When you get the opportunity to see other parts of the world, it’s always good to capture the memories. So in a world that’s dominated by social media, how do we get those Instagram snaps that look jaw-dropping? They seem impossible, right? Well here’s a few tips to improve your own photography while travelling.
Don’t Force Your Subject
This is more to do with any photos you take of friends or family when you’re on your travels. Don’t force them to pose because the ones that look the best are when your subject is posing naturally. If they’re camera shy, tell them not to focus on the camera and stare off just to the side. This can create a new angle that’s more natural as it appears the person posing, doesn’t notice the camera’s presence. A photographer on Koh Samui for example, takes beautiful photos that you can see are natural in how they’re taken.
Natural Light Is The Best Lighting
It can sometimes be restricting, but the most beautifully captured photos are ones that take advantage of that natural light. Natural light is a lot more complimenting and requires very little touch up if editing the photos afterwards. Yes, sometimes artificial light has to be used so if that’s the case opt for a light that stays on while taking the photos. A light like the Pro Light won’t stun a subject or cast a harsh light over the photo as a generic flash would.
Change Up The Angle
It’s amazing what a different angle can produce so don’t be afraid to take the same photo a few times from various viewpoints. Crouching down and take photos at ground level can be great for wildlife and capturing plenty of walking feet and getting one from a higher point will capture more landscape in the photo.
Have A Little Patience
Sometimes we rush when we take photos, and that can mean blurry pictures and tourists blocking the view or pulling questionable faces. Have a little patience with your photography and wait for the moment that feels right when you’re looking into the lens. Sometimes it’s all down to luck but pausing for a moment can make the difference between a sharp, detailed photo and a blurred one.
Experiment With Your Camera
Whether it’s one on your phone or a DSLR, play around with the features of a camera. We’ll often just stick with the same old settings, but we could be missing out on a lot of potential with some of the light changes and shooting speeds that might be available to us. Have a play around with your camera while you’re preparing the shot, and you may come across a mode that you didn’t even know existed!
Follow Your Gut Feeling
Ever walked past something and had that invisible pull towards it and you think for a moment ‘I should take a photo of that, it looks incredible’ – do it! Follow that gut feeling because it’s almost always right and you can end up with some truly breathtaking photographs.
Taking photos is such a creative process, and it should be something everyone gives a go, no matter how skilled you may be.