Digital Camera World » Travel

How to take pictures through a window and avoid reflections

jmeyer — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:00:52 +0000

When traveling, it’s common to take pictures through a window in your hotel or museum… or anywhere you may find yourself. But too often reflections are visible in your images. If you can’t open a window, here is a quick way to minimise reflections when you take pictures through a window.

You don’t want pictures like this!

Ideally, you need the inside of the room to be as dark as possible, compared with outdoors.

A natural reaction is to draw the curtains, leaving only a small opening for the camera.

However, most curtains have a light-coloured lining, so they’ll bounce light from outside back onto the glass.

You’ll have more success draping a dark T-shirt around the lens.

Shoot from as close as possible to the window but, if you’re using an SLR, don’t allow the end of the lens to touch the glass.

This can blur the results by exaggerating mirror-bounce.

Try to avoid ultra-wide-angle focal lengths, too, because these further increase the risk of reflections.

You want pictures like this!

Final Tip
Some modern high-rise hotels use polarising glass in their windows. Beware of using a circular polarising filter in these conditions, as you’ll probably get unwanted and pronounced colour shifts across different areas of your images.

Professional Photographer to the Rescue: tell a story with your travel photography

jmeyer — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:00:25 +0000

So far in our Professional Photographer to the Rescue series we’ve revealed a pro’s tips for music photography and the secret to shooting wild landscapes. This week our professional photographer takes an apprentice to bustling markets of Marrakesh, in Morocco, and shares his best travel photography tips for learning how to tell the story of a place through your pictures.

Our Professional Photographer

David Sutherland
Canadian by birth, David has worked as a professional photographer for over 25 years. Based in London, his mastery of light and colour has helped him make a successful business out of jetting around the world – shooting stock for Getty, Corbis and other top image libraries. When not globetrotting, he runs a commercial studio with his daughter. See more of David’s work.

Our Apprentice

Cliff Hobbs
IT consultant Cliff lives in Milton Keynes. He bought a Canon EOS 400D three years ago, but has got the photography bug big time – so upgraded to his all-singing Canon EOS 5D Mk II last year. He travels widely with his Brazilian bride and, like many of us, dreams of becoming a full-time travel photographer. We flew him to Marrakesh in Morocco to give him a taster and some valuable one-on-one advice.

Technique assessment

After an hour or two meandering around the markets in Marrakesh’s medina, David pointed out two ways in which Cliff could tweak his DSLR settings to improve his hit rate

Continuous shooting
“When shooting in markets you can wait for ages for the right people to appear in the right part of the frame,” David says. “When the moment arrives, you need to fire off as many frames as possible – small differences can make all the difference. I therefore recommended Cliff to change his camera’s Drive mode from single to high-speed continuous shooting – and to be prepared to burn up a lot more memory!”

No time for manual mode
“Great moments appear and disappear in an instant when photographing candids – and you generally don’t have time to play around with your camera settings if you are to get the picture. Cliff was shooting in Manual – but I suggested he switch to Aperture Priority mode for quicker control, and showed him how to use the rear dial on his 5D for speedy exposure compensation, if needed.”

PAGE 1: Meet our professional photographer and apprentice
PAGE 2: During the shoot
PAGE 3: Final tips from our professional photographer
PAGE 4: Our professional photographer’s recommended gear

Photos from airplane windows: tips for getting killer shots every time you fly

jmeyer — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:10:56 +0000

It’s always tempting to try and take aerial photos from airplane windows when traveling. Though it might seem like you’re quite limited in what you can do in this situation, there are a few ways you can ensure you get quality snaps. Below are our tips for getting killer photos from airplane windows every time you fly.

You usually get the best views in the final phase of the flight, when approaching your destination. Do a bit of research in advance and, as far as possible, find out the flight plan.

You’ll then be able to work out the direction in which you’ll be flying and the time of day, so you can book a window seat on the best side of the plane.

Jet airliners are fairly free of vibration, but this isn’t the case with smaller propeller planes and helicopters. Sensor-shift or optical image stabilisation can help to eliminate camera shake and give you sharper shots.

Even so, it’s best to use a fairly quick shutter speed of 1/250sec or faster when taking photos from airplane windows.

The speed at which the ground is passing below you will appear to increase dramatically at lower altitudes, and especially when coming in to land – at which point 1/500sec is a safer bet.

An aperture of around f/8 to f/11 usually yields the best quality results in photos from airplane windows so, if lighting is fairly dull, increase your camera’s sensitivity (learn when to increase ISO settings) setting to enable the best balance of aperture and shutter speed.

To avoid unwanted reflections, position the front of the lens as close and parallel as possible to the window.

Finally, don’t rest the lens against the window, as this can increase the risk of camera shake as well as blurring from mirror-bounce when using an SLR.

What to pack: 8 essential travel photography accessories

jmeyer — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 07:00:56 +0000

We’d all be travel photographers in an ideal world, paid to crisscross the globe on a rich client’s tab and take stunning photographs of exotic locations. Sadly, for most of us the reality is rather less perfect. We get away once or twice a year, and have to squeeze in our travel photography while keeping everybody else happy.

Nevertheless, some travel photography is better than no travel photography so when you get to do it, you better make it count. If you want some excellent advice on technique, then this excellent list of 79 travel photography tips is a good place to visit. But first, we want to let you know what you need to pack.

Below we’ve compiled what we believe are the 8 most essential travel photography accessories you should pack for any photo holiday.

If you have another piece of gear you can’t travel without, then do please let us know in the comments!

1. Battery grip
Why you need it: All-in-one alternative  to spare batteries – you don’t want  to run out of power in an isolated spot
We recommend: Ansmann  Battery Grip

2. Airline-friendly bag
Why you need it: Never put your camera in check-in luggage. It might never arrive! Get a decent carry-on bag instead.
We recommend: Think Tank Photo Airport Antidote V2.0

3. Essential item: International plug adaptor
Why you need it: So you can charge your camera batteries and plug in your laptop from Brussels to Bangkok
We recommend: Fujifilm  World Adaptor

4. Essential item: Portable hard drive
Why you need it: Backs up and stores  all your precious photos when you’re  away from your PC
We recommend: Epson P-3000  Multimedia Storage Viewer 40Gb

5. All-in-one superzoom 
Why you need it: You can travel light and don’t have to keep changing lenses
We recommend: Tamron  18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC

6. Circular polarising filter
Why you need it: Enhance blue skies  and contrast as well as reducing  reflections on glass or water
We recommend: Jessops Circular Polarising Filter

7. Netbook
Why you need it: Back up your pictures on the move, review them on a big 10-inch screen and upload them to websites
We recommend: Asus Eee  PC 1000 HE

8. Travel tripod
Why you need it: Sharp shots in low light – at dawn, dusk and after dark
We recommend: Joby  Gorillapod Focus

79 travel photography tips you shouldn’t leave home without

jmeyer — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:00:30 +0000

Before you go on your holiday, wherever it is, make sure you read these 79 essential travel photography tips, with crucial advice on everything from packing to the best camera settings for your destination. Images and words by Tom Mackie

With the holiday season upon us, there’s no time like the present to hone your photographic skills to enable you to capture glorious travel photography fit for a gallery wall – or at least pride-of-place in your living room!

But the variation of subject matter and lighting conditions you’ll be greeted with while overseas can be daunting to capture successfully, especially if you’re juggling quality time with your family against quality time with your digital camera!

That’s why we’ve put together no less than 79 tried-and-tested travel photography tips to guide you through the best ways  to tackle photography while on the road – all from personal experience!

We start with crucial travel photography tips for planning and preparing for your trip. Then there are essential camera skills, from aperture choice to metering; clever photographic techniques, from composition (read our 10 rules of photo composition – and why they work) to using filters, as well as creative techniques to master, from stunning silhouettes at sunset to picturesque panoramics.

Plus there are tons of quick photography tips to help you while on vacation, including what lenses to consider, how to shoot better candid portraits and what to photograph when it’s raining.

Travel Photography Tips: Packing and Preparation

Tip 1: Pack just what you need
Only take kit you’ll need for your chosen location. For example, it’s pointless taking mosquito repellent to a desert. With more weight restrictions on airlines, pack only the clothes you will wear – then take half of them out as you will survive without them! On one trip, I’d missed the check-in time so I couldn’t check my bag, so I quickly stuffed my clothes down the sleeves of my coat and wore the rest on the plane.

Tip 2: Research the location
Find out as much as you can about your destination by reading up on practical guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet or Rough Guides. The internet is also invaluable, with many specialist websites giving in-depth information about even the most off-the-beaten-track locations. Read forums for other people’s first-hand experiences, especially on how to access difficult areas for photography and what time of year is best to go.

Essentials to pack
Tip 3: Don’t forget battery chargers for your camera and mobile phone – and a travel adaptor.

Tip 4: A laptop is great for backing up images, keeping in contact via Skype or email, as well as rudimentary image editing.

Tip 5: A portable hard drive is essential for making a secondary backup, in case the laptop gets stolen.

Tip 6: A Gortex zip-out, fleece-lined jacket is especially useful – even in summer. It has loads of pockets for survival essentials such as a torch, waterproof trousers, and a Gerber multi-tool.

Tip 7: My Flight Logistics sunrise/sunset calculator tells me exactly where the sun will rise or set, anywhere, at any time of year.

Tip 8: Beat the rush
While most tourists are still asleep, I’m out making the most of the great morning light – and because most people are still in bed you won’t have coach-loads of people getting in your photos and spoiling your shots! Photographing villages, towns and cities at this time of day makes the photographic experience more enjoyable.

Late afternoon and on – until after the sun sets below the horizon – is another ideal time to take pictures. In the so-called ‘magic hour’ – when the sun is just above the horizon, either in the morning or evening – scenes are illuminated with a wonderful warm, golden glow.

Tip 9: Book hotels with great views
I always book hotels, B&Bs or villas because of the location or the view. Why make life difficult, travelling to scenic viewpoints, when you can shoot right from your window? I once booked a hotel in Barbuba called the Beach House just for the view from the rooms overlooking the beach.

What sold it to me was the hammock and the whole essence of the location. Use tripadvisor.com to get honest guest reviews of the hotels – they often even recommend the best rooms for views.

Tip 10: Take the right kit
There is nothing worse than discovering that you need that lens you left at home. Remember to take essential kit for the destination you are going to.

Pack a small bag with a basic kit including: DSLR body; good lightweight tripod; a wide-angle zoom, such as a 10-24mm or 16-35mm; a mid-range zoom such as a 24-70mm; a telephoto zoom, such as a 70-200mm; a cable release; polarising filter; and possibly a couple of ND grad filters (see ND grad filters: what every photographer should know).

If room, include a 1.4x tele-extender and a macro lens. When flying, always take your equipment as carry-on luggage: if it’s overweight, put some lenses in your coat pockets. They don’t weigh people – yet!

Easy ways to find an interesting location
Tip 11: Ordnance Survey maps give the most detailed information for finding locations.

Tip 12: The internet – you’ll find everything you want to know about a holiday location, and probably quite a lot that you don’t want to know!

Tip 13: Local postcards will point you in the direction of lesser-known places, as well as the iconic travel locations.

Tip 14: Tourist information offices employ local people who will have insider knowledge about the area.

Tip 15: Google Earth is great for finding out how to get to locations and discovering likely viewpoints.

How to book cheap overseas trips
Tip 16: Cheapflights offers what it says on the box and is also a good source for cheap holidays. The web is full of holiday bargains.

Tip 17: House-swapping is a good way to stay somewhere cheap – if you have a house that is in a desirable location.

Tip 18: If you can go last-minute – such as tomorrow – then great savings are on hand with many travel agents, if you are open- minded about where you go.

Tip 19: Remember Teletext? There are many bargains on holidays abroad to be found right here.

Tip 20: Self-catering accommodation often works out much cheaper than hotels – and you have much more room.

Ways to travel light
Tip 21: Roll your clothes as it takes up less space and produces fewer creases.

Tip 22: Never take work with you – unless you are a photographer!

Tip 23: On long trips, post purchases home rather than carry them.

Tip 24: Hard suitcases eat up your luggage allowance. Instead use hardwearing canvas or nylon travel bags.

Tip 25: But don’t travel too light or you may become a terror suspect!

What to wear when it’s hot
Tip 26: Sunscreen! Be safe; factor 30 and above will keep harmful rays at bay.

Tip 27: Sandals keep your feet cool and comfortable – but it’s not cool to wear socks with them!

Tip 28: Wear loose-fitting, light clothes. White will reflect the heat, whereas dark colours will absorb heat.

Tip 29: Jeans are out and shorts are in – or chinos if you prefer to look more stylish.

Tip 30: A hat keeps you cool by keeping the sun off your head and face. Or blend in and dress like the locals – just like editor Chris, seen here in action abroad!

Travel Photography Tips: Camera Settings

Tip 31: Use Aperture Priority mode
When photographing landscapes, you want to achieve a maximum depth of field so the scene is sharp from foreground to background – so it’s best to use Aperture Priority mode (Av). You can choose the f/stop required and the shutter speed will be set automatically (see more: Dial M for… Your exposure modes exposed).

Just be aware that, if you can’t use a tripod and want to use a narrow aperture, the shutter speed might be too slow to handhold. Many tourist attractions don’t allow tripods, so try setting the camera on a wall or similar.

Conversely, if you want to shoot a portrait of one of the locals during your travels, isolate your subject by using a large aperture, such as f/5.6, and selective focus, to blur a distracting background.

Tip 32: Select the RAW setting
Why shoot in RAW? Because if you don’t it’s like driving in Ferrari but only using first gear; you’re not getting the full potential from the car – or in this case the image file. RAW is like having a master negative that contains much more data, whereas JPEG is like only having the print.

RAW enables you to go back at any time and process the image in a different way. With RAW software and technology improving all the time, it’s good to have the original RAW file to convert again and again.

Take better candids
Tip 33: There is nothing worse than cheesy posed pictures. Grab candid pictures when the subject is unaware that you’re photographing them for better results.

Tip 34: Use a telephoto lens to capture natural portraits of locals and to blur distracting backgrounds.

Tip 35: Use fill-flash in bright, sunny conditions to fill the shadows and bring out colours.

Tip 36: Get in close to your subject so they are recognisable: a common mistake is to have a person too small in the frame.

Tip 37: Show off a beautiful location by having a person actively doing something within the scene, such as walking along a beach.

Tip 38: Know your metering modes
Understanding the difference between metering modes will help improve your travel photography. Best for most situations is Evaluative metering. This averages readings from all four corners and the centre of the viewfinder.

Partial metering takes a reading about 14% of the centre of the viewfinder; this is useful when doing a portrait of a person who is backlit. Spot metering takes in about a 3% area and is useful for metering smaller subjects in the frame, which would otherwise be over-exposed. Finally, centre-weighted metering concentrates on 60-80% of the central part of the viewfinder.

Tip 39: Get white balance right
White balance settings will adjust the colour temperature for any given lighting situation to correctly render elements that are supposed to be white – instead of grey or some other colour.

Remember that, if you are shooting in RAW, the image on the display is for viewing purposes only and can be changed post-processing; however, if you are shooting JPEG, the white balance setting will effect the file at the point of capture. The cloudy white balance setting is great for just warming up a scene a bit.

Tip 40: Read your histograms
When reviewing images on your LCD, press the Info button to bring up your histogram. The left side of the graph indicates the shadow information and the right side the highlight information of the scene.

The idea is to make an exposure that puts the graph as far over to the right of the rectangle without going over the end – if it does, it means your highlights are blown out. When you’re in very bright, sunny conditions it’s impossible to see the image on the LCD, so use the histogram to check if your exposure is correct (find out How to read a histogram: free cheat sheet).

Tip 41: The best ways to use camera filters
If you only had the choice of using one filter, it would have to be a circular polariser. It’s useful because it not only reduces unwanted reflections and glare from surfaces such as glass or water, but increases saturation in blue skies.

To get maximum polarisation, place your subject at 90 degrees to the sun. You may also want to try using graduated neutral density filters. They are great not only for contrast control, but to add drama and atmosphere to skies, by balancing the exposure of the sky so it’s in-line with the foreground.

Travel Photography Tips: Photography Techniques

Potential pitfalls to avoid on holiday
Tip 42: Get travel insurance and ensure you’re covered (some policies don’t include high-risk countries), as well as covering cancelled flights due to ash clouds!

Tip 43: Avoid losing memory cards by carrying them in an organised card wallet instead of carrying them loose.

Tip 44: Always take cameras as carry-on luggage on planes. Baggage handlers are particularly fond of camera equipment…

Tip 45: Don’t drop your DSLR in the sea! An Aquapac camera housing gives good protection and allows you to take underwater photos.

Tip 46: If shooting on windy coastlines, constantly clean the lens as the salt spray clouds up lenses.

Excuses to get away from the family so you can take photos!
Tip 47: “I want to take some pictures for the Christmas card.”

Tip 48: “I think the hike to the photo location is too far for you.”

Tip 49: “You need some bonding time with the kids.”

Tip 50: Go out before they get out of bed. The light is the best then and you’ll be back before they even knew you  were gone.

Tip 51: Offer to spend a day shopping with your loved on in exchange for spending a day of picture-taking.

Tip 52: Get creative with your composition
A common mistake is to place the subject slap-bang in the centre of the frame. Try placing it according to the ‘Rule of Thirds’ – along imaginary intersecting lines one one-third into the frame from the top, bottom and sides – for a more pleasing composition.

I often use a combination of the Rule of Thirds and framing to create a more interesting composition. Also remember to use other composition tools, such as framing and leading lines, to draw more attention to your subject.

Tip 53: Look for patterns
The big advantage of photographing in exotic locations is the opportunity to capture unique sights with your digital camera. A great example is all the interesting textures and vibrant colours that are no-doubt overloading your senses.

Focus on specific areas, such as sand dunes or rows of colourful holiday homes, to fill your frame with these wonderfully photogenic elements (learn How to set your autofocus for macro photography).

Tip 54: Hunt out interesting subjects to shoot
Your photos are memories of your travels, so photograph everything of interest. Look for captivating ‘living’ subjects, be it people, wildlife or plants. For these subjects try using a long-ish focal length (around 200mm) and wide aperture (such as f/4) to get them to stand out from their surroundings.

Also look for items that are indicative of a location – such as local fruit or spices, colourful hats or handmade blankets, shells or other natural elements – that will make striking images.

Tip 55: Shoot into the sun
You may have been told to have the sun at your back to get perfectly exposed shots, but this will also result in flat and boring pictures! Shoot into the sun with a wide-angle lens and stop down to at least f/16 to create a natural sunburst for a dramatic image. Try placing the sun just peeking out from behind a tree or other interesting subjects.

The best subjects to shoot when it rains
Tip 56: Waterfalls! Not only because there’s plenty of water, but the overcast conditions provide soft, even light for a low-contrast image.

Tip 57: Woodlands come alive with colour under overcast conditions, as direct sunshine tends to be too high-contrast/distracting.

Tip 58: Head indoors – interiors of cathedrals, museums or even shopping malls always have something of interest to shoot  on a rainy day.

Tip 59: Gardens look good in overcast light and the rain will make the foliage glisten and come alive.

Tip 60: Close-ups of nature are great anytime, but especially in wet conditions as more creatures come out, plus the overcast light brings out every detail in the subject.

Travel Photography Tips: Get Creative on Holiday

Tip 61: Use ND filters for long exposures
Neutral density (ND) filters are great fun to use for various effects. They come in various densities to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, resulting in longer shutter speeds for interesting photographic effects.

In popular tourist locations, try using an ND filter combined with a long exposure to blur moving people into thin air! Anything that moves during the exposure will disappear (find out How to clear crowds with an ND filter). Use an ND for coastal scenes and the long exposure will blur the water to create a misty effect.

Quick pointers for better travel photos
Tip 62: A lightweight, sturdy tripod will improve and expand your travel photography.

Tip 63: Always carry your digital camera. You never know when a photo opportunity will present itself.

Tip 64: Change your angle. Don’t shoot everything from eye-level; try moving the camera higher or lower. Images from a bird’s eye view can make a refreshing change.

Tip 65: A well-placed person can add human interest to improve an image – for example, to give a sense of scale to a waterfall.

Tip 66: Photographing individual details can tell as much about a place as the big picture.

Tip 67: Make a picturesque panoramic
When you come across a scenic viewpoint, instead of using a wide-angle lens so that everything appears small, try shooting several images and stitching them together in Photoshop (learn how to Shoot and stitch panoramic photos in 8 easy steps).

This works best if you are using a tripod and allow at least a third overlap of each image so there is enough information to stitch the images together. Focal lengths of 50mm or longer are best. Use manual focus and manual mode so that all of the exposures are consistent.

Tip 68: Shoot cities at night
Cities come alive with lights and colour at night, and distracting details such as cranes, wires and unsightly buildings melt away in the background. Every holiday destination will have something that looks great at night (read the 12 common errors of night photography – and how to fix them).

Good subjects include illuminated fountains, sculptures, churches or cathedrals, and market places. Use fountains or statues as foreground interest with the main subject in  the background. Or juxtapose old architecture with new to give more depth and dimension to your images.

Tip 69: Play with HDR
The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technique is perfect when you have a high-contrast scene. With your camera on a tripod, take several exposures for the shadows, midtones and highlights. Depending on the exposure range of the scene, three exposures with 2-stop increments works well and can be done by bracketing your shots. Combine the images together using a program like Photomatix Pro.

Don’t overdo it by having too much detail in the shadows, which makes for a surreal image; I prefer to make it look as though the eye would see it (learn how to Make HDR images from 2 exposures).

Tip 70: Get great silhouettes at sunset
Shooting a brilliant sunset is something we all do on holiday. Sometimes, though, they don’t quite turn out quite as we saw them. A great way to improve sunsets is to silhouette a distinctive subject, such as with the little chapel and cypress trees in our example.

Remember to compose your subject with the right balance of dark areas, especially when it comes to the foreground. The tendency is to include too much, as our eyes see much more detail. To enhance the sunset, simply switch to cloudy white balance. If your camera allows custom colour temperature, you can increase the temperature to enhance the warm tones.

How to shoot nature while on holiday
Tip 71: Use a wide aperture to blur distracting backgrounds (find out How to remove background distractions in 3 steps).

Tip 72: Use a telephoto zoom with a tele-extender to get in close. Zoom lenses also allow quick recomposing when animals are on  the move.

Tip 73: Position yourself for a clean background, especially if photographing birds in flight. Study the bird’s flight pattern and wait until it flies into the uncluttered area.

Tip 74: In order to freeze the action of an animal, increase the ISO to achieve a faster shutter speed.

Tip 75: Use both eyes to shoot; one to look through the viewfinder, the other on approaching animals so you can anticipate the action.

Lenses to consider for travel photography
Tip 76: A good wide-angle lens for shooting landscapes and interiors of small spaces.

Tip 77: A mid-range zoom is a great all-rounder to have in your kit bag.

Tip 78: A macro lens – 50mm or 100mm. These are brilliant lenses for macro shots, plus a 100mm is also an ideal focal length for portraits.

Tip 79: A tilt-shift lens is perfect for keeping buildings vertical.

Travel photography tips for a family holiday

dcworld — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:58:44 +0000

We can’t all afford to go on safari, but combining a family package holiday with quality time with your camera doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster

While the chances of returning from a family holiday with an award-winning portfolio are slim, you can still pack in plenty of satisfying photography – of your travels and your family – if you know the right buttons to press. Here are 7 top tips…

1. Be realistic

Scale down your expectations – dragging everyone around all day and keeping them waiting for hours will end in tears. Remember that it’s their holiday as much as yours, so be flexible. For instance, don’t expect to shoot every sunset – do one or two, but then just enjoy the rest with your family.

2. Get up early

You’re supposed to be relaxing, but set your alarm early and head out at dawn at least one day. Not only will your family still be asleep, but you’ll catch the best light and be able to shoot deserted locations. A few hours later, you can join your family for breakfast.

3. Get the kids involved

Children love taking pictures – more so than posing for them! So give them a compact camera to play with and offer prizes for the best photos of the holiday. And no, you’re not allowed to enter your own…

4. Find the moment

Give everyone a chance to indulge in something they want to do and the favour will be returned. If your family are tired after a busy day, suggest they relax back at the hotel while you head out with your DSLR.

5. Don’t forget the snapshots

Adopt a more casual approach to your photography while you’re out and about. Leave the tripod back at the hotel and just sling your camera over your shoulder once in a while. It’s important not to miss those family memories because you were too busy setting up.

6. Be prepared

When you do take pictures of your family, don’t turn it into a lengthy event otherwise they’ll lose interest. Think about one or two fun shots you would like to take before saying anything so you can set them up and take them quickly.

7. Have fun

A family holiday gives you the perfect opportunity to let your hair down and try something truly creative, so why not ditch the DSLR and see if a compact offers you more freedom? What about looking at waterproof protection for your camera to get those action-packed shots at the beach or on a boat?

A travel photographer’s guide to photographing people

dcworld — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:42:05 +0000

Top travel photography tips and techniques for the best people shots. Learn how to approach locals, when to offer money and how to take portaits packed with character

Even the mere thought  of taking pictures of people on your travels is enough to send chills down the spine of many a photographer. Approaching complete strangers and asking if they mind being photographed can take some bottle. Persevere, though – it’s the people that make a place after all, and some well-crafted local portraits will lift your portfolio.

Whether you feel it’s right to pay for pictures is a personal decision, but don’t take them if you have no intention of paying

1. Be culturally aware

Be aware of any social attitudes towards photography. In some places people can be fearful of long lenses; in others, taking photos of women is taboo. Most guidebooks include a section on photography that should flag up any major considerations. A faux pas could result in you being spat on or you could even find yourself being arrested.

2. How to approach people

Most people you meet while travelling will be happy to oblige when you get your camera out – they might even be flattered to have their picture taken if it’s a destination that hasn’t been over-exposed to photographers. Sometimes  all it takes is a friendly gesture with the camera and a smile to get the response you hope for, and in countries where there’s a language barrier this is probably the only option.

It always pays to be polite with a potential portrait sitter. Don’t just walk up and point your lens at them. They need time to get used to your presence. Strike up a conversation first if you can and it will really pay dividends. Talk about their country, how beautiful it is,  the weather, what their name  is and so on. Don’t be afraid  to tell them about yourself  and where you come from. Chatting like this will really break the ice and gives your potential subject the chance  to say no to having their picture taken. Some people don’t like being photographed for religious or cultural reasons, and you should respect this.

If your subject seems willing, politely ask if they’d mind being photographed – almost treat  it as an afterthought – and try to explain what you would like them to do. Non-Western folk often pose in one of two ways: thumbs up with cheesy grin, or rigid and upright. So spend time with your subjects to help them relax for a more natural shot. Suggest ways for them to pose, show them some photos you’ve already taken and offer to take their address and send them a print.

Marcus Hawkins/Future

3. Make sure your camera is ready

Once you’re at the point of picture taking,  you don’t want to be trawling through your camera menus and fumbling with settings. As with everything, preparation is key. Make sure you’ve analysed the situation before you start interacting with your subject and have your camera set up ready.

First, make sure you’ve got the right lens fitted. A short telephoto zoom with a focal length between 85-135mm is the ideal lens for head and shoulders portraits. Remember to set a
wide aperture – f/4, for example – to throw any distracting backgrounds out of focus. If your subject’s environment is interesting, reach for a wide-angle lens instead. If the focal length is wider than around 28mm then don’t place anyone near the edges of the frame, otherwise they’ll appear horribly distorted.

Shoot with a low(ish)  ISO setting and set the lens aperture wide open, which will give you a fast, handholdable shutter speed. Switch the camera’s autofocus to single focus mode and lock the focus on the person’s eyes. Use your camera’s high-speed drive mode so that you can shoot several frames in quick succession to ensure you don’t miss the best expression.

Although you want to work fast, do take your time to get the details right. Many photographers mess up here. Having found a willing subject, they rattle off a few quick pictures without thinking about the background, the subject’s expression, what to include in the shot and what to exclude, the quality of the light and all the other things that would be instinctively considered when shooting portraits back home. So before firing off multiple shots, try to forget your nerves and think: 60 seconds spent setting up the shot will be rewarded by photographs that are infinitely better.

Ben Birchall/Future

4. To pay or not to pay?

In many countries the local people have realised that they can make money by posing for tourists – with the potential to become their main source of income in some cases. Often this is quite blatant and money’s discussed before  any shots are taken, whereas elsewhere it’s a much more subtle rubbing together of fingers and thumb after you’ve taken them. Whether you feel it’s right to pay for pictures is a personal decision, but don’t take them if you have no intention of paying. Perhaps consider buying something from a trader as a token in return for taking a picture instead. Don’t be intimidated into paying a small fortune by  a demanding subject, and politely walk away if the situation gets heated.

5. Photographing kids

Children are the same the world over: they’re inquisitive, lively and make excellent subjects. Get down to their eye level and fire off several shots to get them used to having their picture taken. If you can’t get them to pose long enough for a decent portrait, pull back and shoot them at play.

Whatever your subject’s age, treat  the subject with dignity and respect. A shoeshine boy in rags may look like a colourful character to you, but he will still be a shoeshine boy working hard to earn a meagre living when you’re back home enjoying your holiday and vacation photos, so don’t exploit or patronise the people you shoot. If you  do, you’ll make it more difficult for the next photographer.

Marcus Hawkins/Future

6. Candid portrait photography

If you find the idea of asking strangers to pose just too nerve-wracking, your only option is to shoot candidly. In crowded places, such as markets and squares or during festivals and busy events, this can produce superb results, so don’t look upon it as second best – people are usually more relaxed when they’re not aware of you and your camera. If you dither with camera settings or worry about being spotted you’ll miss the best expressions and attract attention.

A longer telezoom – around 200-300mm at the top end – will be ideal, enabling you to take frame-filling shots from a fair distance. Shooting at a maximum, wide-open aperture will provide a shallow depth of field that will throw any messy backgrounds out of focus.

Another option when you’re photographing in crowds is to get into the thick of things with a wide-angle lens and shoot at close range. Thanks to the wide field of view you can include people in your pictures without them realising because they think you’re pointing the camera elsewhere. Live View (available on many of the latest cameras) opens up the opportunities further, as you don’t even need to look like you’re taking a picture.

7. Consider the light

Use the soft, warm light of early morning and late afternoon when photographing people, and carry a small folding reflector so that you can bounce light onto your subject’s face. The magical appearance of a Lastolite will raise a few smiles and relax your subject, but a newspaper can work just as well if you’re pushed.

Beware of flare. too. If you’re photographing people in exposed sunny locations you can end up with hazy, low-contrast images if you let the sun shine across the front of the lens. Fit a lens hood or use your hand to shield the front element to reduce this and get the best from your camera lenses.

8 ways to avoid ‘postcard shots’

dcworld — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:47:33 +0000

Travel photography ticks all the boxes – exploring the creative possibilities of your camera in a fascinating new location is about as good as it gets. But great travel photography is about more than hopping on a flight to Havana and snapping old ladies with cigars. It requires as much skill, preparation and careful technique as any other photographic genre. How do you make your shots of a popular tourist destination stand out from everybody else’s – to be more than pure ‘postcard shots’? These 8 easy travel photography tips will help you think differently about your pictures…

Travel Photography Tips: 8 ways to avoid ‘postcard shots’

Pyramid photo from Shutterstock

Travel Photography Tips: 1 Get the ‘classic’ view in the bag early
There’s nothing wrong with a simple visual reminder that says ‘I was here’, but finding your own personal take could give you greater satisfaction, not to mention some more interesting pictures to look back on. We’d recommend getting the classic/cliché shot out of your system as soon as you arrive at a well-known location, otherwise it can have a tendency to block you from more creative images.

Travel Photography Tips: 2 Go the extra mile 
Getting up in the small hours, skipping meals, putting up with extreme temperatures, long-distance trekking – it’s all in a day’s work for the dedicated travel photographer. There will be very few instances when you can simply roll up beside your subject in an air-conditioned taxi and shoot a truly knockout view. As the saying goes, you never get a great shot from the car park!  If you want to capture truly memorable pictures you need to be prepared to pound a few streets. It might be possible to reach a historic landmark quickly on foot, but finding the most impressive view might involve a little more legwork.

Travel Photography Tips: 3 Find a new viewpoint 
When confronted with a famous landmark, move around it and look for ways to show it in a different context – such as framing it through an archway or using a slow shutter speed to render moving elements as a blur. A variety of lens focal lengths can be invaluable here. If the classic shot’s taken with a wide-angle, for example, move further away and switch to a telephoto for a tighter composition – or vice versa. Shoot from a more adventurous viewpoint by lying on the ground or looking for a high vantage point.

Travel Photography Tips: 4 Set yourself a holiday project
Sometimes the sheer number and variety of potential photographic opportunities on a trip can leave you feeling overwhelmed rather than inspired. To avoid coming home empty handed, try setting yourself a mini photography project.

This is a great way to focus your mind’s eye and to help you prioritise what to point your lens at. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel here; your project could be something as simple as doors, shadows or kids, or something more ambitious like religion. Anything goes, as long as it fires your imagination. Once you’ve got a few shots under your belt there’ll be no stopping you…

Travel Photography Tips: 5 Stay alert and ready
Interesting events, characters or compositions have a habit of presenting themselves just when you least expect them  to, so make sure your camera is always out of your camera bag and switched on. To give yourself the best chance of nailing those unique opportunistic shots, set your camera up in advance and get used to changing your exposure settings on the fly – particularly how to dial-in positive or negative exposure compensation quickly.

Travel Photography Tips: 6 Make yourself look past the obvious
It can be tempting to rely  on the new, colourful and exotic quality of subjects you encounter on your travels to carry your shots. But work with the light to create something more dramatic. Try shooting a few frames facing towards the sun, for instance, and using fill-flash to illuminate a shadowed subject against the bright background. This is a great technique for people, animals and road signs, which glow under flash illumination.

Travel Photography Tips: 7 Try bracketing
In difficult lighting, it makes sense to bracket your shots, taking the picture at different exposure settings to ensure you come away with at least one usable image. This idea can be applied to composition, too, especially if you plan to  sell your photos. Shoot vertical and horizontal images of an interesting subject. Get in close and pull out wide. Give yourself options when you’re editing back at home – the mood will change subtly between frames.

Travel Photography Tips: 8 Zoom in on detail 
Wide, all-encompassing views are great for setting the scene, but small details can be more telling when it comes to painting vivid pictures of people or places. Switch to a macro or telephoto lens and think architectural flourishes, signs and traditional foods. Pick out strong, graphical colours and shapes. With people, try zeroing in on features like hands, tattoos or even possessions that hint at a way of life.