Travel Pictures

With travel photography you want to convey not only the sites and scenes you have seen but also the feelings and emotions associated with the locations. The unexpected is always around the corner when you travel and with some careful preparation and a keen photographic eye you can produce some memorable results.

Good travel photography starts at home or the office before you leave for the airport and weeks in advance of your trip. Here's how capture great travel images.

1. Research before you leave

Purchase the best travel guide you can afford and find out everything about the locations you will be visiting. Find out about the natural beauty, tourist sites and the culture. Look at the images in the guides and see what the important areas are and what you need to record. Learn about local transportation and distances as well as timing to reach the areas you want to visit. Learn about the culture and find out what you can photograph and what is taboo, what the dress codes are and any local laws or rules. Buy a phrase book and learn some of the key phrases to communicate when photographing. You will be amazed at how this will open doors for you.

2. Prepare a checklist

Essential for any photographer is a checklist of everything you will need for the trip, photographically as well as you normal travel needs. Check that all your gear is covered by insurance and that it is up to date. Take proof that you purchased your equipment at home and not abroad so you don't get landed with customs duty on your return.

3. Avoid cliches

Don't return with all of the images that are in the guide books which everyone has seen. Use new angles and try get to viewpoints that are not traditionally used for photos. Leave the tourist path and get away from the bus. If you can afford it, hire a private guide to take you off the beaten track.

4. Photograph local life

Local life in foreign countries is rich with sights and scenes that are brand new to you. You'll often find that you will experience your photography much more by getting to know the local folk and seeing just what their daily life is like. By capturing the essence of their lives and homes you will experience the journey and capture memories that are unique and far more interesting.

5. Make yourself the subject

As the photographer you probably find that in all aspects of your life there are few images of you in front of the camera. So go out of your way to include yourself in photos while touring. Ask a travel companion, a guide or another tourist to take photos of you experiencing the local life. With digital you can see immediately the results of their work and whether you'll need to reshoot it.

6. Take portraits

By respecting the local culture and as I mentioned learning a few of the most important phrases most locals will allow you to shoot their portraits. When photographing them close-ups are great and reveal character and the beauty of people you aren't familiar with. But, this is the time to photograph portraits of people within their environments so shoot fewer head and shoulders and more with some of the background. Use wide angle lenses more often for great shots.

7. Shoot candids

With a longer lens and the ability to stay in the background and keep your distance you are able to photography people without them knowing. Unposed photos have people behaving totally naturally in their environments without the pressure to pose. The key here is to remain unobserved. Reveal yourself only once you have your shots. Look for opportunities that will reflect the local culture and people naturally.

8. Look for detail

By getting in closer and photographing the traditional clothes and jewellery you will see details in the colour and styles. Look for details in the architecture, transport and local costumes that reveal something more than a traditional shot. A macro or telephoto is great for this type of shot.

9. Tell a story

By shooting a series of shots at a location you will be able to tell a story of the life of the local people. How they dress, work, have fun and where they live and relax. Select a theme or shoot at a market and try to think about the end result and how you will tell friends and family about your trip in just pictures. Maybe shoot a day in the life of a local you have befriended from morning till bedtime.

10. Take lots of photos

Work out how many images you think you should shoot and then double it. And then double it again. You can never take too many images. This may be the only opportunity for you to see this country and rather edit later than lose the memories by shooting too little. Not every picture will be perfect but it will be a memory. You are not just looking to create perfect photos but also great memories. Digital film is inexpensive so take lots of memory cards with you.

Travel is often a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people so go well prepared and come back with memories that will last a lifetime. Happy shooting!

Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/ To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here - http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm

Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_G_Turner

Labels: Learn Digital Photography, Top Ten Tips For Better Travel Photography

You have been an avid photographer for sometime now and your confidence in the technical and artistic aspect of the craft is at an all-time high.

Wouldn't be nice to travel different locations, taking pictures of the scenic and interesting places and consequently make money out of it? It is very rewarding to do things you love as means of living. That is why commercially successful photographers have enviable quality of life.

Deciding to be a full time travel photographer can be daunting especially, if you do not know the steps to take. The risks are worth taking. Just follow these valuable tips to realize your travel photography dream job!

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #1: Go Out And Shoot!

This may sound obvious or over-simplistic, but it's vitally important! You must be comfortable and fluent as a photographer in all settings and conditions. Don't be afraid to fund your own trips at first. You must understand that you are launching a business venture out of your talent. Consider this move as an investment overhead.

Use this step to showcase all your skills. You are creating a portfolio for future business/job prospects. Build up a library of truly first class images. This is also a good time to network and get to know a lot of people who may be able to help boost your career.

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #2: Know the Demand

It is essential to know the demand. You must ask yourself which types of photos are most marketable.

If there is a high demand for scenic photos of tourist destination spots, it is a great idea to initially start shooting for those. It will be easier to find clients for these photo sets and from there you can comfortably explore to new trends. Remember, you are just starting; don't get too idealistic if the current demands are not of your artistic specialty.

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #3: Marketing is Necessary

Armed with a library of impressive photos, the next sensible step is to promote your work. You got to know the right people or businesses that are willing to buy your work and services. Examples of potential clients are resorts, hotels, travel magazine publishers, government agencies, and basically all businesses catering to the tourism industry.

The good thing about marketing in photography is that it greatly relies in your portfolio. So if you don't have the knack for sales talk, there is no need to worry. Let your pictures do the talking.

Moreover, one of the marketing strategies that you should implement is via web marketing. Have a website to place your portfolio. It can do wonders! It is a great way to spread your work.

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #4: Find a Sales Partner

Sometimes, the hard work is not from taking the pictures but from finding and managing clients. If you are not the type or simply hate the marketing aspect of your job, you can find a dependable sales professional to do the stuff for you. Negotiate a win-win deal with your partner and then you can concentrate solely on your craft.

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #5: Be Adventurous. Explore New Methods and Techniques

Photography is a very competitive field. Get ahead of your peers and always try to improve. Explore and experiment on different techniques you can think of.

Imagine if you are able to perfect a particular technique say, for example, underwater photography. Clients with this demand will surely go straight to you because they know that you are the best at this specific field. Plus, when your reputation has grown enough, you can reasonably put a higher price on your services.

Travel Photography Jobs Tip #6: Be a Professional

Last but not least. If you want to stay long and well in this industry you must embody professionalism. Do quality work and deliver it on time. Your reputation as a travel photographer includes how easy you are to work with.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_Hale

Labels: Make Money, Take Photos, Travel Photography Jobs

You probably know the yellow "National Geographic" magazine. If you browse through its colorful pages you can see that many of the pictures are taken in the low, warm light of mornings and late afternoons or evenings.

The photographers of National Geographic are among the best we have. You can easily mimic this practice and create much more interesting pictures than most people bring home from travels.

The low light will model the landscape you see for your eyes, so for example the plough furrows or differences in topography and texture are highlighted.

As a traveling photographer I know, that even on a photographic mission time is limited and your circumstances are often less that optimal.

I can recommend you to take the pictures you must take during the day. And then take a walk around your hotel or campground during the last two hrs. before sunset and shoot additional pictures in this special light. Try to do the same next morning before breakfast. In that way you will combine the best possibilities.

With a digital camera you can easily delete the less successful pictures later.

Low light gives long shadows, so be careful with these. Normally you should not expect parts of a picture to show up properly in both strong shadows and in full sunlight.

If your digital camera allows the raw format you will keep more details in shadows to work with in Photoshop later if you choose the raw format instead of the usual jpeg compression. But it depends on how much you like to optimize your pictures at home in a picture editor program.

In practice you should avoid the heavy shadows. When you shoot your photos in cities the big buildings are among the difficult objects. So take them from an angle without the big shadows, if possible.

If you follow these instructions I am sure that the appeal of your travel pictures will increase.

Have good travels and enjoy your travel photography during the trip as well as afterwards.

Soren Breiting is a traveling stock photographer. See examples of Soren’s travel pictures in his photo galleries at A-Z Fotos, http://www.azFOTOS.com and read about pictures and marketing in Soren’s ezine ‘Stock Photo News’ at http://www.StockPhotoNews.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Soren_Breiting

Labels: and Late Afternoon, Better Travel Photos, With the Light in the Morning