How to Take Better Travel Photos

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  1. Katie says:

    Great post with a fresh perspective on advice for travel photography! I find that these kinds of lists are so often redudant and, really, kind of lazy — this one’s not at all! I’ve been shooting in manual for years but am still working on upping my technical game. Saving this post!

  2. Alana Morgan says:

    Thanks for reading, Katie – this post certainly has a bit of personality πŸ˜‰

  3. Flora says:

    Fantastic post! And thanks for the push of experiment – I really need to leap into the manual setting more often :p

  4. Karen says:

    Very interesting take on photography & life in general. Take your time & be present – great advice for many things

  5. Cest La Vibe says:

    Nice tips, especially the one about keeping your f-stop low.

  6. Brooke Mure says:

    Any suggestions for not too expensive/portable cameras that would be good for traveling with?! πŸ™‚

    • Alana Morgan says:

      Good question…it depends on what your budget is and what types of photos you’ll be taking. Before I got my DSLR I used the Canon PowerShot G16. You can get cheaper point and shoots, but it took some of the best pictures possible without having a DSLR and fancy lenses.

  7. Alexandra says:

    This is a great post. I’m trying my hardest to learn about photography right now! If I may give a piece of constructive criticism without being rude, I think you have to many featured stories scrolling on your home screen. I counted 33 in all. I noticed because one flashed by and I was like “ooh I want to read that” and then after going through about ten I was like “jeez where is it?” I think 4 or 5 would of your best/favorite/newest would be a better amount.

  8. great post! I’m almost trying to learn more about it and this post it’s easy and good to read πŸ™‚ thanks for the tips

  9. Amen. Thanks for reminding people to take unique angles. I needed the reminder too. πŸ™‚

  10. Marc says:

    Good tips and appreciate it. I always never follow the conventional way to take pictures and try my best to capture the feelings. Always follow the light is a must.

  11. Thank you for this. I struggle with photos – and have always preferred words, but as a blogger I need to do both. These tips will come in handy.

  12. Helen Chik says:

    Love this post Alana! I need to do my own for fashion photography!

    I’m trying to plan another trip to Thailand ASAP! Miss you! xxx

    Helen xx

  13. Sbo says:

    I enjoyed the post, and the will surely use the simple tips given.
    Thank you

  14. Eden says:

    Muchas gracias senorita! I’m no professional photographer, but I have always loved and enjoyed capturing just about anything no matter where I am and after some research I’ve decided to pursue photography more seriously.

    These tips are welcomed, received

    Thanks for sharing.

  15. Nicky says:

    Finding your own angle is soooo important. Thanks for the reminder!

  16. Robert says:

    Some great advice for us amateur photographers. I’ve recently purchased a new iphone6+ and having a great time with experimenting with the camera, particularly night shots. I like your advice on keeping things simple and looking outside the box!

  17. Mumun says:

    Some awesome tips. I love your tips about not capturing everything. After sometime, I realized this was the truth and great photographers weren’t the ones that took the most photos, but the ones that understood the right moment.

    That IPAD guys is weird.

    Will keep this in mind for my next voyage with my camera.

  18. Pat W says:

    Always great to be reminded that photographs are to be reminders of traveling, not the total experience. F-stop reminder is much appreciated.

  19. Anea says:

    I just came across your blog for the first time and I absolutely love it! Thanks for sharing this post. I’m quite new to travel photography and so this post was a big help!

  20. tim fisher says:

    Not what I expected nor anticipated, so a thumbs-up.

    Maybe buy at least one fast, f1.4 (?) lens, be it 35, 50 or 85mm, you will never look back?

    Composition – lighting – timing

    Not always interlinking, but fundamental.

    Practice composition without a camera, most of the finest photographers recommend this discipline.

    Get used to the hours before both dawn and sundown. After 9am, the sun is so strong, the colours cold – it is time for a siesta.

    There are many genres of photography but never, ever, pass up an opportunity to visit galleries, especially national / regional ones and view the paintings.

    Count your own progress relative to the numbers of hours you spend viewing photographic and paintings in galleries – they really are that interlinked and no, the internet is not a viable substitute (unless you are house-bound or in such a remote location that it’s the last resort).

    Read and view everything HCB – he of The Decisive Moment – ever said or photographed.

    LensCulture – this is the website to visit, as is the annual Sony and the World Press Awards. Try the BJP-online too for more inspiration.

  21. Nancy Miller says:

    I do not have anything but a point & shoot Nikon. I am beginning to travel more & feel frustrated that I don’t have more “control”. Any suggestions on cameras for novices? I mostly take photos of gardens & architecture which I make into cards & send to friends.
    Loved your “in the moment” piece. I recently visited l’Orangerie in Paris & was dismayed to see a gentleman taking a photo of every single painting without actually looking at them with his bare eyes!
    Thank you

    • Alana Morgan says:

      I take a lot of photos, but it bugs me too when I see people just snapping away at everything without really looking at the scene or soaking up where they are! You can find some of the cameras and gear I use in this post: http://www.paper-planes.co/best-travel-photography-gear/ Before I got my DSLR (which is just an entry-level one, I’m still a novice too) I used the Canon G16 which is still a point and shoot but allowed you quite a bit of control and was really good at macro shots, like for flowers. Hope that helps a little!

  22. Billy says:

    Excellent tips. I need to work on a lot of these. I love the low F-stop one!

  23. Leo says:

    Maybe nice advices, but poor post-processing.
    How about to make full contrast and good color correction?

  24. Shooting in manual was a game changer for me.. easy to learn, takes a lot more time to master! Definitely worth all its effort though!

  25. Found your blog on Pinterest and I love it! I’m always looking for tips and tricks to improve my travel photography and these were very helpful! Thanks so much for sharing!

  26. fantastic post and tips!

  27. Lynn says:

    This is honestly one of the best posts I’ve read on the subject. The reminder to step away from the camera once in a while and enjoy what’s going on around me was very much neededβ€”I tend to get so caught up in the mindset of ‘how will I present this moment on my blog’ that I forget to actually enjoy the moment. πŸ™

  28. Lisa says:

    I just got my first serious camera and I find this post soso useful! Thank you for sharing!
    Also, Happy to have found your blog! I love the layout, the style the content…everything! Looking forward to following you πŸ™‚

    Lisa

  29. Frida Ode says:

    Great post that gave me a lot of new inspiration! Thank you!

  30. jessica says:

    i’m looking for a new camera to take better pictures but these tips are very helpfull thank you!!

  31. KES says:

    Love the advice! Can’t wait to try out some of these tips πŸ™‚

  32. My husband and I are taking our first big trip around the world this summer and we want to take a lot of great pictures, so I am glad I found this article! You make a great point that you should follow the light and take pictures around sunrise and sunset to avoid midday shadows and avoid crowds during your photos. Also, we will make sure to keep it simple because we want the pictures to reflect the real memories of the trip and bring joy as well look back at them in the future.

  33. Thank-you for including the part about respecting your subjects. It’s amazing how often that is forgotten…

  34. These are super useful tips that I will mosr definitely be trying!

  35. I loved this article and new perspectives on getting creative with travel photography — much needed. I adored that photo of the two young boys. Thank you! πŸ™‚

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