Tag:landscapes
Travel photography is all about capturing the essence of people. The landscapes, cultures, and experiences that one encounters while exploring different parts of the world. It is a visual diary, a record of one’s travels. It aims to transport viewers to unfamiliar destinations, evoking a sense of place. It’s also like a time capsule, preserving memories from a trip that can be cherished and enjoyed for years to come.
What is Travel Photography?
While travel photography is its own genre, it also encompasses food, landscape, portrait and street photography. In addition, every travel destination has its distinct characteristics, such as its culture, history, people, landscapes, and stories.
This entails capturing the beauty of the natural environment, exquisite architecture, local customs, and lively street scenes. It also includes people’s interactions within their cultural settings. Moreover, the photographer endeavours to capture the destination’s essence and create images that inspire viewers to explore and experience the world. Thus revealing its unique features through visual storytelling.
One Example
Picture yourself taking a road trip on the renowned Great Ocean Road in Australia. While driving along the rugged Victoria coastline, you come across the breathtaking Twelve Apostles. A striking formation of limestone stacks towering above the Southern Ocean. You position your camera on a cliff’s edge and capture the dreamy golden sunlight enveloping the apostles in a warm glow during the golden hour.
By carefully composing the scene, one can emphasize the striking contrast between the vivid blue ocean, the rugged rocks, and the dramatic sky overhead. You also effectively capture the crashing waves against the apostles, creating a dynamic and powerful image. One depicting nature’s raw beauty and immense power.
Your photograph captures a defining landmark of Australia’s coastline, showcasing the natural wonders of the Great Ocean Road. It invites viewers to immerse themselves in the breathtaking scenery, inspiring them to explore the country’s diverse landscapes. In addition, the image serves as a reminder of the vastness and awe-inspiring sights that Australia has to offer.
What Gear?
When taking photos while travelling, it’s crucial to balance having the right equipment while ensuring that your gear is lightweight and easy to carry. Here are some essential equipment suggestions for travel photography.
- Camera: When selecting a camera, it’s important to consider your specific needs and preferences. You have several options to choose from, including compact point-and-shoot cameras, mirrorless cameras, and DSLRs. Consider factors like image quality, size, weight, and versatility to make the best decision.
- Lenses: When packing for your trip, aim to bring a variety of lenses that can cover different focal lengths. A wide-angle lens, typically around 16-35mm, is ideal for capturing landscapes and architecture. On the other hand, a zoom lens like the 24-70mm or 70-200mm offers versatility for various types of shots.
- Tripod: For steady shots, long exposures, and self-portraits, a lightweight and sturdy tripod is essential. It’s important to find one that is compact and easily fits into your travel bag for convenience. (Carbon fibre tripods are the lightest).
Equipment is not just the camera.
- Extra Batteries and Memory Cards: Ensure you have spare batteries and sufficient memory cards. Nothing is worse than running out of power or storage space while on the go. It’s always better to have more than you think you’ll need.
- Camera Bag: Investing in a durable and comfortable camera bag is essential for protecting and organizing your gear. It’s important to choose one with padded compartments and convenient accessibility.
- Filters: When taking photos, it’s worth bringing along some useful filters like neutral density (ND) filters to manage the light and polarising filters to minimize glare and intensify colours.
- Cleaning Kit: It’s a good idea to have a compact cleaning kit. Look for one with a lens cloth, blower, and cleaning solution. This will keep your equipment in good condition and achieve dust-free pictures.
- Remote Shutter Release: When taking long exposures or self-portraits, a remote shutter release or cable release can come in handy to minimize camera shake.
- Portable External Hard Drive: It is important to regularly back up your images to avoid losing valuable data and to free up space on your memory card. You can use a portable external hard drive or cloud storage.
- Travel Adapter and Charger: When planning to travel abroad, it is advisable to bring a travel adapter and charger compatible with the destination country’s electrical outlets. This will ensure you can charge your devices and stay connected while travelling.
Tips to get you started
- Plan and Research: Before you travel, research your destination to understand its culture, landmarks, and points of interest. This will help you identify unique and photogenic locations.
- Pack Light and Smart: Travel photography often involves a lot of walking, so it’s essential to pack light. Carry only the necessary camera gear and accessories. Consider a versatile lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths.
- Capture the Local Culture: Focus on capturing the essence of the destination by photographing local people, their daily lives, traditions, and customs. Be respectful and seek permission when photographing individuals.
- Seek Unique Perspectives: Look for different angles and perspectives and experiment with low angles, high angles, and different compositions to add interest to your shots.
- Golden Hour and Blue Hour: Take advantage of the beautiful lighting during the golden hour (shortly after sunrise or before sunset) and the blue hour (before sunrise or after sunset). The soft, warm, and diffused light during these times can enhance your photos.
- Tell a Story: Look for scenes that tell a story or evoke emotions. Include elements that provide context and create a sense of place.
- Pay Attention to Details: Details can often make for compelling photographs. Capture close-up shots of interesting textures, patterns, architecture, or local cuisine to add depth and variety to your travel album.
- Be Mindful of Composition: Use the rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing techniques to create visually pleasing compositions. Consider the foreground, middle ground, and background to add depth and balance to your images.
- Experiment with Long Exposures: If you have a tripod, try long exposure photography to capture motion blur of waterfalls, flowing rivers, or bustling city streets.
- Practice Patience and Observation: Take the time to observe your surroundings, anticipate moments, and wait for the perfect shot. Patience can often lead to capturing unique and memorable images.
Locations not gear
Explore the world! Visiting breathtaking destinations will yield better photographic opportunities than investing in pricey equipment. Don’t underestimate the capabilities of your phone camera either – it can capture stunning shots.
Travel photography can transport viewers to different corners of the globe, fueling a desire to see these awe-inspiring landscapes in person. This is the essence of travel photography: to inspire adventure, ignite wanderlust and encourage appreciation for the beauty of the world’s natural and cultural wonders.
Should landscape photographers manipulate images? (take vs make an image) Manipulating an image, is it acceptable? I would have to say, straight off the bat, that I am firmly in the camp of making the image. While I hope for a great sky or light when I shoot, I am not against swapping in a new sky or adding light to create a better image. When the circumstances or conditions have given me lemons, I make lemonade.
Straight from the camera?
I also realise that some of you are throwing up your hands in horror and reminding me that this is totally unacceptable when entering competitions. However, I don’t enter competitions, and should I enter one, I wouldn’t use an image that has been heavily manipulated. Apart from that, I love manipulating an Image. Painters don’t necessarily paint what they see. They take artistic license – and people accept that as normal. With photographers, though, there is a large school of thought that the image should be as it was photographed, without adding or removing elements. So I tend to regard myself as someone who paints with a camera. I guess I could call myself a creative or ‘fine art photographer’ as it seems that you can change elements in fine art.
This school of thought seems to apply almost exclusively to landscape photography, and to a lesser degree, portraits. For an image that is obviously a composite or more in the digital manipulation section, adding or removing elements is not only acceptable but part of the process.
Changing a sky
Back in January, back when the world was still chugging along, oblivious to the oncoming pandemic and associated lockdowns, I enjoyed a quick overnight trip down to Portland where we stayed at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse. Coming back, we stopped off at a lavender farm. The sky was a bland white; the lavender wasn’t a lovely purple without sunshine. Had we been there in perfect conditions – I could have gotten the shot I wanted. However, at home, with Photoshop and Luminar, I edited and created the image that I could have gotten had the conditions been right… as a painter could without criticism.
Making the image doesn’t mean every image I take is manipulated, but I am not against having it in my bag of tricks. I also believe that if an image does have a swapped in the sky, it’s a bit dishonest to pretend it’s not. But, at the end of the day, my images are for me. I don’t sell them (no one wants them, LOL). I don’t enter competitions. They are just for my enjoyment, so I am not cheating or fooling anyone.
With the new Luminar Ai due out before the end of the year, this topic will not go away. Full disclosure, I have already pre-ordered my copy. What are your thoughts? Do you take or make an image?
Travelling (within Australia) hasn’t been possible for months and may not be for some time yet. Due to border closures, overseas travel is off the agenda for the next couple of years. It’s enough to make you sell your camera. Except no one would buy it because it’s lockdown, and they can’t take photos either. It’s impossible to do travel photography when restrictions to movement are implemented to halt the spread of Covid-19, which means I can’t go further than 5km from my front door.
The Great Pandemic
I love history and find it fascinating. I like to read about it and watch documentaries. However, I do not enjoy being part of it. We are living through the ‘Great Pandemic of 2020/21’ and, in the future, will probably feature in a school curriculum.
A small silver lining
On Facebook and Instagram, along with many others, I have been sharing previous travel photography as “armchair travels”. One silver lining of armchair travel is, inspired by the locations others are sharing; I am now compiling a list of places to see – for when we can all start moving again.
Photography and travel planning are all we can do now, and I happily spent hours researching destinations and planning itineraries. Costing is something that can’t be done yet as we have no idea what hotels and airlines etc., will charge once they re-open for business. But whilst we can’t travel, we can plan, research, learn, and be ready for when restrictions are lifted, and we can finally head off on a trip.
Location vs Gear
Many people who are into photography subscribe to the theory that they need a better camera or lens to get a great shot. And it’s partly true. But travelling to new destinations or locations is more important than gear. There is no point in having a whizz-bang $5000 camera if you then can’t afford to stray far from home once you have bought it. You may live in a fabulous spot – but you can only photograph the Wanaka Tree so many times.
Planning is everything
Plan your trips. Learn about where you are going and when is the best time to go. Even if it’s a “family” holiday, you can still do travel photography on your trip without spoiling it for them. It’s your holiday too.
- Research areas, read books, and google the locations. Get as much info as you can before you pick a location. The family will have fun on just about any beach, but if it’s just a stretch of boring white sand, will you?
- Seasons matter! If somewhere is awesome in autumn for the trees or fantastic in spring for the waterfalls, you are shortchanging yourself being there in summer. Match your destination to the season you are travelling.
- Plan your road trip stopovers around scenic locations. Ok, you have to sleep somewhere on a road trip, but if one hour further down the road or one hour closer has a fabulous sunrise or sunset spot, that’s the place to lay your head.
- Take the road less travelled. A secondary highway going through small towns is much more interesting and scenic than mile after mile of main highways. A case in point is the painted silos and water tanks popping up all across Australia. You’ll find them in the towns, not the highway.
- Slow down and look around as you go through the small towns. Small towns often have quirky old buildings.
- Pick your accommodation handy to scenic spots. If doing a sunrise or sunset, you are far better off being close to your location rather than looking at a one-hour drive in the dark or getting up at extra stupid o’clock to be there for sunrise
- Try for a balcony or patio when booking your accommodation. I have gotten some of my best bird shots in the early morning, just sitting on my veranda in my ‘jammies’. It helps to travel with a bag of wild bird seed 😉
- Talk to the locals and ask for location suggestions But be mindful that they aren’t necessarily photographers. What is a pretty spot to them for a sunrise doesn’t mean it’s ‘worth a shot’. Scout out the location before you want to shoot it. While we found a great spot in Nagambie thanks to a local’s suggestion, we totally failed with a “great sunrise spot”, as suggested by the manager at Mungo Lodge. It was a great spot to see the sunrise, but a terrible location, with no foreground interest, regarding photographing it.
- Return to locations at least once. You may have got a nice pic – but next time, you may get an even better one, going back in a different season, or if the conditions are just right
- The early bird gets the worm. The light is soft at sunrise and sunset, but there are fewer people around at sunrise, and you stand a better chance of having the place to yourself. At iconic locations – where even at sunrise there will be a row of tripods and keen photographers, make a thermos of coffee and get there a good hour before sunrise. Find your perfect spot, set up your tripod and camera, and enjoy your coffee while everyone else arrives late and rushes to set up. (again, this is where scouting out the day before helps)
Safety Matters
Early morning starts, and travelling to places for ‘that shot’ is part and parcel of the landscape or travel photographer’s life. But you need to consider your safety and avoid risk where possible. For example, you can’t take that great photo from a coffin or hospital bed.
- Your car needs to be reliable. Don’t do 4WD roads in a 2WD car. And if you are doing 4wd roads, travel in a convoy. Nothing is worse than breaking down in the middle of nowhere, especially if you are alone. Which leads to #2
- Don’t go to unsafe or risky areas alone. Early morning shots of the city with empty streets are fabulous. Not if you come across an aggressive or drug-impaired person. No judgment on them, but from experience, it’s scary. Luckily we were in a group. Find a fellow photographer to go out with or join a group.
- Stay on designated paths and behind the fence. I know there is a great shot to be had by climbing the barrier. But it’s there for a reason. Too many times have I seen on the news where photographers climbed the barrier for a shot, and it ended up a rescue or body retrieval
- Dress for where you are going. Flip Flops are not recommended footwear for scrub or bush. Snakes, insects, and rocks all love exposed feet. Long sleeves, sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat for summer. Warm clothes, and even better yet, tactical gear that’s windproof, splash-proof, and a down coat with a minimum 650 loft for winter. Like they say in Norway, “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”
- Buy a rain jacket. Keep a rain jacket in your camera bag. They roll up small and are handy for the unexpected shower, sitting on when the ground is wet, or putting your bag on.
- Always carry water.
- Invest in two-way radios If you and your travel buddy are likely to be going off the beaten path with no phone reception. It helps to keep in touch if you are out of sight of each other. If travelling in a convoy, keep one in each car.
- Put your phone in a ziplock bag. If you are walking with it in your pocket, it could make all the difference if it falls out on a muddy trail
- Keep spare shoes in the car. It’s no fun driving for hours in wet shoes and socks. Or bare freezing feet. I stopped for some shots once, and my shoes were sodden by the time I got back to the car. Luckily, I had a spare pair in my luggage because we were off for the weekend. Lesson learned.
Camera Bag essentials
I always have a small ’emergency’ kit in my camera bag, which comes in handy on more than one occasion. They take up very little room – but make all the difference if you need them and are an hour’s walk from the car. You’ll thank yourself for packing them in your camera bag.
- Small tubes of sunscreen and insect repellant
- Painkillers
- Torch and/or headlamp (check that it’s working and carry spare batteries)
- Mosquito/fly net for your hat
- A few bandaids and a small container of antiseptic
- A small bag of salt is also handy to have if you are going into a damp or rainforest area known for leeches and you don’t have a smoker in your group. Your insect repellant will also work if it’s DEET.
- Allen key for your tripod if it takes one
- Chocolate or protein bar. Breakfast biscuits are good, too, to fill you up if hunger strikes.
This, too, shall pass
Stay positive. Lockdown won’t last forever. And hopefully, before too much longer, we will be back on the road. Meanwhile, take a landscape course, watch YouTube tutorials, start planning where you will go, and work out what you want to shoot while there.
In the meantime.. stay safe.