Time to focus: The accidental photographer’s guide to taking great travel shots
Interested in photography? Travelling overseas? Freelance travel writer, photographer and content queen Carolyne Jasinski shares some of the best tips to get great shots wherever you are.
What makes the perfect photograph? Is it a complicated combination of aperture settings to determine depth of field or shutter priority to choose between blurred movement or keeping everything in focus?
No. It’s much simpler than that.
The perfect photo is the one you like best. But there is a knack to getting those pics.
I am a travel journalist, so words are my main focus. But most stories need good photos to get published, so I have had to learn how to take photos for publication.
I am the accidental photographer.
I have taken courses, sat in on workshops and even been on a photography-based expedition to the Arctic.
I have travelled with landscape photographers, wildlife snappers, photojournalists who cover war zones, news “togs” and those who shoot food and fashion. Each has taught me something different.
So how do we get those great shots? Here are some simple tips to help budding photographers – and you might be surprised at how many of these you are already doing.
1. Don't knock the automatic setting
Digital cameras have made life easy. If you’re happy with what your camera produces on automatic, stick to it. That’s what you’ve paid for.
But, if you want to learn the “how and why” of photography, play with all those extra dials.
Take a course or better still, go on a photography weekend and learn from the professionals. It’s really interesting knowing how to be in control.
2. Horizontal and vertical
Take horizontal and vertical shots of the same subject — you’ll be surprised at how different the photos turn out.
It’s especially important if you are going to try and sell them to a magazine or online site. More than once I’ve heard designers despair because they have the perfect image to go alongside a story, but it’s oriented the wrong way. Give them both and double your chances of getting published.
If you want to make it to the cover of a magazine, take a vertical (portrait) photo.
Horizontal (wide) shots are best for inside pages, especially a spread.
3. Rule of thirds
Divide your frame into thirds — both horizontally and vertically.
Place the focus of your pic on one of those third lines rather than in the middle of your frame.
4. Change your angle... Move
A photo that looks ordinary from front-on can be much more interesting from a different angle. The trick is to move. Get in closer — unless it’s a wild animal. If there are big teeth or horns involved, just zoom in with your camera.
Try getting down on the ground or taking the shot from a high point
5. People
For me, travel is all about people. Photos always look better with people in them as they add perspective and “life”.
Take snapshots to help remember the people you meet.
But be kind. Lift chins and cover cleavages. Be aware of what shooting from down low does to your friends — no-one will thank you for highlighting their double chin or looking up their nostrils.
6. Zoom in
Get up close and personal with your zoom lens. It can be a powerful tool for capturing the nitty gritty.
7. Shapes & patterns
Look for interesting shapes. Natural patterns make naturally great shots.
8. Diagonals and leading lines
Diagonals create visual flow and add the illusion of movement and dimension to photos.
No matter where they start in a frame, they can pull you in and act as a leading line to where you want the focal point to be.
Not all leading lines have to be diagonals … a curving river, for example can lead you to a spectacular backdrop.
9. Work with the light
The general rule when it comes to working with light is: Don’t shoot into the light. Unless it works. Sunsets are a great example.
But when shooting sunsets, always turn around and look at what the light is doing behind you. Sometimes it’s even prettier than what’s in front.
Bright sunny days will often give the most ordinary pics. Early morning, shadows and evening light offer the best contrasts.
10. Contrast
If you see contrast, capture it — look for light and dark, colour and mono. It might be a bright green shoot coming out of a blackened tree trunk, or a pop of colour in a sea of grey. They always make for interesting shots.
11. Framing
Use natural elements to frame your shot. Same goes for man-made structures — they often make perfect boundaries for your pics.
Natural props make your job easy.
12. Location markers
Signs or souvenirs (with names) can help you remember where you are.
Pics of information boards are great memory joggers and the best notes when trying to write your journal or travel story later.
13. Aim for something different
Shoot the obvious but aim for more and shoot that, too.
14. Ask permission when shooting people
Cultural cringe — if you are in a foreign country, always ask for permission to take a photo. It’s common courtesy. And before including children, always ask their parents and explain what you are doing. If you want to publish those photos, you’ll need written permission.
15. Surprise element
Try to capture people (you know) when they are unaware that you are there. Candid shots are often the best.
16. Capture the moment
It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. If you see a great photo opportunity, don’t think, “I’ll come back and get that later.” Later might be too late.
17. Reflections
Use reflections to reflect on the moment.
18. Mood
Let photos reflect how you feel.
19. Aperture and shutter priority
It had to get technical somewhere.
As you increase the size of your aperture (increasing the hole you shoot through) you let more light into your image sensor. That means you need a shorter shutter speed.
If you increase the length of time your shutter is open, you decrease the aperture needed to get a well exposed shot.
Aperture and Shutter Priority modes are semi-automatic on most cameras. If you set one, your camera will set the other. Or it will have a dial or meter to show where the perfect setting is.
20. Depth of field
Aperture Priority — ‘A’ or ‘AV’ on your camera program dial.
When would you use it? To get “depth of field”.
If you want a shallow depth of field — an object in front in focus but the background blurred — choose a large aperture (f/1.4) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed.
If you want an image with everything in focus, choose a smaller aperture (f/22) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed (generally a longer one).
Or you can use Portrait mode on your iPhone.
21. Movement
Shutter Priority — ‘TV’ or ‘S’ on your camera dial.
When would you use it? To capture movement.
If you want to photograph a moving object but want to freeze it so there is no motion blur, choose a fast shutter speed (1/2000) and let the camera decide how much light there is available and set an appropriate aperture.
If you want to photograph the object but include some motion blur, choose a slower shutter speed (1/125) and let the camera choose a smaller aperture as a result.
The slower the shutter speed, the more need for a tripod.
22. High resolution photos
What does high resolution mean? It means a photo with a lot of information — showing a lot of detail. For publication in magazines, you need a photo with at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) that means your photos need to be at least 2MB in size (but the more, the better).
All images: Carolyne Jasinski