Travelling and photography always go side-by-side. One would not be really grandiose without the other. This is why many people who travel and go on trips always have their cameras with them. Likewise, people who are into photography almost always travel to fully maximize the beauty of it.
But whether it’s a fancy camera or a simple smartphone camera, you can actually take your photography into the next level. Even if you are not aiming for a professional-looking output, you can actually produce one just by learning the basics.
Get to Know Your Camera Before You Travel
If you are really looking forward to your photography on your next travels, then the most basic element that you must know is to understand how your camera works. Keep in mind that learning the ins and outs of your tool will definitely help you in producing great photos and shots.
Here are the five essential camera elements that you must understand:
1. The Shutter
The camera shutter is basically the device that allows the light to pass through the lens. You must understand that when taking a picture, you are actually capturing or recording permanently the light that surrounds your subject.
This light will pass through the lens going to the image sensor. But the light will not pass through if the shutter button is not released. This is why when you take a picture, you press the button to release and open the shutter for a split second.
2. The Image Sensor
When the light of the subject reaches the image sensor, the sensor will read and analyze the light. As it happens, the image sensor features a so-called grid that has millions of light information gathering elements. Some people refer to it as photosites, but it is much more popular in the term, pixels.
Once analyzed and read, the image sensor will store the focused light or the now-image to the memory card. Keep in mind that the larger the image sensor, the better the quality of the output image.
3. The Lens
Experts and pros would always consider the lens as one of the most important parts of a camera. Without the lens, you cannot actually capture the focused light that you want. This is because the lens’ main function is to direct and focus the subjected incoming light.
4. Memory
The memory of your camera will play an important role in your photography sessions during your travel. The larger the memory, the bigger the capacity that you can store. This means if you have a large memory capacity, then you can store much more images and photos on the camera. And you would want to have an extra memory card or drive, especially during your travels.
5. Camera Settings
The camera settings are equally important as the other aspects of your camera. Through the settings, you can adjust and configure how your camera will work. So, before your travel, you must learn what these settings are and what they could do with your photos and photography sessions.
Clicking Great Photography While Traveling
Now that you have fully understood how your camera works, here are some of the best and practical travel photography tips that you may apply in your next destination.
1. Look for the Best Light
The best light will always be the natural light outdoors. And if you want to have that so-called “golden hour” effect, you can catch this light an hour before the sunrise and an hour before the sunset.
2. Choose Your Subject
When taking photos during your travel, you must fixate on one specific subject. Whether it may be the structures or dishes or locals of the location, choosing one for every session will help you focus.
3. Keep Your Lens Clean
Keeping your camera clean is a must if you want to have a great quality of shoots. And so much more when you keep your lens clean all the time. Keep in mind that this is where your focused light passes through. So, you would want it clean, smudge-free, and dust-free.
4. Take Candid Shots
The best photos in the world are the candid ones. And you can only capture them if you take them unforced. This is why stolen shots have become a big thing in the world of photography. Therefore, keep your shots unforced, raw, and natural.
5. Bring A Tripod
Having a tripod during your travels is a real convenience. But aside from convenience, your photography will be so much more efficient and effective when you utilize a tripod. This is because it keeps your focus still and flexible. And this is very useful, especially if your hands are shaky or if the surrounding needs a very fixated capturing process.
6. Tell A Story With Your Photos
A picture could mean a thousand words. But whether these words would be meaningful or not, it will be dependent on your angle, subject, and the way you took the photo. So, instead of just taking photos out of nowhere, capture a moment or your subject as if you are telling a great story.
7. Live In The Moment, Take A Shot, And Enjoy
Your travels will be very meaningful if you pay attention to your surroundings. While taking photos is a great way to cement your memories, do not forget to live in the moment and enjoy the environment. So, the next time you travel, enjoy taking photos, yet do not forget to enjoy every moment of it.
8. Have Fun
Simply enjoy your photography, it’s a great hobby and needs to be something that you love to do.