Digital Photography School released a helpful article with hot tips from the best photographers in the game describing how to capture even the most difficult of shots while traveling. We’ve condensed this into an easy-to-learn list for the amateur to professional travel photographer!
Wildlife
- Observe
- Enjoy being in the animal’s company
- Avoid eliciting a flight-or-fight response by keeping a safe distance
- Move slowly and non-threateningly
- Have patience, empathy, and appreciation
Movement
- For perpendicular, slow movement, keep shutters between 1/15th and 1/90th of a second
- For faster movement, set shutters between 1/60th to 1/125th of a second
- Focus just ahead of the object
- Start with higher shutter speed and work down
- Farther away objects require a lower shutter speed
Architecture
- Be aware of the highlights
- Play with speed to avoid over-exposure
- Frame the best composition for the building’s frame
- Wait for motion that captures the building to happen
- Find out if you need permission before publishing
Indigenous People
- Approach community without a camera and get to know them
- Ask permission before taking photos
- Use long zooms to catch candid moments
- Use a wide-angle held at waist level to create intimacy
- Avoid clearly aiming at someone unless they are comfortable
- Use medium-length zoom for direct portraits
Portraits
- Wait for the right moment
- For a group, the moment is an externalized emotion
- For an individual, the moment is the internalized moment when defenses drop
Low Light and Nights
- Add a fast prime lens
- Go with a sturdy but light lens
- For cities, shoot after sunset but before dark, when there is still color in the sky
- When there is a lack of bright lights in the shot, use longer shutter speeds to get color
- Use long exposure when cloudy or foggy
- Use smaller apertures for a starburst effect
