Travel Photography Tips for Your Next Adventure

Things are finally looking up, and it looks like we might have a chance to hop on a plane and travel before we know it. When that happens, you will want to come prepared, especially if you want to photograph your adventure. If you're visiting a place you've never been to before, taking photos of its very essence, culture, history, and people allows you to convey the spirit of the place to other people offering them a peek of what it's like to visit. If you are planning to write about your travels then good travel photography is a vital part of any successful blogger.

 To help you capture the best shots throughout your next adventure, here are some tips to keep in mind:


Do your research


Before setting out on a photography adventure, you ought to do research so you can come up with shots that have not been taken before. For each city or town you visit, do your research and find the one thing that sets it apart from other places so you know where the best views are and what type of images are considered well-known enough to warrant a postcard. National Geographic suggests doing these three basic things: capture a sense of place, photograph landmarks that it's famous for, and cover the everyday life of the locals.

If you have never studied photography, use this time off to get to grips with the basic techniques and skills. Research and practice at home by using photography sites and books. The books recommended by Medium  cover everything from compelling composition to using both digital and traditional approaches to shooting.

Choose the right gear


There's no denying that smartphones have evolved to capture high-quality photos. If you own a smartphone, you pretty much have a premium camera that can fit in your pocket. Then again, nothing beats professional gear. Phones may be able to take good photos on the fly, but professional cameras can take great ones. The cameras and lenses featured on Adorama  showcase the different types you can choose from when prepping your travel gear. When selecting the perfect camera and lens, take into account what kind of photos you want to take. DSLR and mirrorless models are capable of capturing modern, high-resolution images, while vintage, classic film cameras can help you create unique shots. You'll also want to take alternate lenses, a tripod, and a spare battery, so you can take creative images at different angles for an entire day without the need to charge.

Learn to tell a story


With everyone posting travel photos these days, the best way to stand out is to tell a story with your pictures. When you think about it, photography is really not just about composing a shot — it's about narrating a story in image form. You have to have the understanding that the camera is only a part of the moment. As you go on your adventure and capture one shot after the other, try to figure out how to visually tell the story of your subject, be it a place or a person. Only then will you come up with non-generic photos that you'll be proud of and treasure for life.

Don't try to shoot everything


When you're traveling, it's only natural to want to capture every new thing you see for later viewing, but renowned photographer Jimmy Chin points out that the most successful photographers focus  on something very specific, like a subject or area of activity that they’re really passionate about and have a connection to. When you find the thing you want to shoot, ask yourself why it interests you and what you like about it. Doing so "makes your eye much more intentional the next time you look through a lens," he says. As practice, you can look at the work of photographers you admire and imagine what it took for them to capture the image, as thinking about the process can assist you when you conduct your own shoot.

 For more travel tips, check out the Trip Temptation archive.

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I’ve been travelling ever since a was a child but my first large trip was at the age of 13 when I was sent to live for a couple months to London. This trip has changed me and ever since I just want to see more and more of our beautiful world. Every trip gives me new emotions, charge and strength to keep going further.

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