The effect of any good picture is to tell a story, and in no area of photography is this more important than in travel photography. There is nothing more rewarding than capturing the essence of your travels on film, immortalising it in print. Photographs preserve the memories made on our trips, and evoke those memories every time we look at them, allowing us to enjoy them vicariously over and over.
Photographs also give you a different perspective of your trip. Looking through the lens brings you closer to your surroundings, makes you examine things more closely. When the subject of a picture is a person or a group of people, the process of photographing and being photographed can initiate interaction, establish rapport and create mutual understanding. Using a camera can make us experience stimuli more keenly and with more appreciation.
When you are shooting photographs, always bear in mind that the most powerful images are those that convey a message, give meaning to the subject that is represented within them. Try to include as much information as possible when taking a photograph, while simultaneously eliminating as much meaningless clutter as possible.
Like all good stories, your photograph needs a subject. This may be the people you meet on your travels, a striking church or imposing monument, a scenic landscape or a lonely dog. Whatever your subject, it will be far more emotive when placed in context. In most cases, the subject of the photograph is placed in the foreground, directing the focus of the viewer to what is most important. Context is usually expressed by the background, or elements in the background.
When you are taking photographs while travelling, always bear in mind that cultural differences frequently extend into the area of being photographed. Some groups, religious denominations and societies believe that they will be negatively affected by pictures being taken of them; some individuals have objections for personal reasons.
You should always be polite and respectful to different cultures, particularly when you are a visitor in their culture. It is best to ask before photographing human subjects, and to respect their wishes if they do not want to be photographed. If you think their reluctance may be coming from fear or suspicion of the camera, allow them to have a closer look at it. You may find that they will be more than happy to pose for you once they have familiarised themselves with it.
When photographing people or animals, try to ensure that the subject is looking at you - it is true that the eyes are 'a window to the soul', and you lose a great deal of information and effect if your subject is looking away from you.
Avoid placing your subject in the dead centre of the photograph - this chains the eye to the middle of the picture, rather than allowing it to wander around the image. Make use of the 'law of thirds' - divide the frame into thirds, either horizontally, vertically or both, and place subject matter on any of these imaginary lines.
Always try to get down to eye level with your subject, or below - this will help to enlarge and accentuate the figure, while taking photographs from above will diminish and de-emphasize it (or them). Unless you specifically want to use back-lighting to create an effect or enhance shadows, position yourself so that the sun is behind you, illuminating your subject matter.
Taking good photographs often requires putting in time, effort, patience and preparation. If you are serious about bringing home quality photographs, you should spend some time each day on looking at other photographs, and taking your own. After all, practice makes perfect, and understanding comes through learning.
On any particular day, you may see a scene that you would love to photograph, but the light conditions are all wrong. If you persist, returning the next day at a different time, you may be rewarded with a perfect shot, but then again you may not. In cases like these, remember the motto 'try, try and try again.'
Light is extremely important when taking photographs - the correct or incorrect light conditions can respectively make or break a picture, as any photographer will tell you. Certain times of the day are better than others for taking photographs. The midday sun is too harsh for photographing most subject matter, so make time for photography in the mornings, when the light us clear and crisp, and the late afternoons, when it is soft and honey-coloured.
Enjoy playing with light in your photographs. A patch of sun falling on just one mountain in an otherwise shadowed range; a shaft of sunlight illuminating the face of a child; silvery rays streaming through clouds - these and other light effects like them can be used to enormous advantage in your photographs.
Hold your camera steady as you take your shot - camera shake can ruin an otherwise fabulous photograph. If you are prone to trembling, brace your elbows against your chest while shooting photographs to steady your arms and hands.
The equipment that a photographer takes with them on their travels, while not as important as the photographer themselves, can make a huge difference to the finished product.
When travelling to less developed countries, where good quality film is difficult to get hold of, take more than enough of your own. It's a general rule that you always need more than you think you will, so estimate the number of rolls you think is sufficient and then double that number. Always include some extremely light sensitive films (ASA 400 and 800) for photographing subject matter in low light or misty conditions.
When deciding what cameras/lenses to take, ask yourself what kind of subject matter you are most likely to be photographing. Landscape shots call for a wide angle lens, wildlife shots a powerful zoom lens. It is always good to take along one ‘professional’ camera, and one instamatic - for back-up and for the odd occasion when you don't want the weight and inconvenience of a bulky camera bag.
If you want to publish your photographs in magazines or newspapers, you may require digital equipment to transfer your pictures to the other side of the world as quickly as possible, or alternatively, you may need to use slide film versus print film to get the best quality image possible for printing purposes.
Be sure to protect your film while travelling, as it is extremely sensitive to light, heat and x-ray machines. Store film in an insulated, moisture-resistant bag while travelling, and be sure to pack it into your carry-on bags rather than into your checked luggage - the x-ray machines used to screen checked baggage can easily cause film to fog.
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