Travel Photography Tips
Because The World Is Not In Black And White

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These travel photography tips are written by amateurs for amateurs. We will be exploring the digital photography basics and pointing you towards relevant professional resources.

Like many people, we can't imagine travelling without a camera. Our photographs enhance our travel experience. They trigger our memories when we are back home and help us to communicate our travel experience with other people.

The great thing about photographing is that everyone can take photos. Some are of course better than others... some are much better. However all photos tell a story... even the not so good ones.

All photos are the creation of the photographer that took the photo. They show us the world as that photographer saw it at that moment. Taking a photo allows us all to tell a story, to be creative.

The good news is that everyone can learn how to take better photos - even the best photographers are learning something new all the time and improving their digital photography technique. Learning photography is also getting easier as there are many excellent online photography schools available where you can learn the digital photography basics.

Travel Photography Tips
Where To Start?

Picking up your camera and taking a photo is definitely one way to start taking photos. You might though take even better photos if you have the following travel photography tips in mind when doing so.

Do Your Research

To take good photographs it helps immensely to understand the local customs and traditions. It will give your photos an extra depth.

It also helps you to respect the boundaries which is especially important when photographing people or in sensitive places. Always respect other cultures, put yourself in the locals footsteps. How would you feel if tourists invaded the church with their cameras while you were getting married? Or when you were having a quiet afternoon at the local square with your friends?

Get A Feeling For The Place

Try to get a feeling for the place you are visiting. You don't want a photo that shows only how the place looks like - you want a photo that shows also how a place feels like.

You want to capture the character and the ambiance of the place. Researching a place is likely to assist you with that but nothing beats spending some time absorbing the environment. Visiting a place at different time during the day can also help you to better feeling for a place.

When photographing people try to put your subject into context with the place you are photographing them in.

You want a picture of them that reflects where they were, not a photo that could have been taken almost anywhere.

Tell A Story

Great travel photography tips are to think of taking photos like telling a story. This makes perfect sense as you are taking travel photos to enhance your travel experience.

So bear the story line in mind when taking travel photos. How will you tell your family and friends back home about your travels? How can your photos add to your story? Think about the beginning, the middle and the end. Think about the story highlights, think about chapter headlines.

Look at our travel Portrait Photography Tips for more travel photography tips on photographing people.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Keep your eyes open at all times... figuratively speaking of course. Always have a camera with you as you never know when the right motif presents itself.

We own two cameras, one big and one small. We never go anywhere without our small camera but we take the big one with us on special occasions.

Make Time For Photography

All travel photography tips agree, if you want to take good photos you need patience. Sometimes you have to wait for the right moment, for the right light, etc. Your patience will pay off... but sometimes the wait can be long.

Of course most of us can't wait for days on end to catch the perfect shot of a tree leaping frog or for a glimpse of the rare snow leopard... but waiting few minutes, or even hours, for the clouds to clear can make or break your photo.

Seek Inspiration And Advice

There are so many great photographers out there and easier than ever to view their work, thanks to the internet. Google + is very visual social network where you can find work after most photographers today.

Choose few you like and follow them. You will be inspired as well as pick up some photography tips and techniques on the way.

Enjoy The Digital Age

Some professional photographers still prefer films to digital photos but it's a fact that the digital technology has opened up new world for us amateur photographers.

It doesn't cost arm and leg in films and processing anymore to experiment... so embrace the digital technology and take lot of photos. Practice makes perfect.

You don't necessary need the best and most expensive equipments to take good or even great photos, but you will need to practice.

Remember that learning photography is getting easier all the time as there are many excellent online photography schools available where you can learn the basic digital photography technique.

Enjoy Your Photos When You Are Back Home

The digital technology not only makes sure you will have a lot of work to sort out your best photos when you get back home... it will also allow you to spend a lot of time in improving your photos.

Learning few basic travel digital photo tips and tricks in Photoshop or similar photo editing software can enhance your photos even further.

You can also do much more with them now-a-days then just print them out and put them into a photo album. You can make travel books, with photos and texts.

You can make souvenirs like calendars and posters. You can make gifts, like mugs or mouse mats or t-shirts or...

The best travel photography tips we can give you is to have fun with your camera, experiment and play with the outcome.

No one can take pictures just like you, your photos are unique, they are your creations... they tell your travel story.

Travel Photography Gear

One of the secret of successful photography is using the right camera and photography props. Even though mobile phone cameras are getting better all the time, if you want to take good photos you need the right equipment.

Special Beach Camera is good choice when going on a beach holiday. Their design makes them withstand sand and water, so you can snap away without having to worry about possible damage to your camera.

The Camera Extender is fun little camera accessory that can be handy when travelling, especially if you are travelling on your own as it allows you to be included in the photos you take.

You will need good camera bag if you are travelling with your camera equipments. Lowepro Camera Bags are designed with photographers needs in mind and are understandable popular choice by professional photographers and amateurs alike.

We own number of Lowepro products so Our Lowepro Camera Bags Review is based on our personal experience of the brand.

If your travels include any kind of wet conditions, then Waterproof Camera Bag is necessary. There are waterproof camera bags that protect the camera equipment when not in use, as well as waterproof camera cases that allow you to use the camera in wet condition, e.g. when raining or even underwater.

Finally yet importantly, you must Keep Your Photographic Equipment And Photos Safe when travelling.

Photo-editing Software

If you do not own photo-editing software, we suggest you consider Adobe Photoshop Elements. Adobe Photoshop is the industry leading photo-editing software for professionals.

What Adobe has done with Photoshop Elements is to use the core functionality from its' main software and bundle it into this package aimed at the public.

So for amateurs and enthusiast alike, this software will enable you to edit your digital pictures like a professional, without having to buy the expensive professional version.

In addition to this, you get a photo organizer as well, which is critical to use. The biggest problem people have with digital photos is organizing them properly and being able to locate them later. Photoshop Elements enables you to do exactly that without any fuss.

There is lots of other clever functionality available in this software, such as creating calendars, photo books etc. However, the best thing we feel about this software is it is not expensive. Click on the Amazon banner to buy a copy today.

Other Travel Photography Tips Resources

Before you leave on your trip, take a look at Ultimate Photo Tips, where you'll find clear and helpful tips on all aspects of photography.