Travel Photography

Most people inwardly groan when their friends ask them to look at their vacation pictures. Most travel and vacation photographs are only of interest to the person who took them and to family members who were the subjects of the photographs. (Here’s little Johnny eating an ice cream cone in Paris.) But travel and vacation photography doesn’t have to be boring to those who weren’t there if you do it right.

Scenery photographs: Most amateur photographers just point and shoot without regard for light and shadow. Consequently, most scenic photographs are poor quality and don’t do justice to the landscape that was photographed. The best time to take scenery photographs is near sunrise and sunset. Use a wide-lens camera of take several narrow shots.

Food photographs: Food shots can be interesting, but only if the food is local cuisine that is interesting and unusual. Everybody knows what a hamburger looks like.

Local market photographs: At some vacation destinations, there are local markets where you can take some very interesting photographs. Concentrate on taking pictures of stalls, merchants and unusual merchandise for sale.

Local people photographs: Don’t make your family or travel companions the only people that you photograph. You know what they look like, and so does everybody else. Take pictures of the locals doing what they ordinarily do. People working, children playing, local police, and firemen will all make for interesting travel and vacation photographs.

Your vacation and travel pictures are, of course, intended to serve as personal reminders and mementoes of the fun that you had but, if you do it right, you can also sell really terrific travel shots. If you’re good at photography and take photographs that are interesting, you can even offset much of the cost of your trip by selling the photos that you take.

Travel Photography