Another Sunday, another post for all you amazing people who inspire me everyday. Hope you’re having a fab weekend! For this weeks post, I wanted to give you all some tips on taking great photos when you travel. From where I started a year ago to where I am now, there’s a massive difference. Through many trial and errors, I’ve learnt some handy tips which I’m excited to share with you all. Because sharing is caring right!
Research Your Destination… preparation is key
You’ve booked your ticket and now you’re scrolling through Pinterest boards and Instagram accounts, trying to find the best places to eat and explore. Sound familiar? Well, use this research time to your advantage. If you have key points attractions that you’ll be visiting, have a look at what photos people have already taken. Nine times out of ten, the photos you’ll come across are all the same. They’ve all been taken from the exact same angle. By doing your research and spotting this early on, you’ll know how to not make the same mistake. All you have to do is move a little more to the left or the right, and voila, you have an entirely new perspective that’ll make your photo stand out from the rest.
Plan Your Outfits… standing out against the background
Now I’m not saying you need to bring a different outfit for every photo (because nobody has time for that), just do your research on your points of interest, so you can get an idea of what the setting looks like. This will allow you to plan your wardrobe in advance, choosing the best colour palette for your scenery. There’s nothing worse than looking back on your photos, only to discover later that your red dress is blending into the red wall behind you, and you look almost invisible.
Get Up At Sunrise… great lighting and less tourists
Getting up at the crack of dawn can be a struggle. But you’ll be thankful post trip when you’re looking back on your photos and there’s just you and an incredible backdrop in them. Opposed to those times when there’s you plus hundreds or so other tourists. It’s also a well known fact that sunrise has the best lighting for photos. So you can snap away without worrying about the glare of the sun reflecting off your sunglasses, etc., etc.
Invest In A Tripod… in my opinion, the greatest camera accessory
You don’t need an expensive camera to take great photos. I mean, it’s common knowledge that phones today can do the job quite nicely. What I would recommend though, is purchasing a decent tripod. Not only is it an essential item when travelling solo, but I find that you’re able to get more creative with your photos (opposed to the standard selfie or front on angle). You can also spend the time getting the exact shot you want, opposed to keeping your fingers crossed that a stranger doesn’t cut the top of your head off, or completely miss the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Be Natural… poses are so last year
The best photos are those that are captured when someone isn’t paying attention. Mid laugh, exploring the local markets, the list goes on. So throw away your “go to” pose and just be you. Set you camera or phone on timer and walk, dance or have a picnic with a friend. You’ll be amazed at what’s captured when you aren’t strategically posing.
Thanks a lot for these helpful tips! You’re so right, preparation is key! I’m starting to do some “photography research” ahead of trips, so that I already know the kind of pictures I want to take – it makes such a huge difference!
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It really does! I find I’m more efficient this way and can spend less time taking photos and more time enjoying the scenery with eyes.
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Some great tips here. I’ve avoided getting a tripod, but I might have to now. Thanks for the advice. I love your natural looking photos.
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Thanks! You can get small ones that fit into backpacks, that’s what I mainly travel with.
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These are great tips and ones I always struggle with..I just worked with two fab tourism boards and felt like my photos couldve been better..self photography is sooo hard and the posing drives me nuts….all the poses look so fake to me lol…
You did a great job in these photos!!
Valerie
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Yes, I wanna have nice photos to look back on in years to come, so I like to play around with poses etc. The more natural, the better in my opinion.
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Love the photos and tips especially the one about tripods. I definitely think I should be investing in one. I tend not to have any photos of me since I don’t like taking selfies but should give it .a go at using a tripod to include myself in pictures.
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I’m not really a fan of the selfies either, but I love using my tripod. You can really capture the whole scenery as well as yourself.
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Your pictures are all so beautiful. I was looking for something like this for a long time now and I am glad I stumbled upon your post. These are such helpful tips. Small things like researching the destination and getting up at sunrise can make so much difference.
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I’m so glad this is able to help you! 🙂
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Wow thanks for the tips. We normally just take random photos and post them but these are great and will help us a lot!
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Sometimes random pictures turn out better than expected! 🙂
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Poses are so last year! 🙂 Great post with useful tips, love the thought of not blending clothing in with the background.
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I once was wearing an orange dress standing in front of an orange wall…. I just looked like a face and legs haha
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So many great tips here! I think doing research in advance would be the most helpful tip for me because I can’t always think of the perfect positionings in the moment – but if I already had an image in my head, it would be a lot easier to almost just replicate that. You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into this, so thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!
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Yes! So many times, I never knew what to do or where to stand and my photos would turn out awful. After I started pre planning, it made a world of difference 🙂
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Your pics are so nice! I do love getting up early for a good sunrise sesh though – always nice lighting and zero people around!
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Sometimes it’s a struggle getting up so early, but it’s always worth it.
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love the pics!
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thanks so much!
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