5 Tips To Improve Your Travel Photography This Summer

Who doesn’t love to travel and explore new places? And if you have a camera with you to document the experience, well, I can’t think of a more fun thing to be doing! I’m not including the obvious things most tip lists include, like planning ahead, shooting during golden hour, or traveling light. I’m more interested in the creative aspects of travel photography, so I’ve compiled five points to consider aimed at helping you bring home a collection of photos to be proud of—photos that tell a story and project a sense of place.

Look for a Different View

If you’re at a popular location, don’t just point your camera and shoot the same old view everyone else does. Often it's like watching a flock of sheep at honeypot locations. Spend a moment to look around and see if you can find an angle that is different from what most people photograph. Ask yourself these questions:

• Will placing my camera lower or higher make a more interesting or dynamic composition?

• Can I include a foreground interest to create layers or add an element of story into the composition?

I always walk around to look for different views. It’s actually the most enjoyable part of the photography experience for me because it’s a creative challenge. On a trip to Prague, I went to Charles Bridge, where thousands of people have shot the same view for decades. I arrived just before sunrise, and there were already 10 or so photographers standing in the same spot, tripods set up all at the same height, waiting for the sun to get a little higher so the buildings in the background became visible.

I snapped the classic view, but then walked to each end of the bridge trying to find a different view. It was getting lighter now, but I noticed the tower at the end of the bridge still had lights on that illuminated an ornate ceiling. I had found my different view! I managed to grab a shot seconds before the lights went out. Phew, what lucky timing. Without the ceiling being illuminated, there was no shot.

On that same trip, I returned to the bridge and grabbed a composition using a technique I favor when all else fails—placing the camera on the ground for a completely different perspective. On this occasion, it worked, and I went home with two unique photos from a very popular location. A huge result!

Immerse Yourself

We tend to observe and photograph things from a distance. But if we move in and become part of the action, we get to see what’s going on and have a far better chance to capture that decisive moment and end up with an immersive photo. By moving in close, we get to introduce layers to our composition, which help fill the frame with more interest. To do this, you need a wider focal length like 28mm or even 20mm.

Capture the Culture

The climate and geography of a region have a bearing on what can be grown and produced, and the raw materials available for building or manufacturing. All of this plays a huge role in forming the culture of a place and how people live and work.

The culture of a place is the essence of a place, and capturing that essence—or sense of place—in your photographs is the best approach to travel photography. Cultural identity is expressed through architecture, signage, food, clothing, local festivals, and rituals.

Fabrics, patterns in tiles, colors of buildings, spices or pottery in a market, craftspeople, and artisans—all of these things contribute to the cultural identity of a place.

On a trip to a non-touristy part of Cuba, I discovered the poor economy and hot climate meant that lots of people were struggling to make ends meet, so they were setting up stalls on the streets and selling fruit grown in the countryside nearby. This entrepreneurial lifestyle was a necessity for survival and defined the culture of the place. It became a photographic project unto itself for me. I took hardly any photos of the impressive architecture or sunsets on the beach. I wanted to capture—and tell the story—of the gritty street life of vendors.

I mentioned the word story there. Story is at the heart of this. If we can create a cohesive body of photos that tell a story, that’s far more powerful than a bunch of random pretty photos.

Photograph People 

When we’re on our vacation, we tend to take selfies and photograph the people we’re traveling with, but I find it more interesting to photograph the people who live and work there. It’s the people who make a place what it is. We overlap here with the previous point about capturing culture. People ultimately define a culture. But that aside, having people in photos can make them far more interesting and relatable.

If I come across an interesting restaurant, tourist attraction, store, or street stall, I’ll often ask the person working there if I can include them in a photo. More often than not, they are happy to pose.

If I’m photographing around 12 feet from someone, I ask permission. I personally find it rude to point a camera at someone close by without asking. If they’re farther away or I have a longer lens, then I may grab a quick candid shot.

This may be the most important point of this article. There’s nothing better than including people in a travel photo, whether they’re posing or simply going about their business.

Many of us are reluctant to ask a stranger if they wouldn't mind being photographed. It takes a little courage at first—we need to push ourselves outside our comfort zone. People will say yes or no. It's as simple as that. However, here's a secret: If you show an interest in someone, engage with them, and ask nicely, they usually say yes.

Look for Contrasting Color

Nothing says summer fun more than bright colors. Summer destinations are usually full of color, from buildings to bright summer clothes people wear. Vibrant color helps you capture the energy of the season. For visually impactful photos, I look for contrasting colors in a scene. This usually means two colors in a composition that sit on opposite sides of a color wheel.

The best photos using contrasting colors are simple compositions.

Use a Polarizing Filter

Bright sun enhances color, so embrace it and use it to your advantage. Use a polarizing filter to intensify colors even further. I keep a polarizer on my lens all the time in the summer.