Travel photography tips

Travel photography tips
Photo by photo, our images show us the world’s limitless potential — that each hour is ours, that bus-ride conversations can quickly turn into friendships, and that a meal can be more than simply eating. These photographs bring us back to where we once stood, danced, or rested our heads. We’ve teamed up with moment (and some of our favorite globetrotters) to bring you a fresh perspective for your travel photography. Continue on for more travel photography tips.

Get Up Early

When the alarm goes off at 5:45am in my sleeping bag, it’s not always easy to get up (especially when it’s 20 degrees outside), but it is definitely always worth it. My favorite time to shoot is just before the sun rises, when the sky turns a soft pink and there is a glowing ember of light just out of view.

When it comes to aiming for that early morning light, a little bit of preparation can go a long way. I usually capture my best images when I have taken time to scout my location beforehand and dial in on the exact times of sunrise/twilight, as well as weather. It’s also helpful to have an end result in mind before that first beam of light breaks from the horizon, when the side-lighting is prime and pure gold. Sometimes you may have a particular subject in mind, or you may want to capture just the sunrise itself. Taking time to compose your image beforehand can allow you to get creative when the light peaks.

Try One Scene Three Ways

When traveling, it is easy to get focused on one aspect of your surroundings – that vast valley or the blue of the ocean – but don’t forget about the other visuals that make up that moment.

Play with point of view — try shooting one scene in three different ways. What were the colors of the architecture? Did you stop at a street-side food stand? Whether you are looking up, down, or narrowing in on a specific detail, those images will be remarkably unique to one another, while still capturing threads of the same story. For example, the images below were all taken in the same neighborhood, but show different parts of my experience.

Find Identifiers of Scale

To communicate scale in an image, include a recognizable object or element. For example — frame a person, vehicle or cabin within a surrounding landscape. This gives your audience a better understanding with what dimension he/she is is dealing with.

Notice Detail

Yes, still acknowledge the sweeping landscapes, but there are also countless details that make up your trip. Look for interesting color combinations, textures and materials, and signs of aging or growth. Try shooting straight on or directly overhead to help minimize distracting perspective lines, allowing the eye to focus on your subject in the image. Or if there’s a clean background, include negative space around your subject to help draw the eye to the detail. When it comes to editing — crop in tight so the subject or group of objects you’re photographing fills the entire frame, bringing attention to the colors, patterns, and textures.