5 Pro tips for taking amazing travel pictures

5 Pro tips for taking amazing travel pictures

When I studied design in college my favourite subject was photography, from that coupled with a love of travel I’ve ended up here as a travel photographer. Just about everyone I’ve ever met likes taking pictures on their trips and we could all learn a few new things so why not keep in mind these pro tips to take better travel pictures!

Get a tripod

Or a rock or your backpack or the ground or just something to keep your camera steady when pictures in low light to prevent camera shake and blurred images. Find a suitable surface, set the timer to delay the shutter and away you go.

The church at night, Seyðisfjördur, Iceland.
The church at night, Seyðisfjördur, Iceland.

Vary your viewpoint

Don’t take every picture from eye height, get up and get down and change the point of view for some dramatic scale in your pictures.

Portrait of Faroese Horses, Sørvágsvatn, Vágar, Faroe Islands
Portrait of Faroese Horses, Sørvágsvatn, Vágar, Faroe Islands

The rule of thirds

Sometimes a head on shot is great and shows symmetry, but using the rule of thirds or dividing your image into three parts left, centre and right or top, middle and bottom makes a much more aesthetically pleasing image. Usually. There are also times to break the rules!

Boy, Upernavik, Greenland, The Northwest Passage
Boy, Upernavik, Greenland, The Northwest Passage

Use the light

Midday light will result in harsher overhead lighting, evening and morning will have softer more dramatic light (this usually means you have to get up earlier or finish your day later), blue skies and sunshine suits brighter colours but doesn’t necessarily mean better shots. Often dark stormy weather is much better for landscapes, and those washed out grey, overcast days are brilliant for portraits with their softer light. Think about your lighting and adapt your plans accordingly.

Dark and moody landscape, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Þingvellir - Thingvellir, Iceland
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Þingvellir – Thingvellir, Iceland

Practice, practice, practice and edit, edit, edit

Take millions of photos trying different crops, viewpoints, shutter-speeds etc. But don’t show them all. Be really selective – in fact ruthless. Don’t just take better travel pictures only display your best work. Every photographer takes some duff shots, the only difference is you don’t see them.

A young boy in traditional Faroese dress celebrating Ólavsøka (the national holiday of the Faroes), Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
A young boy in traditional Faroese dress celebrating Ólavsøka (the national holiday of the Faroes), Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

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