Travel and Photography Once photography has engulfed your mind and it has become a lasting, unshakeable impression on your thoughts you are probably ready to then go in search of new delights. Once composition has become second nature to your vision and your enthusiasm towards experimentation has over come your desire to sit at home and do nothing. You are more than likely ready for new adventures, your passion for creating fantastically amazing imagery is ready to be fulfilled, you are ready for new subjects, new lands and new cultures. Travelling should never be done alone, your camera should accompany you everywhere, I tend to have a compact in the glove box to capture anything worth shooting whilst out and about. Any major journeys I then go better prepared, photography does not often wait for you, its a case of either waiting for the right light or being in the right place at the right time. Often patience is needed but when your visiting new places it is best to explore your destination especially when your out to capture the very visions that motivate you to have that heavy thing round your neck. The world is a very beautiful place, even the not so striking has its hidden depths and what is good for somebody may not be for somebody else. You have to go in search of your own tastes and get the best out of your own photography using your own ability but be inspired by everything around you. The world is your playground within financial reason, yes that old chestnut it all comes down to cost and this hindrance can prevent a lot of artist finding their spots of inspiration. Travelling to distant lands can be costly but holidays are your best chance to begin with, remember to pack your camera even if your going cross country for a business conference you never know what you might find. |  Sourced from freeimages.co.uk |
 Sourced from freeimages.co.uk | Be cautious when you take your camera out and remember to take note of exactly where you are wondering as camera gear is not cheap and without going into too much detail unsavoury characters may acquire your prize passions by force. On a lighter note the images that you capture whilst your out and about will act as memories as well as works of art depending on what you decide to do with them. Right lets get down to some great outdoor tips and tricks. Photography is a skill and by that I mean there is a certain way a picture needs to be taken that transforms it from being a point and click snap shot to a well composited piece of art. It is advisable that your work is original so when your visiting a well photographed landmark you need to assess the area and the lay of the land. Look at the many angles in which the subject can be taken, look at the foreground, the background and the middle ground. A good example of how not to do it is by describing the Taj Mahal which is possibly one of the most photographed sites in the world. However the image we often get of this building is it face on, symmetrical though elegant it maybe its a composition that has been done many times. Its up to you to break that mould and look at other angles, other spots to capture your subjects beauty. |
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It is advisable that your work is original so when your visiting a well photographed landmark you need to assess the area and the lay of the land. Look at the many angles in which the subject can be taken, look at the foreground, the background and the middle ground. A good example of how not to do it is by describing the Taj Mahal which is possibly one of the most photographed sites in the world. However the image we often get of this building is it face on, symmetrical though elegant it maybe its a composition that has been done many times. Its up to you to break that mould and look at other angles, other spots to capture your subjects beauty.
Remember if its been done before then why copy it? You need to be original, find your own spots, your own landmarks and put your own stamp on photography. The world is an infinite place of tastes and desires, you just have to focus and find them.
Another tip is to wear trousers that your don't mind getting dirty. Its a common fault when your looking through an inexperinced photo album because your able to tell how tall the photographer is because every image is taken at their standing height. when your out you need to remember these two rules 'get down low' or 'get up high' generally most out door photography is taken whist on your knees or possibly even whist laying down, subjects look better in my humble opinion if they are taken from a lower position slightly peering up at them or it.
To capture the culture and the behaviour of people in foreign lands you need to get amongst them, learn about their way of life and become a breeze that floats amongst them. You need to become it, smell it and feel it your lens is your only eye and it needs to soak up the whole mood or at least the mood your looking for. Having an idea of how you want the image to look will also help. A scene may look better in monochrome for example but you need to spot this whilst your out and about, calculating all the possibilities and compositions as you unearth new territories.
A last note to consider, many buildings and popular land marks are in fact copyrighted so be cautious when photographing them to make money. Make sure you get permission from the owner of the site, in most cases you will get authority to do so however the more creative you are the better chance you have. You could also let the owners have copies of your images for future brochures and publications as a bargaining chip for you being able to profit from them too.
