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You are here: Home / Workshops / How To Capture Stunning Travel Photos- Part 1

July 24, 2014 by Joel Wolfson 6 Comments

How To Capture Stunning Travel Photos- Part 1

How To Capture Stunning Travel Images:

Tips and Techniques From A Pro

 

by Joel Wolfson

Part 1 of 2

In my last article (Traveling for Photography) I addressed the equipment side of travel photography including how to get your gear to your destination and back safely along with the images.

Now I’d like to share some tips and techniques I’ve developed from years of travel photography. Although most of the images are from my overseas travel you can certainly apply these to domestic travel too. One of the biggest challenges of travel photography is the fact that we are usually limited on time in any one place. We don’t often don’t have the luxury to shoot under ideal lighting, or wait for the right time of day, weather or other conditions. There are a number of ways to increase your rate of successful images in light of these challenges. I’ve also included lots of tips in the captions below the photos.

Good planning

Whether you prefer to be spontaneous or you are a meticulous planner, learning something about the region you’re going to will help your photography during your travels. If you are attending a well planned photography workshop then you will have far more time to concentrate on your images without having to worry about finding locations, navigating in unfamiliar territory, or even waste time trying to find good lodging, meals, etc. If traveling on your own, having done some research ahead of time can help quite a bit.

Why are You Shooting That? 

My goal with every image is to tell a story or convey an emotion or try to show the viewer what it was like to be there. If you make this your goal with every shot you come back with a much higher percentage of great photos. Simply firing the shutter numerous times without thinking about what you’re shooting only yields a larger number of bad shots. Instead think about what compelled you to bring the camera to your eye in the first place and do what you can to convey that.

New Gear for Your Trip

We often use a big trip as a motivation to buy that new camera, lens or tripod. If you’re going to do this, do it long before you go and become thoroughly familiar with it until using it is second nature. Do all this prior to departing for your trip. Otherwise it may prove to be more of a hinderance than a help in coming back with great images. This is particularly true of a new camera. If you don’t have the time then hold off on the purchase- your success rate will be higher with equipment you know well.

It’s All About Light

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshops and Really Fun Tour
While in Tuscany I scouted a great vantage point near my hotel when I arrived and went there for sunrise the next morning. Because I was there for several days I was able to go out on a number of mornings to get just the right combination of morning mist and sweet light.

Without light we can’t make photographs. Let’s first consider the type or quality of light. Sweet light is that magical warm golden light when the sun is coming up or setting. Almost everything looks better in sweet light.

Even though you may only be in a particular area for a day or two, scout around and find an interesting location in your area whether it’s a landscape, architecture, town market or something else. Take a look around for possibilities on angles, lenses you might use, etc. You may even get some great shots during this process but the idea is to find out if your subject will be lit to make use of that golden light of sunrise or sunset. Bring a compass or use an app on your iPhone to figure out where the light will be that evening or the next morning. Remember that if you’re not willing to get up before the sun you’ll miss half your potential opportunities for sweet light.

Also try to plan your days around simply being out and about early and late to increase your chances of being able to use sweet light. You may not be able to do this every day of your trip but if you make a point of it, you will more than likely come back with some some shots you love.

Technology can help too. I use an app on my iPhone that tells me where the sun is at any given time of day and date for any location in the world.

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I not only took advantage of sweet light on this villa but also used an element of visual design to add interest: rythym, which is repetition. Breaks in the repeating forms helps further. And finally the long shadows add a sense of depth and perspective.

Direction of Light

Every great photographer pays attention to the direction of light. Ask yourself where the direction of light is relative to your subject. Side light? Front light? Back light? And is it the best for my subject or should I change my orientation and change that direction of light. Do these grape vines look best lit from the front or should I move around and kneel down below them with light coming through? As a rule, front lighting is the least interesting, side lighting is more interesting and back light is the most interesting (and challenging) of all. We generally need frontal lighting for landscapes so this is why we seek the best type/quality of light which is around sunrise or sunset. One of the reasons we offer photo workshops in Tuscany and Provence is that those two places have a special quality of light that has attracted many of the greatest artists in the world for centuries. Essentially there is a lot of extra sweet light in the afternoon- much earlier in the day than you would see it in most other parts of the world. A little hard to describe so I’d just recommend going there yourself!

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
The Italian village on the Sea (left) is an example of front lighting, For the Tuscan church image (middle) I used light from the side coming through an open door and the vineyard in Le Marche, Italy (right) shows my use of back lighting.

What About Midday Light?

Although we’re thankful for sunny days when we travel, if you take away the golden light hours, most of the day is full of boring flat light with harsh shadows. There are still plenty of opportunities for capturing great photos.

If shooting a broad scene look for some nice clouds in the sky and wait for them to move so you can frame them for a nice composition. If there are no clouds then try to use that vast area of blue as negative space to accentuate your main subject. Along with this look for a different perspective and/or vantage point. Try different lenses and think about other ways of augmenting the image with something as simple as using a different aspect ratio/format such as a panorama, vertical or square. If there’s nice contrast, tone or texture in the scene think about using black and white, and even try extreme or different angles or lenses. It can’t hurt to think about and try several different treatments of the same subject. It sharpens your visualization skills so you can see a final image in your mind’s eye as second nature.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
This classic group of cypress trees was one of my stops while searching shooting locations for an upcoming Tuscany photo workshop. It was midday light but by waiting for the clouds to move over the sun I made use of the dappled light to spotlight the trees while providing some nice clouds and texture in the sky.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Provence Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I arrived at this quintessential hillside town in Provence late morning with less than ideal light. I made use of the contrast in the scene and clouds in the sky by creating it as a black and white image.

 

If the sky isn’t that interesting you can always look for a subject and composition where you minimize or eliminate the sky.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I found this beautiful field of poppies on a backroad near our home base for our Tuscany workshop. Instead of showing a broader landscape with what was a boring sky at noontime this day- I used the rolling hills as a backdrop and negative space to accentuate the field of poppies. I also used a telephoto lens to compress the perspective making the field of poppies look closer to the hills.

 

Another idea is to go the opposite way from a broad scene and shoot smaller parts of a scene, perhaps architectural details or close-up shots.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Sicily Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
In the middle of the day I was checking a seaside town for our Villages of Sicily Photo Workshop. There weren’t really any good opportunities for broad village scenes so I focused on the colorful paint used on the homes and buildings with this architectural snippet. I just made use of rectangles and color.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Sicily Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I was checking out a winery and vineyard for our Sicily workshop. It was mid afternoon and due to the lackluster sky and background I chose to tell the story of the vineyard at harvest time with a small detail shot of just one bunch of grapes on the vines.

 

If you don’t like the light outside go inside. You can shoot inside a church or cool little shop or create a portrait of someone inside.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
This church is very popular and always full of people. Rather than get frustrated by the swarms of people I went to a less crowded area where people were lighting candles. I put my camera on top of a pew to keep it steady for a long exposure. With the 5 second exposure I created a sense of motion and told a little story while showing the beautiful interior.

 

If it’s Stormy or Overcast- be patient and be ready

Stormy days can be great for landscapes or broad scenes because you can get some really dramatic skies or even rainbows. Just be prepared for inclement weather with a raincoat and a way to keep your camera dry. Be patient because when there are stormy skies you might get some great spot lighting or a bright scene against a dark background.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Provence Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
While scouting for our Villages of Provence Photo Workshop we hit unusually rainy weather. I used the fog and rain to create a timeless and ethereal feel to this small town square in southern France.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Sicily Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
Patience paid off when I arrived at a seaside village on the Cyclops Coast that is a destination for our Sicily workshop. It was overcast and intermittently stormy. I just waited for a break in the clouds and the left rock formation got a spotlight of diffuse sunlight. Framed against the stunning clouds and sky made for a dramatic image of these formations.

 

Don’t figure the day is a bust if it’s just plain gray, overcast or raining. It provides another type or quality of light: Diffuse light. That’s a great time to get some moody shots, eliminate harsh shadows, or shoot photos of people.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Tuscany Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I embraced the rainy day by trying to capture the mood of the wet empty streets with a sole pedestrian braving the rain under his umbrella. Using black and white helps emphasize the grayness.

 

**Expanded Section**

Move In, Them Move In Some More 

I’ve done a lot of critique and review sessions while conducting destination workshops over the years. The number one area I see for improvement is for folks to move in closer to their main subject. A good rule of thumb is to do your best to make sure everything in your photo has a reason for being there. Examine the whole frame before you shoot and just compose as tightly as possible for your main subject. When you see a beautiful scene or intriguing subject it’s easy to neglect the other elements in the viewfinder because you’re concentrating on what interests you. Below is a typical example.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Provence Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
I took a wrong turn in rural Provence while scouting for a workshop. I ended up at this beautiful area with a large field of wheat grass, poppies, forest and mountains. Trying to capture it all in one shot is just too much and doesn’t provide a very concise feel of the scene. Finding a nice stand of poppies, moving in and using a longer lens helped.

 

Joel Wolfson Photography Villages of Provence Photography Workshop and Really Fun Tour turn-key inclusive package for non-photo travel companions food wine lodging private drivers guides locals
However the real feel of the scene and the best shot was getting down low so the shadow of the woods provides a dark backdrop for the brilliant red poppies.

 

In this first part of my two part series on travel photography I’ve offered some tips and techniques I’ve learned and used over the years to deal with different lighting conditions and weather we inevitably encounter while traveling. I’ve also offered a number of tips through examples of my images with explanations.

 

Part 2, Capturing the Culture  looks at shooting at night, markets and food, thinking outside of the box, and photographing people.

 

You can sign up for my newsletter here (I’ll notify you of articles and workshops)

 

Filed Under: Articles, Learning, Photo Tips and Techniques, Travel, Workshops

« Traveling for Photography (updated April 2015)
How To Capture Stunning Travel Photos (Part 2) »

Comments

  1. Denny Thomson says

    July 30, 2014 at 8:09 am

    In this blog you mentioned an app on your iPhone that tells you where the sun is at any given time of day and date for any location in the world. That is so valuable.

    Could you please tell me the name of this app?

    Thanks again for your latest blog.

    Denny

    Reply
  2. Tom France says

    August 8, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    I would like the iphone app info that describes where the sun is at any time of the day date for any location in the world
    Thanks.
    Tom

    Reply
    • Joel Wolfson says

      August 26, 2014 at 8:01 am

      Hi Tom,
      It’s called LightTrac and should be available on iTunes. It works on both iPhone and iPad. I think it’s a little easier to use on the iPad.

      Reply
  3. Marv Ten Broeke says

    August 25, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    Joel, some how l missed your article on what lens and equipment you suggest. Can you resubmit to me? Thanks
    in advance.

    Marv

    Reply
    • Joel Wolfson says

      September 20, 2014 at 6:48 am

      Hi Marv, Sure. Here’s the link. Thanks for reading the articles! -Joel

      Reply
  4. Joel Wolfson says

    September 20, 2014 at 6:51 am

    Several people have asked about the iPhone/iPad app I use to track the sun (and moon). It’s called LightTrac. It also works with Android and Windows. Here’s the website https://www.lighttracapp.com. Thanks all for coming to my blog! -Joel

    Reply

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