shoes that will last. If you’re sticking to paved streets and sidewalks, you should be fine with an all-purpose walking shoe. But if you’re venturing off the beaten path, a sturdy hiking shoe helps traverse different terrain. Travel photographers are on their feet for long hours, and the wrong footwear can quickly destroy your feet and legs.
Additionally, take into account the environment you’ll be exploring. Shield yourself from the sun by wearing a hat and using sunblock. Humid destinations are prone to mosquitoes and other insects. Packing bug spray protects you from being eaten alive or contracting potentially life-threatening illnesses like dengue fever.
2. Choose Your Camera Wisely
Much has been talked about when it comes to which camera is the best for travel photographers. The truth is, the best travel camera is the one that you like shooting with. Pretty simple, right?
However, a general rule of thumb when traveling is to keep your gear as light as possible. The bigger the camera, the heavier it will be. If you plan on shooting a lot, a heavy camera will wear you out faster.
The heaviest cameras are DSLRs. The advantage to shooting with a DSLR camera is that many of them have full-frame sensors. These sensors are the same size as 35mm film. They capture more of the scene when compared to a camera with a crop sensor.
Crop sensors are predominantly found in mirrorless cameras. Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter (hence the smaller sensor) than DSLR cameras. The argument of which sensor is “better” is up for debate. Both DSLR and mirrorless cameras provide shooters with impeccable image quality.
Personally, I shoot with a mirrorless camera and see no reason to invest in a DSLR for my travel photography. DSLRs are notoriously bulky. Mirrorless are compact, light, and fast. DSLRs are also less inconspicuous if you’re shooting on the street. I prefer to blend into my surroundings rather than look like I’m shooting a major production.
Of note, there are also very good point-and-shoot cameras that are geared to travel photography, such as Fujifilm’s X100V or Sony’s RX100V.
3. Get Great Glass
DSLR and mirrorless cameras allow for lens interchangeability. This means you can remove the lens from the camera body and replace it with another. Why would you do this? For flexibility in focal length. If you want to shoot a photo with a 50mm lens rather than an 18mm lens, you have that option.
Lens interchangeability also gives you the advantage of using primes, zooms, or both. Primes are lenses with a specific focal length (ie. 23mm), while zooms have multiple focal lengths (ie. 18-55mm). Some photographers swear by primes, while others feel zooms are the way to go.
The disadvantage of primes is that you have to either carry multiple cameras or endlessly switch out your lenses if you want focal length variety in your photos. The disadvantage of zooms is that they’re slightly less sharp than primes (although this is up for debate). They also weigh more due to the extra glass in their construction. This extra glass makes zooms more expensive than primes. However, one zoom lens could potentially give you all the focal lengths you want, rather than carrying around multiple primes.
Lens selection is wholly individual. As photographers, we’re creating art. For you to express yourself through your art, you need the proper tools. An ultra-wide lens might be perfect for you, while others favor standard or telephoto lenses. Research focal lengths to get a better understanding of them. You can then make an informed decision on which lens (or lenses) will work best for your photography.
4. Security Issues
Unless you trust yourself to never drop your camera, you should get a camera strap. There are different strap designs that keep your camera secure while allowing it to remain accessible. Let’s look at each of them:
Neck Strap: Most new cameras come with an around-the-neck strap. It attaches to both sides of the camera and is hung on the back of your neck. The design engages your neck and trapezius muscles to support the camera’s weight. It also allows the photographer to rest the camera in front of their body, making it easy to pick up and shoot when needed. The downside to this strap is it puts strain on your neck and back muscles. Wearing your camera this way (especially a heavy one) can lead to muscle tension and headaches.
Sling Strap: A sling strap is a popular alternative to the traditional neck strap. It’s designed to be worn across your body like a sash or guitar strap. This design helps alleviate excessive pressure on your neck and upper body. The camera can then rest at your hip, close to your shooting hand. Some sling models attach to a backpack rather than wrapping around the body, which is great for travel photographers.
Harness Strap: A harness strap is a great option for heavy-duty shooters that require 2 cameras. This is a common setup for wedding photographers. The harness has two points of attachment on the front of it near your hips, giving you quick access to either camera. They’re usually made out of high-quality leather to withstand heavy camera weights.
Wrist Strap: Wrist straps are another popular way to keep your camera secured. It attaches from the camera and wraps around your wrist. A lot of artisan wrist strap companies are online, and some will even design a strap to your specification. The downside to the wrist strap is that you have to carry the camera in your hand at all times. This can be a dealbreaker for those who prefer to have their hands free when they aren’t shooting.
Hand Strap: Hand straps are popular with street shooters. It keeps the camera firmly secured in your hand at all times. The camera becomes a natural extension of your hand and all you have to do is snap away when you’re ready. Similar to the wrist strap, the downside of this style means your hand is never free unless you put the camera away.
Finger Strap: This is my strap of choice. It’s similar to wrist and hand straps, but it only wraps around the trigger finger. It’s secure enough that you won’t drop your camera, and it’s easy to slip off when you need to put the camera down. If you’re on a budget, there are plenty of YouTube videos showing how to make your own wrist/finger straps out of paracord for cheap.
5. Pack For Your Back
Most travel photographers wear a backpack while they’re out shooting. This can hold anything from extra lenses and gear, to clothes and food. The fuller the pack, the heavier it gets.
Some backpacks are specifically made for photographers. These come with compartments for separating your gear so that you can find things quickly. Their interior is made of padded material for added protection. The downside to photography backpacks is they tend to be expensive and surprisingly heavy.
The more lightweight your pack, the better for your back. If you don’t travel with a ton of gear, I’d suggest buying a travel daypack. These are usually a bit cheaper and use lightweight material. As long as you’re careful about how you store things (and you don’t mind fishing through your backpack when you need something), a lightweight daypack works great and helps alleviate any back issues.
6. Tripods
Tripods are a must if you’re shooting night photos, long exposure photos, or if you simply want razor-sharp images. But I’ll be the first to admit, traveling with a full-sized tripod is a headache.
Yes, today’s travel tripods are lightweight and collapse to fit into a backpack. But that doesn’t mean using them is fun. It’s a whole production to set up and reposition for your shots. For this reason, I try to shoot handheld as much as possible.
Having said that, there are small travel tripods available for a fraction of the price of a standard tripod. Gorillapod is one example. It has malleable legs that can wrap around/attach to almost anything in your environment, stabilizing the camera. It’s also small enough that you won’t have any issues fitting it in your backpack.
7. Accessorize
Travel photographers shoot on the go. With that comes a level of uncertainty that you have to accept. Something could go wrong when you least expect it. In fact, this is usually when things do go wrong! The best way to mitigate an unwanted situation is to prepare for it as best you can.
Quick story…
At Angkor Wat in Cambodia, tourists can witness sunrise at the temple. This requires getting up around 5 am, but the sight is so spectacular it’s a no-brainer. When I arrived, I gathered with the other tourists in the darkness and waited patiently for the sun. As soon as the sky began to light up, out came the cameras. I took a few shots and noticed my photos were blurry. Everything with my camera settings seemed fine. I started to panic. If I didn’t get the issue fixed quickly, I’d miss documenting the event. That’s when I realized the morning humidity was fogging up my lens. It was the first time I’d ever encountered anything like that. Thankfully, I packed a microfiber cloth just in case my lens ever needed a quick cleaning.
So what’s the moral of this story? Carry as many accessories as you can “just in case”. You never know when they’ll come in handy.
You may need some (or all) of the following somewhere along the way:
- A microfiber cloth
- Extra batteries
- Extra memory cards
- A selfie stick (please don’t)
- A remote shutter release controller
- A first aid kit
- External drives
- USB cables
- Surge protectors
8. Plan Ahead
You’ll likely be out all day long when exploring. While you don’t want to stifle the creativity that comes from spontaneous opportunities, you should have a rough plan as to how your day plays out. Planning ensures you’ll be able to do everything you want to do, and see everything you want to see.
For example, you might have 3 or 4 places you want to shoot at. Do some online research to ballpark how much time you expect to spend at each one. You can then use Google Maps to figure out how much time is needed to get from place to place. A notepad app on your phone can be used to quickly plan the day’s itinerary.
Another tip is to pre-plan your shots if you’re familiar with the location. This helps quickly capture the photos you really want. You can then focus the rest of your time on shooting creatively at the site.
Planning ahead helps things run more efficiently. Manage your time to the best of your ability but leave some wiggle room. In my experience, you usually never have enough time at a single spot.
9. Power Up With Food & Water
You’ll need energy to make it through the day. Taking food and water helps sustain you when there’s no food or water around.
Load up on healthy snacks. Things like protein bars, nuts, seeds, bananas, and healthy sandwiches. You can pick these up at convenience stores in most countries.
Carry a refillable water bottle with you at all times. Bonus points if you pair the water with electrolyte tablets. These will help replenish salts and minerals your body loses during the day. If you’re in the tropics, a fresh coconut will do just the same. However, be careful how many coconuts you consume because they’re a natural laxative.
10. Take Your Time Shooting
The final tip is to take your time. Too often we rush to get our photos without appreciating the situation to begin with. Travel is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Being a travel photographer means you have a responsibility to present the world to those who aren’t in your position.
By taking time crafting your photos, you’ll have less throw aways at the end of the day. Waiting a few minutes could be the difference between a photo with hoardes of tourists vs. a photo with no tourists. In some places, the weather changes on a dime and can drastically affect the mood of a picture. The light at sunset gives you ultra-dramatic photos compared to light in the afternoon hours.
Keep things relaxed and loose. There should be no rush when you’re taking pictures. You may experience moments on the road you want to capture, but by the time you snap the photo, the moment is usually gone. Simply soak up your surroundings and then think of ways you can present it to the world from your unique point of view.
Travel Photography Is A Privilege
Using the above travel photography tips, you should have a good understanding of how to prepare for shooting. By taking care of the small details, you’ll be able to focus on your end goal – taking great photos of your favorite destinations.
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