Whether you're just out for a quick weekend trip or you're on the road for weeks or months at a time, travel photography can be incredibly rewarding and fun.
It can also frustrate the crap out of you...
There's a lot to take in when you're traveling, and half the battle is often having a few travel photography tips up your sleeve to help you maximize the quality of your shots.
In the video above, our friends over at the Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) teamed up with photographer Ray Demski to outline a few techniques for travel photography that will get you on the straight and narrow.
Give the video a look, and for an overview of some of their tips, be sure to check out the article below.
Travel Photography Tips: Plan and Prepare
The first order of business is to prepare yourself for travel photography.
That means figuring out where you're going to go and what you want to photograph.
But that also means that you need to understand that photographers (and their expensive photography gear) can be the target of thieves.
To minimize that risk, make your gear look like it's not worth stealing.
The easiest way to do that is to simply put gaffer's tape on the camera body and lens, as shown above.
Editor's Tip: Take a photo of your business card so if you lose your camera or it's stolen and recovered, people know who to contact.
Don't Overpack
This seems like a no-brainer, yet how often do you find that you have way too much gear when you go out for the afternoon?
Well, when you're traveling for days on end, any extra gear you have to carry around become a nuisance, so packing nothing but the essentials is a good plan.
That means probably just one camera body and 1-2 lenses for most of us.
For me, I leave my Nikon D850 at home in favor of my Sony a6300 and a Sony 18-105mm f/4 lens.
Though it's not terribly fast, the focal range I get from just one lens is a great trade off in terms of carrying a lighter load.
Something that you might not think about gear-wise is a solid travel photography tripod.
On the one hand, you want something that's light and easy to carry, but you also don't want to sacrifice quality of construction or features.
That's where something like the Vanguard VEO 2 265CB comes in.
Not only is this tripod incredibly light at just 2.98 pounds, but it has multiple leg sections that allow you to extend it up to 59 inches.
What's more, this travel photography tripod is easy to setup thanks to the central column and tripod legs that can be extended and locked in less than 15 seconds.
Something else you want in a great travel photography tripod is the ability to position the legs at different angles to accommodate varying terrain.
This thing does just that with 20-degree, 45-degree, and 80-degree options that give you creative leeway for taking photos.
On top of all that, this tripod comes with a multi-action ball head, a suspension loop for adding counterbalance weight for windy days, and non-slip grips so you keep a strong hold on your tripod if the weather gets wet.
Learn More:
- Get the Specs and Pricing on the Vanguard VEO 2 265CB Travel Tripod
- The Top Camera Bags for Travel Photography
Remove Tourists From Photos in Photoshop
When you're in a busy location, you often have to fight the crowds to get the shots you want.
And even then, those very same crowds will be in your photos.
But if you setup your camera on your tripod and take 10-15 shots, you can then import them into Photoshop and remove all those people.
Just go to File > Scripts > Statistics, choose Median, and upload your photos.
Once Photoshop does its thing, you'll end up with a photo of your travels, but without all those other folks messing up the shot.
Cool, right?
Editor's Tip: Learn how to remove anything in an image in Photoshop.
Get Up Early (or Stay Out Late)
As tiring as travel can be, one of the best travel photography tips is get up early or stay out late.
Not only does this allow you to capitalize on the beauty of golden hour lighting, but you can also miss a lot of the crowds that you find during the middle of the day.
It might also increase your chances of finding other photographers that are chasing the early morning or late evening light. Making connections with other photography enthusiasts can add a whole new element to your travels that makes having your camera that much more worth it.
Be sure to check out the complete video at the beginning of this article for even more tips on how to take travel photos!