Travel Photography Tips For Beginners

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Here are 6 travel photography tips which will take your photos to the next level.

1. Do Your Research

This is the most important rule, not just for photographers but travelers in general. Sit down, do the research and make a plan. Note down what is important for you to see while travelling. Do you enjoy visiting "touristy locations" or you'd prefer to go off the grid? What do you want to see while you are travelling and what is the most optimal way to get there? Whenever my husband and I decide to travel anywhere, the first thing we do before even buying the tickets is to note down the most popular places we want to visit. My husband then makes a plan on Google Maps with our walking route planned out. By doing this we know exactly where we are going, how long it will take and we make sure to make the most of our time there. By the way, as a tip within a tip, ALWAYS walk. Don't take a bus or a cab, just walk. While travelling, we typically spend about 12 hours a day walking and of course, we feel exhausted afterwards, but this is the only way to guarantee that you will experience the genuine nature of a city. You will see all the small cracks in the sidewalk, every vintage balcony and all the faces of locals which will inspire you to take the perfect photos.

Once you know where you are going and what you will see, get inspired. Look through some photos of those places and try to imagine how you would like your own photos to come out. Of course, don't plan TOO much. You have to leave some room for your own creativity to flow while you are there. It's also important to research things such as the weather, tides and photo authorization in order to be well prepared for the perfect photos.

2. Photograph During the Right Time of Day

As mentioned in a previous blog post about 7 tips for portrait photography, lighting is really important. It's not only important for portrait photography but for any type of photography! Avoid photographing during peak times of day when the sunlight is strong. This will create harsh shadows and unflattering brightness and contract. The best time of day for travel photography is during sunrise and sunset periods when the sun rays are not harsh and embrace the earth perfectly. Not to mention all the mesmerizing colours during these times of day, which will create an even more stunning photo.

3. Have the Right Gear With You

The biggest mistake you could make here is to carry a ton of unnecessary gear with you. Just don't do it and your shoulders will thank me for it, I promise. After doing your research about your travel destination, make a calculated decision on what type of gear to bring with you. Decide whether it's crucially necessary to bring a tripod, the number of lenses and filters.

My suggestion would be to bring 2 types of lenses - a wide angle and a telephoto lens, as these are the typical lenses that travel photographers need most. However, make your own judgement and bring the lenses which you believe will suit your photographic needs best and make sure to leave the rest at home!

4. Enjoy the Moment

This is one of my biggest mistakes when travelling somewhere, so I would definitely benefit from my own advice. Put the camera down once in a while. Enjoy the moment. Last year, we took a trip to Greece with some friends and explored some stunning islands. One of the biggest memories I have of this trip was taking tons of photos. Of course, I love photography and I loved taking the photos, but now I regret not being present at that moment a little bit more and viewing the things that were happening around not only through a lens.

In addition, if you continuously take photos throughout the trip, trust me you will grow tired very quickly and you might actually miss an important opportunity for some great shots. Be prepared to take some amazing photos, but please also put the camera down and enjoy the trip.

5. Rule of Thirds and Straight Horizons

If you take anything from this blog post on travel photography tips, let it be this one - know the rule of thirds and make sure your horizons are straight!

The rule of thirds is very simple but will make a great difference in the composition of your photo structure. It is based on the fact that humans naturally gravitate to the intersection point of a photo when it is split into thirds. When taking a photo imagine (if you don't already have the lines in your viewfinder) that there are lines splitting your image precisely in 3, horizontally and vertically. The important subject or elements of composition must be placed near or on the area where the lines intersect.

There is nothing less professional than having a crooked horizon in your photo. Make sure that you are watching out for this when taking a photo. If you happen to notice that the horizon is not straight after the photo has been taken, don't sweat it. You can always fix it during post-processing.

6. Be Patient

There is no way to learn how to take amazing photographs than to be patient and practice regularly. Good photography skills will not happen overnight. Understand that learning never stops - even the most professional photographers are still learning and experimenting with different styles and techniques. Be open to learning, practice constantly and never give up!