Top Ten Travel Photography Tips

Here are 10 easy tips to getting the best travel photography on your next trip

1. Research your location – Use search engines to select interesting points and use google earth to pick the best photo spots. If you have a tablet you can also download apps to give you positions for the sun and moon for any location at a specific point. Take a trip to your local book store or library to see what kind of shots other people are getting.
2. Don’t Rush – Make sure your schedule gives you enough time for the type of pictures you like to take. If you are booking a group tour check the itinerary allows for enough photography, cruises and coach tours might not be a good option as a large volume of guests arrive at the same time and departure times are fixed. Small tours of 6-8 guests will give you more flexibility while still including local expertise and professional instruction if it’s a photo tour.
3. Take copies of all your camera receipts in case you get asked by customs. It might seem like a waste of time but it will save you a lot of red tape especially in developing countries. If you have a laptop or tablet you can scan the document as well as your passport and travelers cheques. Using a cloud service will give you an extra level of protection but be sure to password protect/encrypt the folder.
4. Make sure you have protection from the elements dependent on your location (blower brush for sand, waterproof bags for rain, etc) some housing are quite cheap and will save you thousands in repair costs. You can also check for repair and rental services at your destination point. Avoid changing lenses in dusty areas and take advantage of the in built chip cleaning options that many cameras have.
5. Instead of taking large memory cards use a selection of smaller 20 gig cards. This is to avoid losing all you images if your cards are lost, stolen or damaged (it happens, even to professionals) some of the newer DSLRs also allow for in camera copies to be saved to separate cards. If you are storing copies while on the move keep them in different places (camera bag, over night bag, etc).
6. Take extra batteries and if you have space a light weight tripod. Additional items such as a notepad, torch and multipurpose tool can come in handy.
7. Put together a back up process – laptop, ipod, etc whatever works for you. At exposure tours we offer a complementary back up service at all locations. On completion of the tour you receive a portable hard drive that you can take home.

Before you Go:

While your away:

8 Be Flexible – get up early or stay late to get shots with less people. This is especially important in urban centers and when you want to capture some unique perspectives. Check timings for public and private transportation and arrange overnight accommodation if you have to.

9. Respect the people and culture of the place you are visiting. Be especially mindful of what you are wearing and the people you are photographing. It’s well worth researching some of these issues before you travel.

10. Use accessories such as filters sparingly. The same goes for post production treatments such as HDR, unless your whole portfolio is built around this specific style of shooting.

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