When we first started taking photos on our travels, we didn’t have fancy cameras and were definitely not “professional travel photographers”. We did however aspire to take great photos without having to take professional photography courses and carry thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment with us. We identified a “shortcut” to get at least 3 great photos on our travels and we hope this can help you too!
At the very least, we figured we couldn’t go wrong by taking the following 3 photos at each of our travel destination:
- Postcard Shot
- Different Perspective Shot
- Storytelling Shot
Postcard Shot
Professional photographers have probably spent a ton of time taking the picture perfect postcard shot of a travel destination. They’ve already done the “groundwork” for you – identifying the best shot for a location. So, stop by a souvenir store, take a look at the postcards on the rack and pick a few that you like. You can do the same by browsing image results on search engines. Now, all you need to do is to take a similar photo as the one you saw on the postcard/online image search results.
For example, the following are our “postcard shots”:
“Postcard Shot” at Taj Mahal.
“Postcard shot” at Kyoto Nijo Castle in Kyoto. We saw this on a postcard and learnt of this “angle” at the castle that makes for a great photo.
“Postcard shot” at Kinkakuji in Kyoto. We saw a postcard with an image of this structure from a similar angle.
Different Perspective Shot
A good 2nd photo to take is one from a “different perspective”. To do this, challenge yourself to take a shot from a “different perspective”. Consider:
- Get Lower – Kneel, get on your knees, get on your stomach, angle your camera upwards, take a flight of stairs down etc…
- Get Higher Up – Climb up to a higher location, stand on a ledge, angle your camera downwards, take a photo while on your plane ride etc…
- Turn Around – Don’t forget to turn around! Too often we take photos of what’s in front of us but forget to take a moment, turn around and look at the scenery that is behind us.
- Black & White – When you see a lot of architecture details and interesting textures, consider taking a black & white photo.
- Framing – See your shot through a different “frame”. You can frame your shots using branches, holes in the wall, window frames etc…
- Zoom in – Zoom in or take a step forward. See your subject in more detail.
- Illusions – Play with illusions. You know, those pictures where people seem to be pushing on the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
- Go Elsewhere – Find a different location away from where all the tourists are.
The things we do for a good photo…
This is Jeremy on his side, trying to take a “different perspective” shot!
Here are examples of “different perspective” shots we’ve taken on our travels:
“Different Perspective” shot at Taj Mahal. We walked off to the far right of the garden where there were no tourists and took this shot by standing between two large trees.
“Different Perspective” shot at Leh while visiting Shanti Stupa. We specifically looked for the view of the city of Leh when we were up high at Shanti Stupa. We did not just focus on taking pictures of Shanti Stupa but instead looked for photo opportunities of another location while up high. We then brought out the details of the picture using HDR processing.
Storytelling Shot
When you get home from your travels, what is the ONE picture you can show friends and family and tell a ‘story’ about? What is that one picture that you would be able to show and storytell a year or five years from now? That’s the “storytelling shot” you need to take. It doesn’t have to epitomize the ENTIRE trip or the entire travel destination. It just has to be the one shot that has a story associated with it.
Here are examples of our “storytelling shots”:
“Storytelling Shot” at Taj Mahal. We will never forget how the Carnelian gemstone glowed when we put our flashlight against it. This is the one shot we will continue to tell stories of every time someone asks us what’s a “must see” while at Taj Mahal!
“Storytelling Shot” at Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. To this day, we still talk about how delicious the tofu and the udon we had at Kiyomizudera was.
We hope you find these “3 basic shots” tip helpful! To further improve the photos you take, we highly recommend that you also learn some of the photography basics such as Rule of Thirds, adjusting aperture/exposure/ISO, lighting and photo editing etc…
REMEMBER:
- 3 basic shots to take when traveling: “Postcard shot”, “Different Perspective shot” and “Storytelling shot”
- Take “postcard shots” by browsing postcards at souvenir stores, browsing images of the location online and looking at any pictures about the location that you’ve seen before.
- Take “different perspective shots” by changing your position. Take a few steps forward than you normally would, get lower, get higher etc…
- Take “storytelling shots” by taking that one picture with which you will have a story to tell when you show it to your friends and family.
- PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: To further edit your photos, you can consider using Lightroom and for HDR effects, use Photomatix.
- PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR: On our travels, we use a Nikon D700 with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 prime lens and Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 Wide Angle lens. We also carry our Leica D-Lux 5 for those point and shoot moments. Other point & shoot cameras we recommend and like include the Panasonic Lumix LX-5 and the Canon S95.
Do you have tips on how to take great photos while on your travels? Are there any tried and true ways to get great shots that you’d like to share?
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100 Comments
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Travel Tips: If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels by @idelishTravel http://t.co/OMy0gHZ #photography
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Travel Tips: If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels by @idelishTravel http://t.co/8i1C8ea via @exofficio
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Travel Tips: If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels by @idelishTravel http://t.co/yPMQI0U #photography
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This was such a fantastic entry! I’m always looking for ways to improve my travel photography, as I think a good photo is such an important part of any travel blog.
That wide shot of the city from above is particularly stunning. Well spotted!
Chris recently posted..Cuban, Mexican, and Spanish Food in Sydney’s CBD
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Thank you, Chris! We’re glad you found this post helpful! We were lucky to be able to spot that shot of Leh!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{MALAYSIA} Snorkel, Dive and Chill at Redang Island
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my tip would be: don’t be afraid to get so close. This would probably be categorized in ‘Different Perspective’ . Sometimes you’d bring out more emotions from a very close view of the object and see it ..well, differently.
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Great point, Vira! Too often, we are afraid to go outside our “comfort zone”. Getting close will definitely be a “different perspective”! It is also key to getting great portrait shots but don’t forget to ask for permission before pointing your lens up close to a person’s face 🙂 We’ll aspire to try and get closer too next time!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{MALAYSIA} Snorkel, Dive and Chill at Redang Island
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Thanks for the RT @CruisePictures: If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels http://t.co/cKT5Fjs Via @idelishTravel
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Those pictures are beautiful! Simply amazing:)
Thanks for sharing! Keep travelling and posting:)
eva
eva hamori recently posted..Saint Stephen’s Day Celebrations -
If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels http://t.co/2k6QAgZ Via @idelishTravel
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I have never seen such a beautiful shot of Taj Mahal, the “different perspective” shot!
Sailor recently posted..Touring the Galapagos Islands – A Dream Cruise-
Thank you for the compliment! If you think the photo looks great, wait till you see it with your own eyes! You’ll be mesmerized!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World?
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Digging the photos. What kind of camera & lens do you use during your travels?
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Thanks Gerard for dropping by! On our travels, we use a Nikon D700 with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 prime lens and Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 Wide Angle lens. We also carry our Leica D-Lux 5 for those point and shoot moments.
I’ve added a note about our photography gear in the post above so you can click and go to the photography gear page directly. Hope this helps!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World?-
I’m still very much amateur photo guy status, so I’m carrying my D90 w/ 18-105mm and Canon S95 (Point&Shoot) for my trips. I also have a 50mm prime lens, but I’ve been debating whether it’s worth the hassle to carry extra glass while traveling. But after seeing photos like yours, I think i just might be worth it!
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For the trips prior to India, we’ve been using our D40x w/ 18 – 200mm travelers lens and it has been working great for us. It’s not about the equipment. It helps a little, yes but with starter SLRs, you can still get great shots. Start with getting composition right.
We just sold our D40x + lenses for the upgrade to D700 (hence not having any zoom lens with us yet). The prime lens is definitely worth carrying with you. It can get you some really nice pictures with good bokeh (those fade out effect in the background)!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World?
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This taught me that I don’t have to be a "photographer!" @idelishtravel http://t.co/xkfKSUG
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Great tips! and obviously, amazing photos!
Ashley recently posted..Italy: Taking it to the city streets of Florence-
Thanks Ashley! We’re really glad you like the photos! We love the B&W you do on your site too. We’ve not yet ventured into too much B&W but plan to in the near future!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels
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Thanks so much for these great tips! They’re easy to remember and doable for a novice photographer like me.
Nancy recently posted..Tasty Snacks from Ecuador-
Glad you like the tips, Nancy! We’ll be sure to share more tips in the future!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Juleh, the Magic Word in Leh
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Great tips, simple to remember. And you have some beautiful photos; I especially like the one from Leh.
Sophie recently posted..Pyramiden – an Arctic ghost town-
Thanks Sophie! It’s easy to take beautiful photos if you’re visiting incredible places with beautiful views such as Leh!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} India’s Golden Triangle, 7-day Itinerary
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{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels http://t.co/Kk9nzKO via @idelishTravel
