Travel Photography Tips and Tricks
Being There and Doing That... by Rowan Gillson
I like to think of myself as a travel photographer, and truth be told, I have traveled farther and shot more than most. I have found that taking pictures on missions trips is a great way to show friends and family what God is doing and remember what God has done. Here are a few tips that just might add a little more impact to your images the next time you pull out your camera...1. Fill the frame. If you never learn anything else about photography, and shoot for the rest of your life on completely automatic, fill the frame. Decide what you want to take a picture of and get rid of everything else around it!
Even though this isn't an extreme close-up I have very clearly filled the frame. I have left you, my viewer, with no doubt as to the subject of this image by removing anything that could possibly distract from my story.2. Add people. I have returned from amazing trips to far off places only to discover that I have no pictures of the people on my team! Sure... I have that one group shot we all posed for at 3 in the morning, but somehow I missed the fact that I was traveling with a group of people. Make a conscious effort to add people to your pictures of amazing scenery and architecture. Don't forget to jump in a shot or two yourself!
This shot is of my friend Caleb shooting in Cambodia. I have pictures of just the kids that he's filming, but I like this one too because it shows him at work.
3. Shoot signs. Information signs are everywhere, and even the most remote of countries you can often find them in English. If I find myself at a historic place, or needing to remember an important piece of information, I take a picture of the sign. These pictures rarely make it into my photo albums, but they do help a lot when it comes to writing captions or retelling stories.
Not necessarily the best picture ever, but it helps me remember the sentiments of the Philippino people regarding their camaraderie with US soldiers in WWII.
4. Shoot the norm. Even when you are far away from home some things will become normal and commonplace. Shoot them anyway! It's really nice to have pictures of hotels, churches, favorite restaurants, homes, etc., to help tell the general story of the trip. If you're extra ambitious you can even tag locations in Google Earth with pictures to show people where you were and what you did.
This shot isn't going on my wall, but it is a part of my presentations about my first trip to the Philippines because it shows a "normal" Christian school and the work we did there.
5. Be bold. Avoid being obnoxious, but realize that most people will give you extra grace to take pictures because you are a tourist. Take advantage of this to get in close, take your time, and get the picture you really want.
Picture to the right: I took this shot from about a foot away from this man with a wide-angle lens. That's a bit closer than I can usually get, but he was willing, and I was shooting. Don't be afraid to get in there! People will let you know if they're uncomfortable.
6. Watch your angles. It is easy to be a lazy photographer and simply snap shots of whatever catches your eye without really thinking. However, you can almost always find a better angle from which to shoot if you put a little thought into your images. One of my favorite perspectives is from down low, looking up at the world. Few people seem to use this idea, and it will give your images a fresh, new look.
This little boy was begging in the middle of a busy street in Cambodia, so the only good shot I could get was from the middle of the same busy street. It took some extra work to position myself in close, but this is a far better shot than I had from where I first noticed him.
7. "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." This worked well in the Battle of Bunker Hill and will do wonders for your photography too. The back of a person's head is rarely as interesting as the front, so shoot for faces. Ask people to smile. Get people to turn around. Sit and wait until you get the candid expression you really want.
To create this image I picked my spot and I waited. I liked the background and the way I could frame my image, so I crouched down (angle!) and just waited for something to happen. Sure enough, this little kid and his mother came by completing my picture.
You do not have to create a perfect image every time you push the button on your camera, but if you start to think through some of these ideas you will find that the pictures from your next overseas adventure are one step closer to prizewinning photography.
Rowan Gillson is the director of the Institute of Photographic Studies (IPS) and the founder of TheAperture.com. He is currently working to raise up a new generation of missions-minded photographers.