Digital Travel Photography: Easier Than Ever

Sunset, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Digital travel photography: do some homework

Knowing these things will help in planning where and when you can get the most compelling shots, and might even prompt you to change your travel dates if you have that luxury. 

Digital travel photography: taking a good look

Practice framing scenes to compose perfect pictures

Digital travel photography: careful composition

As smart as they are however, the one thing they can't do is the point themselves. It's up to you to make your digital travel photography interesting.

Composing a photograph is simply a matter of  including what moves you about a scene while excluding anything else that is non-essential or distracting. In his travel photography book, Spirit of Place, Bob Krist talks about cropping compositions more and more until something appears to be missing.

Keep your backgrounds simple. A cluttered background makes the viewer struggle to find your subject.

Check your corners. Move your eye around the frame and look for anything that might attract attention away from your subject - a stray branch, someone's elbow, a tree growing out of your subject's head...

Don't 'bullseye' your subjects. That makes your photo static and uninteresting, and will most likely cause your viewers to move on. 

Instead, think of the frame as a tic-tac-toe grid and place your subject in one of the intersections of lines. This is called the 'Rule Of Thirds', a design principle dating back to the Greeks and the oldest trick in the book for composing a pleasing image.

The rule of thirds

Flower on the table illustrates the rule of thirds

Look for colorful subjects in your travel photography. The more colorful, the better. 

But beware - our eyes are drawn to things that are bright and colorful. If those elements aren't your subjects, exclude them, or they will pull the viewer's eye away from where you want it.

TIP: Unless you have a setting to change it, your camera's autofocus will target whatever is in the center of the frame by default. 

Digital travel photography: landscapes

As human beings, we evolved to see the world in three dimensions. Stereoscopic vision is one of the reasons our furry ancestors got good at catching lunch instead of becoming it.

The problem is our cameras didn't evolve the same way. In digital travel photography, what we're trying to do is render a three-dimensional scene onto a two-dimensional screen or piece of paper. In doing so, we lose the dimension of depth. This is one of the reasons your travel photographs may look great through the viewfinder, but just ordinary when you get it home.

An 'S' curve

To compensate for this, look for 'lines' in your scene that add depth and dimensionality by going diagonal to the frame. Avoid lines that go parallel to the frame. If you can find something that makes a kind of 's-curve' through the frame, so much the better. Use these lines to lead your viewer's eye to your subject if you can (and beware of lines that might lead it away).

If in doubt, simply look at the scene and close one eye. This removes your depth perception and gives you an idea what your end result might look like. If it's not what you envisioned for your digital travel photography, walk around and look for a different way to frame it.

Mono Lake at sunrise, California

Tell a visual story in your digital travel photography. Shoot broad scenes, but also focus in on particular elements you're drawn to, such as a rock or a tree. Try to figure out what about it caught your attention and try to capture that. You may not be back for a long time, so shoot as many different perspectives as you can.

You will most likely need a tripod to shoot landscapes. In order to achieve a greater depth of field, you have to use smaller apertures, which forces you to use slower shutter speeds. Tripods can be particularly inconvenient in digital travel photography because you're trying to keep the weight down. 

Carbon fiber or basalt tripods are the lightest ones on the market and the best choice for digital travel photography, but they're not cheap. You can also find models small enough to fit in your backpack, and if you're able to find a steady wall or rock to set it on, they might just do the job. Some even have flexible legs that can wrap around skinny trees or poles.

Digital travel photography: people

There's nothing that makes digital travel photography more compelling than photos with people in them. After all, one of the main highlights of being in a foreign place is learning about its people - how they dress, how they go about their daily lives, how they make their living and so on. 

People also just like looking at photos of people. It's how we're wired.

Ecuadorian woman selling scarves

Before shooting a single frame, make sure you understand the local etiquette around photography. In most cases, people are more than willing to have their pictures taken, but in some cultures, taking someone's picture is equivalent to stealing their soul. 

Also, since 9/11, law enforcement and private security agencies in some places treat photographers as potential threats. Be respectful, know the rules and stay out of trouble.

Ask permission before taking someone's picture if you're photographing an individual or a small group. Don't be shy about approaching someone with a smile and asking politely. Learn the phrase, "Hello. May I take your picture?" in the local language before you arrive. People appreciate it when you make an honest effort to speak their language, even if you're terrible at it.

If possible, start up a conversation, even if the language is broken on both sides. Take a genuine interest in what they're doing. The more of a friend you become, the more comfortable they'll be about having their pictures taken.

If all else fails, point at your camera, then at them. They'll usually get the message. Sometimes, all it takes is making eye contact and gesturing with your camera. If they look uncomfortable, don't push it.

One of the first things we're drawn to is the eyes. If your subject has eyes, whether human or not, light them well and shoot them sharp, or you'll annoy your viewers. Also, if your subject is a person, try to keep the eyes on the top third of the frame. We're used to perceiving someone's eyes at eye level, so place them there if at all possible.

In your digital travel photography, catch people going about their daily routines. Try to be as invisible as possible and allow life to happen around you. Capture the moment. Don't take too long fussing with your equipment. Be comfortable enough with the buttons and dials so you can reach for them without looking.

Homeless man in San Francisco

Digital travel photography: tipping and gifts

Tipping is a sensitive subject when it comes to photography. Many photographers offer a tip in exchange for photographing people. Indeed, some people expect it, such as street performers, waiters, taxi drivers and so on. In general however, tipping should be discouraged. Unless you're very familiar with the culture, you don't know how it affects the local economy.

Instead, you might offer a gift - something small, such as a pen. Try to avoid giving things that require batteries. Batteries die, and they can be costly in poor countries.

Digital travel photography: model releases

The general wisdom about model releases is you need one if you're going to use the photos commercially, such as for advertising or some such, but you don't if you're using them for editorial purposes, like a newspaper or a magazine or website, or if you're just shooting them for your own personal enjoyment.

That said, we live in a very litigious society, so getting a release or not is largely a function of your appetite for risk. In addition, your circumstances may change. You may be shooting them for your personal collection now, but you may turn professional later and need them.

One approach is to get a release if they're at all literate and offer something in exchange, such as sending them a copy of the picture when you get home if they'll give you an address. (Just make sure you remember to send it.)

Some photographers carry around a Polaroid instant camera and produce prints for their subjects on the spot. If you can afford the extra weight, it might be a worthwhile investment.

Be careful that asking for a release doesn't upset any rapport you might have established. If it feels awkward and overly business-like after having had a nice, friendly photo session, maybe it's best just to let it go.

If you think you might use the photos commercially, go ahead and explain what your project is and enlist their help. (Make one up if you don't have one.) This can make you seem more geniune and lessen any potential awkwardness.

Peter Liu owns Peter Liu Photography, a website that offers fantastic insight and advice on digital photography.