MIX IT UP
Rather than sticking to photographing places, buildings, and things as a whole, look for new angles or perspectives.
You can see here that I photographed this beautiful pineapple field on Oahu with the sun and mountains in the back ground, but, from afar, the pineapple gets lost. Move closer or zoom to get a closer look at the pineapple or for new textures.
I also like to photograph details of buildings from new perspectives. Here, I photographed One World Trade Center as a whole, but also captured the detailing of the building with a close up shot looking up to the sky on the edge of the building.
There are so many ways to mix things up with photography. Get creative when photographing. This way you’re photos will stand out, and you’ll notice details you otherwise wouldn’t see.
Make Note of Photos to Take
When I travel somewhere new, I like to make mental, and sometimes even physical note, of photographs I want to take. Perhaps it is of something simple like my watch at the time we land or of a menu at a special restaurant. Other times it is something major that I don’t want to forget about in the moment. My list may look something like this:
- Our boarding pass & plane.
- The clouds while flying.
- Our luggage.
- Hotel room details.
- The sunset/sunrise.
- Me with a particular site/building.
- Brooklyn Bridge cables.
- Empire State Building with telescope from Top of the Rock.
- Road signs on the Hana Highway.
- Seashells I collect on the beach.
The list varies by locale, and it isn’t always cut and dry. I also don’t always follow a list at all. Having photos in mind does help me to not take too many photos and just focus on the details I want to capture.
Get in Front of the Camera
Don’t forget to get in front of the camera. While you’re busy photographing everyone else and the places to see and things to do, it is easy to forget to have someone take photos of you and you with your travel companions as well. You’ll end up coming home with no photographs showing that you were actually there! Don’t be afraid to stop a stranger to ask for a photo, or to have your travel companion take your photo with that perfect sunset. The only photo you’ll regret is the one you didn’t take.
Options + Batteries
Bring camera options and battery back up. Typically while traveling, we spend our days out and about away from the hotel room, so it is super important for me to bring battery back up should my phone run out of battery. With a power block, I can hold my phone, plug it in, and have the power block tucked away in my bag.
I also bring my DSLR camera with zoom lens when I’ll be photographing animals, landscapes, and/or from atop buildings. I can capture images with better zoom quality as I never use my phone camera’s zoom.
Live in the Moment
My number one rule/tip that I follow when photographing our travels is to live in the moment! Don’t get so caught up trying to get the perfect photograph that you forget to enjoy the moment, really take in what you are looking at, and experience it!
Perfect example? When whale watching, it was easy to get keep my sights behind my camera lens waiting for whales to pop up so I could get the perfect shot and proof that I saw whales in the wild! Problem with that? You don’t see them with your own eyes!! You just experience it through a camera, a photo. Meaning, you might as well had stayed home and searched the internet for whale photos. Put your camera down, and see it with your own eyes! So how did I get this blurry photo? I just held the camera in the general vicinity of the water, clicked away, and hoped for the best without ever looking at the camera itself. This way, if I got photos, great! If not, I had the experience! I lived seeing these beautiful creatures with my very own eyes!
I know these are very simple tips and tricks, but these are my go-to rules to follow. I hope these will help you remember what’s important when photographing your adventures.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. See you back later this week for more on NYC.
