Travel Photography Basics: Essential Things to Know

Travel photography can be a gratifying venture. You get to capture images from places you visit, sights you see, and people you meet along the way. It’s like taking a piece of that moment in time and encapsulating it through a still image. In this article, we will be discussing travel photography basics.

Of course, you want these photos to be of excellent quality, especially if you’re doing this for a living. But capturing those images isn’t always easy. Like writers, you tend to stumble upon a block, not knowing what angles to look at. Sometimes, the overall concept itself is absent.

But fret not. Here are some tips and concepts for you to remember that may help you get out of that rut, back to that creative zone. All you need is a little springboard to get yourself going and letting those ideas fly.

Embrace naivety

The best part of visiting a place for the first time is not knowing too much about it. It’s a lot more fun to let curiosity prevail and be in awe of every new moment as it happens.

Having a sensible amount of naivety during those travels makes you more enthusiastic to see everything around you. It gives you a much more interesting view of things, which makes you render better quality photos, overall.

On the other hand, overthinking and overanalyzing, which shots to take and subjects to use may lead to eventual inaction. Just set yourself free, and everything else will follow and fall into place.

Never let unique moments pass

This concept applies both in photography and life itself. In so many ways, it’s been said that each passing moment will never come back. We all know that for a fact, it takes a different turn when you look at it in the most literal sense.

You may never get to see another colorful sunset ever again. Or two lions hunting a giraffe while on a Sahara Desert safari. These moments are fleeting; they come and go.

So once you see that perfect shot, do not think twice and take it. In fact, take as many shots as you want. Nowadays that we do things digitally, you won’t have to worry about running out of film.

Adhere to Mother Nature’s threats

This piece of advice touches on the issue of safety, both for yourself and your equipment. The wrath of nature should never be taken for granted. Once you feel a tricky weather situation coming up, always err on the side of caution.

Sure, a snowy city concept is a nice image to snap. But if it means putting you and your camera gear at a compromising situation, it might be best to forget about it for now.

Just be on the safe side and wait for clearer skies. Your equipment and bank account will thank you later.

Pay attention to what’s happening in the background

You may have gone to a Muay Thai kickboxing bout in Thailand for the action in the ring, but there can be something equally compelling in the crowd. The same goes for a U2 concert in Dublin.

While you may still have your “headliner act” to watch out for, never count out the events in the background. Keep both your eyes and mind open, and you might just stumble upon a gold mine.

If you have any other travel photography basics you want to share, please feel free to do so down below.