Spice up your Travel Photos – Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Last week I discussed practicing using a single focal length to get a better understanding of how a given focal length can affect you photographs. This week, I discuss a few tips for improving your travel photography.

If you have ever had to sit through a slide show of someone’s travel photographs, you are well aware of how uninspiring they can be. How can you avoid the same feelings from others about your travel photos? Spice them up.

When you are vacation, there are a lot more photos than simply the ones of you and your family in front of a landmark. Create your travelogue as a journal of your trip. Include items such as photos of maps of the area, or maybe a brochure. Remember to capture the details of your trip, and the details of where you were. Include architectural elements of your destination, wide angle views of the cityscape, zoom in on elements such as detailed stone work on an old building. Photograph the people. Markets are great places to get photographs of locals. Remember that it is polite to ask permission before taking someone’s photograph, and in many locations where the economy is suffering, a small token of gratitude will go a long way.

Of course you want to capture the landmarks, but also get the photographs you don’t normally see. Try changing angle, get down low, or shoot it with a wide angle lens to help exaggerate the landmark’s scale.

As always, remember the important aspects of photography, lighting, exposure, composition. Poor quality photographs will quickly lose the interest of your viewers. And finally, shoot your travels home. Your vacation hasn’t ended as you leave your destination, there are often many more photographic opportunities on the trip home.

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website. If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

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