I asked my favorite travel bloggers, ‘What did you do that helped you take the best photos/videos during your travels?’ Here’s what they told me.
Today is the age of the visual web and visual social networks like Instagram and Pinterest are getting plenty of eyeballs. On Instagram what works best to get attention are stunning photographs and images that make you stop scrolling and hit that “love” button.
Travel photography is an important skill for a travel blogger to possess. So I asked my favorite travel bloggers,” What did you do that helped you take the best photos/videos during your travels?”
Here’s what they told me:
Jarryd and Alesha, who write at NOMADasaurus, are known for the spectacular photos they post on Instagram. Here’s what they recommend.
The trick is to always be practicing, try to shoot every day, and learn some travel photography tips as you go.
It has to be something you are passionate about, but if you travel to the right places you’ll want to take a million photos and videos anyway.
Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac who blog at Nomadic Boys say:
One tip is to offer to take a photo of another tourist and use them as a model to see how the photograph would look composition-wise.
Then direct them to take ours in exactly the same way. Otherwise, we carry around an iPod with us for these situations.
Supriya Sehgal, who blogs at Supriya Sehgal shares:
I’m usually in a ‘reach-snap-experience’ go mode, with little emphasis on clicking, but when possible, I try and catch the golden hours of the morning and evening to get the best light.
Also, nothing beats patience with high-activity destinations like Varanasi.
Svetlana, who blogs at Maverick Bird reveals:
My best photos are from Arctic adventures in Russia in winter trying to capture the Northern Lights. For this, I went prepared with a tripod, timer remote control, etc.
My tip is, to go prepared with your gadgets if you wish to take amazing pictures or videos. If carrying too much equipment is not your thing, then opt for a lighter alternative that produces great results without marring the quality.
Charukesi Ramadurai, who writes the blog, Itchy Feet notes:
I learned by trial and error, by experimentation, and practiced by taking lots and lots of pics.
I also spent an unimaginable amount of time on photography websites, as well as Flickr (in the early 2000s, when it was a fantastic website), looking at the portfolio of other photographers, interacting with them, and learning from their work. I think it is the only way to improve.
Charlie, who writes at Charlie On Travel states:
Being myself.
I’m terrible for just freezing in front of the camera but I’m letting that fear go and just smiling when I’m smiling and not worrying about what emotions I’m showing on camera.
Ryan Biddulph, of Blogging From Paradise, recommends:
Practice, practice, and practice some more. Simply snapping shots, learning angles, adjusting for lighting, and getting comfortable with using the camera to preserve images and video was the way I became more skilled.
Shoot, study, learn, test, and keep shooting. You learn about the best lighting, the best angles, and other critical aspects of photography by good old-fashioned practice.
Can you add some tips of your own to these travel photo tips from the pros? Do share in the comments below.
Hi Priya,
Thanks for sharing my tips among these pros. Practice, practice and practice some more for that picture perfect shot.
Ryan
Thanks for contributing, Ryan 🙂
I think another important tip is to try and capture the vibrant colour of any place. All of my best photos are ones that celebrate the colour of a particular place, whether in the landscaper the people, or the cuisine.
That’s an excellent tip, Doreen. Colourful photos also tend to do better on social media.