Are you going on a trip and need travel photography tips, but you don’t have a professional camera? Worry not! We have compiled some of the best travel photography tips for those who use a phone to capture moments. Let’s take a look!
Travel Photography Tips for Capturing Moments On-the-Go
1. Select a Phone with a Good Camera
A phone with a good camera works wonders. Choose a phone that has a good camera. Check the specifications for flash options, higher megapixels, and ones with an extensive manual mode for experimenting with photography. See if your phone has a wide-angle camera for better shots and capturing everything in one frame. Brands like Apple and OnePlus have good cameras for photo opportunities. In the realm of travel photography tips, choosing a good phone with a good camera is the prominent tip.
2. Consider Adding Clip-On Lenses and Other Accessories
If your phone camera doesn’t have a wide-angle lens, consider buying a clip-on lens for those amazing wide-angle shots. Shooting with hands can make the image shaky. To avoid that, you can choose to use tripods to add stability to the pictures. If you’re concerned about lighting issues, try getting a ring light with you. Ring lights also come with tripods, and you can buy them online and offline.
3. Utilize the ‘Pro’ or Manual Mode
Using the manual mode is one of the best travel photography tips. Manual mode allows you to capture every detail just how it looks and not just how the normal camera shows it to be. It expands the horizons of phone photography. As you travel to new places, you will come across different settings – mountains, beaches, clubs, high light, low light and more. The manual mode makes it easy to capture everything just as it looks to the human eye. Play with the shutter speed, ISO, and more!
4. Consider Using Different Photography Modes
Apart from the pro mode, today’s phones are also equipped with modes like portrait mode and macro mode. You can play with them to get the perfect shot. Use the panoramic mode to capture a beautiful skyline or the sun setting over the snow-capped Himalayas. Macro mode allows you to experiment with photographs of details like water droplets and dandelions. Experiment with these modes!
5. Use the Rule-of-Thirds Method
The Rule-of-Thirds is a method used by professional photographers to focus on the subject of the photo. Mostly, we use central focus and keep the subject ( e.g., a flower or a person) in the centre of the picture. Experiment with the rule of thirds and put the subject in one of the four corners of the photo to capture the subject as well as the beauty of the tourist place surrounding it.
6. Use Leading Lines
Leading lines are the grids your phone makes over the camera to help you get a clear picture of the stability of your photo and the position of your subject. Utilize that to keep your phone straight and subject in the proper place for the perfect photo. A stability option will also be there in your phone that will help you know if your phone is straight or titled. Switch it on for better pictures!
7. Experiment with Different Perspectives
Try different perspectives. You can try horizontal shots or vertical shots. Vertical shots tend to add less to the frame but can be aesthetic if used correctly and will make for amazing Instagram stories or reels. You can also try wide-angle shots to capture everything that’s around you or a close-up shot for more details and to focus only on the subject.
8. Consider Lighting Conditions
Consideration of lighting is one of the most important travel photography tips. Lighting plays a major role in how your photograph turns out to be. Lighting varies with location. If you’re going out on night treks, there will be low lighting, and you will need to use manual mode on your camera for a clear picture. During the day, you will have to consider where the shadows are and where the sun rays are falling for a better picture. Better light means better pictures, and sunlight is the best lighting you can use. If you want to create better lighting, use a ring light or reflective aluminium foil! Or, if you can’t help the low light, go to the pro mode and experiment with the modes to create a ‘bokeh’ effect!
9. Consider Photographing when there are Fewer Crowds
Crowds tend to hamper your photography expedition. There will be many times your perfect picture will be photobombed by some random person just moving across the camera. Consider photographing in a less crowded situation. That way, you can click many photos without hindrances and photobombs. You won’t have to take many shots of the same place to avoid the people coming into your photographs or changing the angle of the picture not to capture the crowd.
10. Capture Local Moments and Details
Any place that a tourist visit has been made and maintained by the locals. Don’t forget to capture the local moments and details that you see. Capture the local life, people having fun moments or going about their day. It’s a great way to show the world the local life of the place and preserve it as well. Capture details like souvenirs, kids, animals and customs of the place.
11. Respect Privacy and Local Customs
Don’t photograph the people directly without their consent. Ask for consent and respect their privacy. In many parts of the country, photographing the women or temples of the place is not allowed. Be mindful of that and respect these customs.
12. Use Backup
Backup apps and the like will help you in the long run. Always keep a backup of your pictures in case you lose them or have to delete them from storage if your phone is full. A backup will help you restore your photographs.
13. Save Your Photos to Cloud Storage
Save your photos to cloud storage for better access. You can upload the pictures to a cloud storage and access them on your laptop when you need to see them clearly or edit them on the go! Cloud storage will also help you save storage on your phone for high-quality pictures.
14. Be Prepared for Unexpected Photo Opportunities
Travelling is a dynamic process, and you cannot meticulously plan every moment of it. There will be unexpected moments on your trip that you have to be prepared to photograph. You never know when you get to see a rare bird that you will need to photograph. Keep your camera ready!
15. Capture Candid Moments
Candid moments add authenticity to your photographs. Take as many candid pictures as you can while travelling! Taking candid pictures when travelling saves real moments that represent true feelings and experiences. Travelling is beautiful when it’s captured in unposed photos; candids capture the spirit of the trip. These unplanned photos capture the journey genuinely and vividly, adding depth and realism to the vacation memories. They also convey a tale that is more honest and captivating.
16. Use Long Exposure
Play with long exposure on the manual mode of the phone camera. Long exposure provides a different perspective to the photographs. Play with it to capture the magic. You can use a flashlight to write your name in the air and capture it with long exposure!
17. Use Shadows and Reflections
Shadows and reflections add depth to the pictures. Play with them to add depth to the picture.
18. Capture Local Cuisine and Colours
Capture the delicious local food and street food for a pop of colour and taste. You will get to see many different food items from what you usually have, and you must keep the memories with you. It is one of the best travel photography tips.
19. Capture the Journey, Not Just the Destination
The journey is more important than the destination. Capture every moment of it to save it in your memories and storage. Capture every detail meticulously, experimenting with the angles and exposure. Click your transport, food, accommodation and everything! It will also indulge in a practice of photography that will keep polishing with every picture you click.
20. Tell a Story
Telling a story in a picture is a tough task, even for professional photographers. A picture says a thousand words – try to capture that. Try capturing local stories in your pictures as best as you can and polish your skills.
Editing Pictures like a Pro
Editing pictures is an integral part of travel photography tips. To better your pictures, add a touch of editing. It is a great way to enhance dull pictures.
1. Use Phone Apps
Many apps provide photo editing options on the next level. You can play with the exposure, contrast, saturation and more on a picture and also add embellishments like doodles and emoticons. Use them to enhance your pictures. Some popular apps include Snapseed, Picart, VSCO and Adobe Photoshop.
2. Adjust Colour Balance, Exposure and Contrast
A simple adjustment goes a long way. Adjust the sharpening, structure, exposure and contrast of your pictures to add more depth, colour and light to them. You can play with the saturation as well for a pop of colour or reduce the colour completely. Highlights and shadows add more depth to the pictures. Try doing everything in a picture and save what suits you!
3. Create a Theme
Edit the photos of one trip according to a colour theme – vintage brown, vibrant green, or calming blue. Make sure every picture you have to post on social media has one colour each. Play with presets in Adobe Lightroom or VSCO to get the perfect theme. You can play with the tints in an editing app to get the colour theme you need.
4. Use Filters and Presets
Presets and filters enhance your pictures and make them look more aesthetic. Use them sparingly, and don’t overdo it to keep the authenticity of your pictures. You can find filters and presets on many apps like Snapchat, Snapseed, Instagram, VSCO and more.
Conclusion
This was a list of the best travel photography tips. Use them all and see how your pictures stand out from the crowd. Photograph every moment of your trip to save it on your phone as well as your memories. Happy photographing your travels!
