How To Capture Stunning Travel Photos (Part 2) | Joel Wolfson Photographic Artist

Capturing The Culture

©Wolfson_BLOG_Travel_Pt3_500px_01 — While scouting for a workshop in Italy I happened upon this elderly woman getting fresh produce delivered to her through her window. When she saw me I smiled, said “Posso?” (“May I” in Italian”) pointing to my camera and she obliged holding up her fava beans and smiling. Even though she posed it is a great example of capturing a little vignette of the region. The shutters and stone window sill place it as old world European and the fava beans are a favorite of this region of Italy- not to mention a great face and smile.

In my last two articles (Traveling for Photography and How To Capture Stunning Travel Images- Part 1) I addressed equipment, logistics, gear lists, and how to deal with the various types of light and weather conditions, and other tips for capturing great travel images.

For this part of my travel photography series I want to concentrate on capturing the culture while creating compelling images. We travel to experience places, people and food that are different from where we live. Here are some ways to convey what we experience through our photography.

Photographing People

I think the most important principle in photographing people is to be respectful whether or not the person is initially aware that they are being photographed. Your smile goes a long way as does asking permission in their language. As I mentioned in Traveling for Photography this can just be the simple phrase “May I?” and pointing to your camera. If someone tells me they don’t want their picture taken, I don’t. Also if the person you are photographing isn’t aware of it but becomes aware of it, be sure to smile, wave and say thank you.

Here's an example of directly engaging my subject. In this case the little boy found me and my camera humorous and entertaining yet didn't want to leave the security of his mother, huddled between her body and arm and hanging on to her hand. This photo is all about gesture and the pure joy of this little boy — Here’s an example of directly engaging my subject. In this case the little boy found me and my camera humorous and entertaining yet didn’t want to leave the security of his mother, huddled between her body and arm and hanging on to her hand. This photo is all about gesture and the pure joy from this toddler.

If traveling to a foreign country it pays to do some research about the culture ahead of time to find out if there are any taboos,customs, or even regulations regarding taking photographs of people, people in places of worship, etc.

I’ve found that most of the time people are amenable or even flattered that you want to photograph them. If someone gives you permission, make the most of it. You don’t want to take too much time but do take the time to try a few different shots. For example someone might have a great face and you want to do a very tight shot of just their face but also try some variations moving in and out or zooming, integrating the environment to provide a context for the viewer. You can try detail shots that help say something about that person or people such as the hands, feet, or hair. Try both verticals and horizontals. Even try group portraits or candids.

I found these stairs in a main square of a village in Sicily where there were a lot of people coming and going. I just waited for things to happen- one of which was a nice moment with this father and his son sharing some lunch. Aside from a nice moment- the man, his attire and the old stone steps let the viewer know this is in Italy — I found these stairs in a main square of a village in Sicily where there were a lot of people coming and going. I just waited for things to happen- one of which was a nice moment with this father and his son sharing some lunch. Aside from capturing spontaneous interaction- the man, his attire and the old stone steps give the viewer an idea of location.

Find out about local events such as festivals, competitions, sporting events, parades, and such. These can provide great opportunities for interesting shots.

Markets and Food

I was scouting for our Provence workshop in southern France. The presentation, as in most European countries is always beautiful. What really struck me in this scene was that the shirts being worn by both the vendor and the customer match the colors of the spices. I just had to wait for a gesture to make it a bit more engaging. Notice I got very close with a very wide angle lens to create a lead-in using the colorful display of spices. — I was scouting for our Provence workshop in southern France. The presentation, as in most European countries is always beautiful. Although the spices are in the foreground and grab the viewers attention at first, what drew me to this particular scene was that the shirts being worn by both the vendor and the customer match the colors of the spices. This allowed me to offer the viewer something of interest as they travel back into the scene. I waited for some interaction between the vendor and customer before capturing the image. Notice that I got very close with a wide angle lens to create a visual lead-in using the colorful display of spices.

Most villages, towns and cities have markets where food, wares and artwork are sold. This can be a great way to capture some of the local culture. Try photographing the food in restaurants and shops. The food alone can help describe the culture, country or place you in. These can be broader shots or details.

Here is a simple close-up of some olives at a market in Provence, France. Even with something simple like this we can see from the variety and the care in presentation that this is likely an area where the locals really love olives. They even *look* delectable.

Nighttime

We often put our cameras away after the sun sets but think about going out and shooting at night. Because architecture varies with different regions it can be a great way to illustrate the feel of a place. You can shoot one part of a building or a whole cityscape. Sometimes you can incorporate people in your shots as well. Bring a small flashlight so you can see how to set your camera. And of course bring a tripod and shutter release to handle the long exposures that are often necessary for night shots.

This is one of my favorite places in the town where I hold my Villages of Tuscany workshop. It's a courtyard of a centuries old convent that is now a hotel. At night there are very few people and the lighting along with the moon through a misty sky adds drama to the feel of it. — This is one of my favorite places in the town where I hold my Villages of Tuscany workshop. It’s a courtyard of a centuries old convent that is now a hotel. At night there are very few people and the lighting along with the moon through a misty sky adds drama to the feel of it. I used a 20mm lens at f8 for an exposure of 6 seconds on a tripod. I waited for clouds to come across the moon to diffuse it and keep it from burning out too much.

Travel Photography Wrap-up

Although I feel I’ve only scratched the surface of this passion of mine for travel photography, I hope these last three articles/posts I’ve done have provided some insight, tips and most importantly motivation for your own travel photography!

Feel free to email me with questions and comments or post comments here. If you aren’t already receiving my articles, blog posts, and information about our workshops and would like to, you can subscribe to Photo Ops right here.

Happy Travels!

Joel

Capturing The Culture

Photographing People

Markets and Food

Nighttime

Travel Photography Wrap-up

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