We’d all love to capture some stunning images while we’re on our travels to truly capture the experience we’ve had. If you’re like me, the majority of them will end up with some blurred fingers in the way that you won’t notice until you get home. Follow our top tips below for some creative images you’ll want to show off when you get home.
Photo by: swaitreelyaon/Adobe Stock
A little bit of preparation is necessary.
This might go without saying but it can be all too easy to forget- before heading out for the day, check that the batteries on your camera are good to go, with spares if necessary. Check that you’ve got adequate storage space for what you’re due to encounter (and more- you never know when something spontaneous might occur!). If you’re heading to a popular spot, consider travelling more earlier than usual to try to beat the crowds. Often a photo without many people is best- depending on what you’re trying to capture of course.
The rule of thirds.
Don’t take an image of your subject directly in the middle of your shot. Imagine the photo split into a 3 x 3 grid, like in tic-tac-toe. Where the lines lay and cross, here’s where you should place your subject.
Experiment with perspectives.
Don’t feel like you should take your photo head-on because it’s “normal”. Try getting your camera focusing on your subject from different angles. Change your position and height to get a unique view. Move around and experiment with shots. Look for natural borders that you can use to frame your image, such as windows, doorways, or naturally appearing arches.
Get up close.
If getting in close to your subject, ensure you’ve enabled the ‘macro’ mode on your camera. This highlights detail in your image so less is lost in the capture. Before taking the shot, consider what it is about the scene in front of you that you want to portray in your image.
Photo by: asife/Adobe Stock
Take more than one shot.
The chances are that you’re not going to get a perfect image after one take, especially if photographing animals or people. Something will blur, someone will blink or there’ll be a highly amusing funny face captured at the wrong moment. Be prepared to take more than one attempt to get your image just right.
It can pay off to shoot against the light.
Although there’s no way you’ll show everything in your capture, sometimes it can be rewarding to shoot against the light. This is particularly great for capturing silhouettes which can be more dramatic and eye-catching. If the light hasn’t compromised what you want to reflect, take the shot!
Be candid.
Forced poses from your subjects often lose a lot of integrity and authenticity. You can capture true emotions and experiences by taking photos on the fly, rather than putting in requests to those around you.
Don’t get trigger-happy.
Keep your intent in your mind while snapping away. Don’t take random photos as they won’t mean anything to you and will be pointless (and they’ll take up memory card space!). As we’ve said before, know what it is you want your photo to reflect and experiment with ways of putting that across in the image.
Photo by: Philipimage/Adobe Stock
Look for the unique, rather than the clichéd.
There are some shots we’ve all seen time and time again. Do not take that shot. Look for your own unique approach. Focus on a different element; get a new angle on it.
Mind those fingers.
You’ve done it before, I know you have. Check the image preview for stray digits before walking away from your subject.
Take your own ‘stock’ images.
If you’re planning to get a photobook printed after you’ve sifted through your snaps (why wouldn’t you? Make the most of those images!), bear in mind that you’ll want some nice background images for your pages. While out on your travels, looking for interesting shapes, textures and patterns in all materials that you see. These intricacies won’t be the focus of your trip but will make some great filler images should you need some to fall back on.
Make the most of your images.
Once you’ve returned home from your trip, do something with your images rather than letting them languish on a memory card. There are lots of websites online that let you format your photos into photobooks, mugs, coasters, even cushion covers. Take time selecting your favourite shots and do something with them!
Grab a quote for car hire now to ensure you’ve got easy access to all the hotspots you want to photograph.
Be sure to share with us your favourite snaps over on our Facebook and Twitter accounts- we’d love to see them!
Written by Jessica Juby.
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