10 Common Travel Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Traveling to far off places, even if it’s in your country could be a very exciting thing to do and you may want to capture all the excitement with your camera. However photography while travelling is a challenge and this article is intended to help you take pictures better pictures on your travel by avoiding the most common mistakes that people make during their travels.

Before we proceed any further let me first make it clear that the photograph included in this article are all very good examples of how to do it the right way and not the other way around. If you pay attention to the tips these are the kind of shots that you could expect to come home with.

1. Not spending some time getting to know the place you are about to visit.

Glacier Grey in National Park Torres del Paine, Chile.
Photo by: Dietmar Temps

This is one of the most important things to do while planning a trip. One should do thorough research on the place he/she is about to travel to; both from a general traveler’s perspective and from also from the point of view of a photographer. Much information could be gathered from travel magazines and also online websites. Travel forums are especially helpful to get a more accurate picture and also to clarify doubts if any. An understanding of the conditions there, weather, culture, important landmarks, festival timings, and other conditions will help you prepare well and also plan and chart your trip better.

2. Travelling with a group of people all wielding cameras

Happy kids of Rangdum. Photo by: Chetan Karkhanis

Many people go on group tours which do have some benefits; but from a photographic point of view it has many disadvantages. A large group of people all wielding hefty cameras and long lenses suddenly appearing out of nowhere, wanting to photograph the same person could easily startle or even overwhelm anyone with a sane conscious. It is also near impossible to get intimate with the subject in such situations. You will lose many good shots due to the fact that the subject suddenly decides to look at another camera or another photographer walks into the background which you will only notice once you review your shots in a large screen.

I am not saying that traveling as a group should be avoided, it is indeed a wonderful way of travel but remember to set aside some time for yourselves, leave the comfort of your group, wander around and capture the place as your instincts tell you without any distractions.

3. Not Focusing on the Main Point of Interest

Photo by: Vinoth Chandar

The most important aspect of a good photograph is accurate focus, even if everything else, exposure, composition etc all have come together really well, if you do not have your focus on the main point of interest of your picture, then the image is a total loss. Be aware of this at all time and set your focus always on the element that is the most important feature of your photograph and to which you wish to draw the attention of your viewers. Make use of focus lock feature found in modern cameras to maintain accurate focus even with creative compositions.

4. Not Asking Permission Before Your Photograph People

Women from Kupwara. Photo by: Chetan Karkhanis

While travelling you will come across many people from all walks of life; some you’d find interesting and would want to photograph, but remember whoever it is and whatever may be the circumstance; it is always a good idea to go to them, strike up a friendly conversation and ask permission to shoot. This is very important when travelling to far off places, different places have different cultures and some are not happy to have their picture taken, especially close ups. So ask permission before hand and stay out of trouble.

5. Not getting close enough to the subject

Head-load worker

This is one common mistake, often we will find the subject featured too small in a picture making them insignificant. On many occasions this happens because of not adhering to the above tip; (asking permission) so the photographer is not sure how the person would respond to his/her picture being taken and decides to keep distance. However when they do it they are limited in creativity as the more dramatic perspectives that could be obtained by getting close to the subject is out of their reach.

6. Not paying attention to composition

Photo by: Thomas Leuthard

Composition is what that differentiates a great picture from a average picture; don’t be overwhelmed by the situation, strange land, unknown people, different culture, a schedule to keep, a train to catch etc. take your time and pay attention to your compositions. Remember the rule of thirds, the golden mean, the importance of leading lines etc. look for different angles and perspectives, don’t try to mimic what you see in post cards, look for ways that would add interest to your images.

7. Not Photographing the details

Design painted on the drum's leather. Photo by: Dietmar Temps

Pay attention to detail, when you are new to a place many things will be new and exciting to you. Take pictures, you will cherish them later, it’s not just large monuments that are grand and iconic that are worth of a picture. Seemingly irrelevant details like a small flower on a busy boardwalk, or something unique about the location could make a very interesting photograph.

8. Not paying attention to the direction of light

Beautify light streaks that made an otherwise ordinary scene extraordinary
Photo by: Trey Ratcliff

Always pay attention to the direction of light and how it is illuminating your subject. When shooting outside it will be the sun and when shooting indoors it will be artificial lights or even your flash. Observe the light, if it is not striking your subject the way you want try moving your subject (when photographing people and other small objects), try altering the shooting position/angle or consider returning to the same spot on a different time of the day (when shooting monuments and buildings). Make sure the light striking your subject is enhancing it rather than detracting it.

9. Not taking enough photographs

Chairs and a telescope to enjoy the distant view. Photo by: Joe Penniston

The golden rule to remember is that when you come across a situation that is worth of a picture explore every angle, every creative settings including perspective (by changing focal length and shooting distance). Chances are you will never be able to recreate the scene or come back to it ever again in your life. So every opportunity that presents itself to you is in a way a once in a life time opportunity and so do give it the attention it deserves. It is better to shoot more than to shoot less.

10. Not backing up your pictures

Aurora. Photo by: Caillum Smith

A memory card or a hard disk could get corrupted any time; it could even be lost or stolen. So one should never go easy and fail to back up pictures regularly. Make it a habit of backing up your files at regular intervals (preferably to multiple locations) as the pain associated to losing all the travel pictures is not one we would like to experience ever.

Related Reading

1. What gear to take? 10 Essential Accessories for Travel Photography
2. Travel Photography Tips For the Footloose

Read more »

What gear to take? 10 Essential Accessories for Travel Photography

I admit packing one’s bags for a trip is a very personal thing and as individuals we all have our preferences on what to and what not to carry. But photographers in general are notorious for lugging around a lot of luggage on trips. This happens partly due to the fact that deep within we all want to capture amazing pictures and never would we want to be in a situation where we need something to make a shot and don’t have the equipment needed with us and partly because we are attached to our gear and do not want to leave anything behind (read we are not very good at balancing functionality and weight).

Photo by: Jeff S Photoart

Whatever the reason may be it is not advisable to carry everything you own on every trip you make. It just doesn't work that way. Believe me I've made this mistake a couple of times and ended up feeling miserable every time. The point is you need to make compromises when you are packing for travel; you should careful weigh the pros and cons of carrying each piece of gear depending upon the destination, the mode of travel and what you intend to shoot during the trip.

Photo by: Thomas Leuthard

The right approach to gear for travel photography is “less is more”. One important thing to consider is your mode of travel. If you are on a road trip in your own vehicle or a vehicle hired for the trip, you could afford to carry enough gear as you could use the vehicle to keep your gear safe and need not carry everything to your hotel room and back every night you stay. But if your travel involves a lot of walking, using public transport, or if you main intention is not photography (leisure trip/vacation) then it is better to stick to the bare essentials. Here’s a list of the most essential accessories for travel photography (assuming you are a DSLR user).

1. Camera Bags

Perhaps the most important accessory for travel photography is a good quality camera bag which is about the right size for the equipment you need to carry, will offer sufficient protection to your gear, is easy to take out and put in things and easy to carry around.

In General backpacks and shoulder bags tend to provide you with the most flexibility for travel photography. Having a bag that you can carry around and shoot with and is easily accessible is very important. If your trip involves air travel then it will be wise to make sure your bags comply to FAA’s maximum carry-on size limits. Some good ones you could consider are from Porta Brace, Lowepro Event Messenger Series or Pelican’s 1510 series Carrry on Cases.

2. Compact Camera Support Systems

Carrying a full sized tripod along is not practical on many occasions; however when situation demands one make sure you choose light weight carbon fiber tripods that could be folded to very small sizes. One good recommendation will be the Traveler series from Gitzo.

On trips when you don’t need a full sized tripod, consider other more compact stabilization options like Monopods, Joby’s Gorrillapods or the Novoflex Bean Bag.

One particularly efficient alternative to a tripod is a monopod. Though you will still need to have a relatively steady hand, a monopod will do most of the work for you, while being smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a tripod.

Flexible rubberized design of the gorrillapods makes it possible to wrap around a variety of objects like poles, trees or furniture. They could also be fit into very small bags due to their compact nature.

For maximum portability choose bean bags, you can carry around an empty bean bag and fill it with any material that is available at the location. They have a waterproof inner lining which allows you to fill it up with wet sand or dirt and a leather exterior for maximum grip to prevent the camera from sliding.

3. Portable Backup Solutions

Depending upon the type of trip you might want to carry backup solutions like a laptop, external hard disks, or simply enough spare memory cards. With the prices of memory cards dropping it is now days viable to plan ahead and carry enough memory to last the trip thus avoiding the need to carry anything extra. One thing to remember is that while travelling you will actually shoot a lot more than you think you will and you will go through your memory very fast especially if you shoot RAW. One realistic estimate is that one would shoot an average of 400 frames per day, now calculate the amount of memory required by multiplying that with the number of days and do carry some more.

4. International Plug Adaptor

When travelling overseas, do check up on the specifications of power sources and see if it is compatible with your gear. If not get yourselves an international plug adapter like the Fujifilm World Adaptor that will let you use your equipment with the power available at the location.

5. Adding Location Information to Your Pictures

Geotagging your pictures (embedding location information like GPS co-ordinates for the location) are useful as it lets you know the exact location each picture was taken with pin point accuracy. Geotagging also makes it possible to plot out points on maps with your pictures which could be shared as an account of your travel.

6. Filters

Depending on the type of photos you wish to make you’ll need filters like CPL (Circular Polarizing Filter) GND (Graduated Neutral Density Filter) , ND (Neutral Density Filters) and Infrared Filters. But choosing which ones to carry could be a complicated affair, for example a circular polarizing filter could also double up as a 2 stop ND filter, the effect of a GND filter could be generated (to an extend) in post processing and the use of higher power ND filters and Infrared filters makes tripod shooting mandatory. So choose wisely.

7. Flash

External flash units could come in handy if you plan to shoot indoors and low light scenes, however to improve the quality of one’s shots the flash needs to have a swivel/bounce head or better could be triggered off camera. It also needs batteries and charger. All this could add significantly to the weight of your kit. Consider the conditions that you will be shooting, do your camera have an onboard flash, will it suffice etc. and then make your decision as to whether you need to include it in your kit.

8. General Accessories

USB cable, a small flash light, a small multipurpose tool kit (e.g. Leatherman Wave Tool), plastic bags to keep equipment dry in case of emergencies, small packets of silica gel, Extra batteries, battery charger, camera charger, memory cards etc  should also be considered for inclusion in your baggage.

9. Cleaning Kit

Always carry a full fledged camera cleaning kit with you comprising of rocket blower, small brush, sensor swabs, lens pen, microfiber cloth etc.

10. Insurance

Photo by: Photophilde

Well this is not exactly an item you need to carry, but it is one of the most important thing you should consider while planning your travel. You may never need to file a claim, but it is always better to have sufficient insurance cover for you and your equipment. Accidents happen, your gear may get stolen while travelling the risks are enormous so why take chances, even though it’ll cost you a bit extra the peace of mind it provides is well worth it.

Related Reading

1. Travel Photography Tips For the Footloose

Read more »

Travel Photography Tips For the Footloose

Photo By Spreng Ben

Travel photography is an interesting blend of experiences; the thrills and challenges attached with travel; the windfall gains in the shape of rare images like landscapes, wild lives or sculptures etc. It gives the footloose photographer a double bonanza as traveling meets his wanderlust too; ‘can see the duel and pick some herbs’ as the adage goes!  

Travel Photography also happens to be a mix of all kinds; portraiture if you are that type; catching people in their own abode; nature and wild life photography etc. There are all sorts of wonders attached to this mix; where travel combines with recording of images. Travel when you are free or bored with monotonous work schedule. Always carry a backpack with camera and necessary things when on the move.

Back home; sort out the souvenirs you picked and place them safely; run to the laptop with camera; taste the thrill once more; the hard earned spoils in images; occasionally think about those scenes and experiences at the location; preserve these images like a treasures; there may be occasions when they prove their worth. 

What You Need.

Travel photography is one of the genres of photography that call for the least amount of equipment; the need to travel light could be sighted as the reason. To get started all you need is a digital camera. Even better if you have a DSLR (digital single lens reflector camera)and a general purpose lens which could cover a decent range from wide to short tele photo like the  Canon 24mm – 105mm f/4 IS USM; all packed safely in a backpack.

Keep It Light

Photo By Dietmar Temps

A beginner when planning to try his/her hands on travel photography might be eager to capture every possible detail with every piece of equipment he or she owns. But seasoned travel photographers stress   the need to travel light; listen to them as they say it from their own experience; the importance of which cannot be emphasized more.

First have a clear idea of how much you can carry; mode of travel if a road trip in a roomy vehicle (everything is ok); to trips by plane, train or bus (requires carrying everything to each hotel and back by yourself); the luggage has to be trimmed; extreme hiking or bicycle trips demands the least well packed in a saddle bag.

Your Travel Gear

Photo By Robert Scales

If you are using a DSLR as your main camera it is always a good idea to pack a compact camera too. You can take the compact with you every time say, when you're going out to dinner or something same time don't want to be ‘camera-free’. Never care to take along your main gear either; it will act as insurance if something goes wrong with your main camera. In cases you wish to have yourself in the picture; it is always safe to hand the compact to a person nearby rather than overwhelming him with your beefy DSLR, this way you could include your favorite gear(dslr) in the shots too.

Make Sure You Have Ample Storage?

Photo By Evan Leeson

Lack of enough memory is a problem that needs to be addressed by every photographer; there are several ways (again depending on the mode of travel) to address this issue, like carrying a laptop, a portable storage device, using cyber cafes en route etc. etc. 

The prices of memory cards are going down while their storage capacity increases by the day; it is most economical and convenient to go for some high capacity cards. 

A realistic estimate would be to assume that you will take anywhere from 300 – 500 pictures a day. Consider the file format you are using, mega pixel count of your camera, the no of days you plan to travel and you could easily find exactly how much storage space you need.

What Else to Take?

Other than your camera, lenses, memory cards, spare battery and if possible a tripod (though bulky certain shots are nearly impossible without it).

Battery Charger with Adapters

Never forget to take a battery-charger; if your destination is outside your home country; a charger that will work at that country’s voltage is a must. Latest chargers are the universal type that works with on 110 and 220 volts, but their pins may require adapters to fit in any sockets.

Clear Plastic Bags

Outdoor photography is no picnic; there will be no roof over your head; rain, dust storm or anything may be there.  Always carry some clear plastic bags with you, they have more uses than you will ever imagine especially when travelling. Also a gallon sized plastic bag makes a good raincoat for your camera. Cut a hole in it to put your lens through and you can take pictures even if it's wet outside. It is also useful to avoid condensation inside your camera and lenses when moving from cold to hot areas, in order to prevent condensation, put your camera and lenses in a plastic bag and carry it out/in, and only take it out of the plastic bag a little while later, allowing the temperature outside and inside of the bag to equalize.

Camera Bag

A compact sized camera bag with a few re-sizable compartments to stow each item individually, without needing separate cases for them to prevent them scrub each other as you move around is the ideal choice. Features like a sturdy strap, the ability to open the bag quickly, and protection from the weather are also important. It doesn't matter whether your bag is a backpack, belt pack, chest bag, or shoulder bag; use what is comfortable.

Other Miscellaneous Stuff

A small bag holding your camera cleaning equipment like cleaning cloth, rocket blower and also things like plastic rain coats, a roll of gaffer tape and a small fold-able knife preferably a Swiss army knife will come in handy during travel.

Tips for Getting Great Travel Pictures

Over and above what was mentioned above here are some more things; as you rove about, camera in hand to get back home with some great pictures.

Shoot Details

Photo By Werner Kunz

When you get to any location the first thing you should do is to capture the scene, preferably in wide angle to establish the ground for your story, then you go around looking for details that may tell a little story about the place or structure that you are photographing.

Sometimes, the best way to picture a building or other memorable sight is to capture individual snippets of its design. In some cases, parts of some buildings or monuments may be more interesting than the structure as a whole.

Doorways, entrances, roofs, and decorations all make interesting subjects for photographs. Best of all, you can often use a telephoto or normal lens to capture details, avoiding the problems of perspective distortion entirely.

Travel Landscapes

Photo By Martin Sojka

One major hindrance in travel photography is the pressure to meeting schedule and getting to the next location. Traveling by car allows some chance at least to gawk at an impressive lake or mountain vista, then hurry back and move on with few pictures.

You certainly don't have the time to maneuver to the perfect position, or to stick around until sunset so you can capture the waning light of day. When day wanes, you need to be checked into your hotel room! Travel with a tour group in a bus is likely to be even more hurried.

So, you'll have to take extra effort to stop and smell the roses or, at least, take their photo. You may never pass this way again, so take the time to scope out your scenic view, find the best angle, and shoot it first. That way, if you're forced to move on you'll at least have a good basic shot. Then, take the remaining time to look for new angles and approaches. Use a wide-angle to emphasize the foreground, or a telephoto to pull in a distant scene. Consider taking several photos that you can later seamlessly stitch together as a panorama.

Tips for Photographing People

Photo By Spreng Ben

People can be among the most interesting subjects of your travel photographs, especially if you've traveled to a foreign land where clothing, cultures, or even the packaging of common products that people use, like soda or candy bars, can be different from what we are used to. Some ‘stolen moments’ from their life can evoke the lifestyles, working environment, and cultural influences, or simply ‘people in the act of being themselves’.

There are a few things to keep in mind when photographing people during your travels.

Don't Gawk. 

Travel photography people

As exotic as the folks from a country where you are a guest may appear to you, they aren't circus performers, and you should treat them with respect. Behave the friendliest way possible. 

Ask Permission..........Always 

Photographer asking permission

In the same vein, it's good to ask permission to shoot, even if you only nod your head in the person's direction before taking the picture to see if they smile or glower. That approach works even when there is a language barrier, because photography and taking pictures is a universal language. Once you've gotten the okay, suggest, even if only by gesture, that your subject resume their normal activities so your photos will look natural.

Offer Thanks after Shooting. 

Once you have the shot, take a little time to thank them and acknowledge the favor. If your subject is interested, you can show him or her images you took on your camera’s LCD, or offer to mail a print or e-mail the photo, if appropriate.

Be Aware of Taboos and Legal Restrictions. 

Photo By Luciano Rizzello

Some cultures frown on photographic images of people. Photographing women (or even a man asking a woman for permission to shoot) can cause problems. You may also get into trouble photographing soldiers, military installations, airports, or even some public buildings. Try to learn about these restrictions in advance, if you can.

In travel photography problems aplenty as well as chances of getting unique images; there may not be any for who sit cooped up in a corner to avoid the perils of travel; go places; make great images; preserve them or flaunt them; time will only add value to them.  

Related Reading

1. Tips For Photographing Light Trails
2. How to Maximize Impact When Using Wide Angle Lenses
3. A Complete Guide to Photographing Coins Using Different Lighting Setups
4. How to Photograph the Milky Way in Ten Easy Steps
5. How To Photograph Reflections In Water

Read more »