Alpha Photography Blog

Photography and travel - they are a perfect match!

It can be a little overwhelming travelling, carrying equipment, keeping an eye on your surroundings, and if you have kids, keeping 3 eyes out for them (don’t forget that one in the back of your head…).

But, imagine travelling all that way and not collecting any visual memories? For many, that isn’t a choice. So, here are a few tips on maximising your time, and making sure that you capture the essence of your holiday.

Take your camera everywhere - you never know when a fantastic opportunity will present itself.

Lens cap - your lens is the most important part of your camera (after the camera body itself, of course), so keep the lens cap on when not taking photos. This will also ensure you don’t scratch or dirty the lens. Even if you’re using a protective filter over the lens, you don’t want to ruin the filter and risk your lens, or try to find another filter overseas.

Be aware of the weather conditions:

• Snow/cold - keep in mind that battery power is greatly reduced in cold weather, so keep a spare handy, and be careful you don’t get moisture in your lens;
• Extreme heat - cameras don’t like temperature extremes, so try and keep your camera out of direct sunlight, and when not using it, put it in your camera bag;
• Dust/wind - even if your camera has a dust reduction function, don’t try and test it out too much. Getting dust in your camera is like getting sand from the beach in your bag - it just always seems to be there. So, again, keep your camera in its bag when not in use;
• Humidity - any extreme weather condition is not the friend of a camera. So, keep your camera in its bag when you’re not using it, and it’s an idea to keep some form of moisture control (i.e. a small bag of resin) inside your camera bag - just to be sure.

Be respectful of local customs and traditions. Some cultures don’t like having their people or sacred buildings photographed. Do some research before you leave home, to find out what their views are on photography. You don’t want to insult anyone, or worse, have people harass you about taking a photo.

Research - typically you’ll have limited time in a place, and there’ll be heaps of sights to see. To maximise your time, look into what the best sights are, and the best times of day to visit - this will help you get an even better photo than others who just take the photo for the sake of it. In later posts I’ll go through some of my favourite cities to photograph around the world and what I consider the best times of day to take photographs of various sights.

What to look for:

• Kids playing in the street;
• Older locals gathering to chat in the street;
• Vendors and food stalls;
• Interesting buildings (it doesn’t matter if they’re not famous);
• Markets;
• Bold colors;
• Dramatic skies over an expansive landscape;
• Dead trees with an alive landscape; and
• Traditional landmarks (you couldn’t go to Paris and not photograph the Eiffel Tower…).

These are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing. If you’re travelling with friends/family who aren’t as photography minded as yourself, it may be an idea to take some time out (early in the morning, or in the afternoon) to go and explore.  It’s much more relaxing taking photos when you don’t have someone waiting for you to hurry, and ‘just take the shot’…

Travelling opens up your horizon, and photography gives you a different perspective and ‘eye’ of the world. Combine these two and you’ll create some truly special results!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS