Here are 12 tips to improve travel photography skills that even a child can understand!
Nowadays, becoming a photographer is more accessible than it used to be. With smartphones and cameras evolving rapidly, the opportunity to capture your travels has never been more accessible. With these travel photography skills, you’ll be a pro before you know it.
However, it’s not as simple as pressing a button and hoping for the best. But, I almost promise, it’s so easy to learn, even a child can do it! There are fundamental, learned photography skills that take time to perfect.
12 Tips To Improve Your Travel Photography Skills
Take a look at these tips for improving your photography skills and making the most out of each capture-worthy moment.
1. Familiarize Yourself With Your Camera
One of the fastest ways to improve your photography skills is by gaining a deeper understanding of the tool you use—your camera.
Whether you’re using your phone or a DSLR, familiarizing yourself with its features, settings, and capabilities will give you more control over the outcome of your photographs.
2. Use Natural Light
Natural light is one of the best things you can use to uplift the look and feel of your photographs. It’s also the most readily available when you don’t have access to any other equipment. Practice taking pictures in different types of natural light and using them to create a balance of color, tonality, and contrast in your photos. Using natural light versus lights from a lamp or household light is crucial for travel photography skills.
3. Keep A Steady Hand
The steadier your hand, the clearer and more focused your pictures will be. Practice regular fine motor skills such as drawing, handwriting, folding, and threading to improve hand control.
4. Invest In A Tripod
If you take many photos that require extreme precision and clarity or you’re still batting with a steady hand, you would invest in a tripod. It will be an addition to your photography endeavors that will stay useful for years. There are plenty of lightweight tripods, easy to pack and suited to traveling.
5. Look At Other Photos For Inspiration
There’s no short supply of photographic inspiration online and offline in such a visually-oriented generation. Travel photography is a vast genre, and there are so many different styles you can learn from. Through Pinterest, Instagram, or a visually-stimulating picture book, Browsing can spark creativity and fresh ideas.
6. Regularly Clean The Camera Lens
A dusty lens means blurry photos. Use a microfiber cloth designed explicitly to clean your lens to ensure you take better pictures.
7. Avoid Zooming In
When you zoom in, you are sacrificing quality for closeness. If you absolutely must zoom in, try to avoid going too close up, or you will risk your photos coming out grainy and blurred.
8. Download A Good Editing Program
Good editing is the icing on the cake when it comes to photography. There are plenty of free and paid editing programs to improve your travel photos. If you master the art of editing, you can sell your photos online, in a gallery, or any other space. The opportunities are endless!
9. Focus On One Subject
When taking a picture of multiple subjects, it can be hard to know where to focus. Choosing one main topic to focus on in each photo will result in a more balanced overall image.
10. Become Your Subject
A bit of self-portraiture can add an exciting contrast to work and travel photography stints, especially if you’re traveling solo. Use a self-timer to capture yourself in your explorations and create a uniquely personal mood for your albums.
11. Use The Rule Of Thirds
The rule of thirds is an ancient method of splitting your image into a 3×3 grid for elevated composition. You can use it on just about anything to improve the perspective of your photos.
12. Experiment With Different Subjects
Having a favorite thing to shoot is okay, but staying open to new styles and subject matters can be well worth the effort. Keep your eyes open to fresh photographic opportunities that broaden your perspective and capture something new. After all, travel is all about new experiences.
Refining your photography skills will help you capture what you see, no matter where your work or travels take you. I hope you feel inspired to refine your skills and get snapping!