1. Travel as much as possible
It should go without saying, but if you want to thrive as a travel photographer, having a passion for travel should be a must. Not only will this passion translate through with your work, but being passionate will also carry you through those difficult travel days.
Delayed flights, language barriers, and jetlag are just some of the difficulties that naturally come along with travel.
If you don’t have any experience with these things, we recommend spending some time traveling just for fun prior to deciding you want to jump fully into the world of travel photography. It will set you up with realistic expectations, as well as give you the experience necessary to get through those harder travel days.
2. Get familiar with heavy research
When you think of travel photography, it’s probable that you naturally think about adventure.
While travel photography certainly has an adventurous element to it, keep in mind, it’s also a profession, and professionals should always go into their jobs with a clear plan and vision.
This means you need to take the time to sit down and research.
Most importantly, research your destination so you know exactly what to expect. The climate, the culture, the political situation, and the food are just some of the things you’ll want to know prior to booking your ticket to your next destination.
3. Pack like a professional
Again, this isn’t just any trip you’re taking. This is a work trip and that means you need to pack like a professional.
We’ll talk about camera gear in a moment but also don’t forget to consider your packing beyond your camera gear.
Think about the clothing you will need to capture photos comfortably. Is the climate hot and dry? Do you need to bring snow gear? What about rainy seasons or the potential for extreme weather? Packing for these situations will save you a headache down the road.
Not to mention, there are also practical packing items that can make your experience much more enjoyable. A water bottle, sunscreen, extra money, and even medications if you happen to catch a bug during your travels are all worth considering. Extra batteries, the correct charger cords, and plenty of SD cards should always be on the list.
4. Know your gear
Once you have your more practical items packed, you need to spend some serious time considering what photography equipment you’ll pack with you.
There’s only so much you can carry, but if you forget to pack something and you’re traveling a far distance for your photos, you won’t have the option to simply turn back and pick up your forgotten equipment.
Make a list of all the items you frequently use and stick to it.
Here are some travel photography equipment pieces we recommend packing:
- Your go-to, main camera
- A backup camera
- Camera lenses
- Wide angle
- Medium zoom
- Telephoto lens
- Specialty lens (optional)
- Functional camera bag/backpack
- Tripod (lightweight)
- Filters
- Camera strap
- Spare batteries
- Memory cards
- Portable hard drive
- Rain cover
- Drone (optional)
5. Keep it steady
You’ll notice on the packing list mentioned above we included a tripod. We want to take a second to call this out because it can be extremely important for travel photographers.
When traveling with multiple lenses and all your equipment, it’s easy enough to tell yourself that you don’t need to also carry a tripod, but we urge you to not make this mistake.
Depending on your destination, carrying a tripod with you can be the difference between clear, bright images and ones that are blurred. The tripod allows you to catch beautiful images in low light settings or during moments when there might be a lot of motion in the image. If you are traveling to a location known for its Northern Lights displays, spectacular starry skies, or may be photographing inside historic buildings or indigenous homes, your tripod is a must-have.
6. Hone your craft
One of the worst things you could do as an aspiring travel photographer is book a ticket to a destination, pack up your bags, and hope for the best. Instead, we recommend practicing in your own backyard before you join the big leagues.
Of course, you don’t have to physically limit yourself to your backyard, but stay within driving distance and see what kinds of images you get. This gives you time to experiment with composition, angles, foreground, backgrounds, and lighting without the pressure of having to worry about an expensive airplane ticket sitting in your back pocket.
7. Use the rule of thirds
Most photographers will be familiar with this rule, but it’s an especially important travel photography tip, considering you’ll likely be shooting a lot of landscapes.
If you’re not familiar, the rule of thirds suggests dividing an image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, resulting in nine equal parts, and placing important elements of the image at the intersections or along the lines. The idea behind this rule is to create a visually balanced and pleasing composition.
The Rule of Thirds is just a guideline, and there are times when breaking it can result in a more effective image. However, it is a useful tool for travel photographers to use when composing their shots, especially when starting out.
8. Leading lines are your best friends in travel photography
Just like with the rule of thirds, this is another photography principle that most photographers will be familiar with, but is particularly important for travel photographers.
Think of it this way: Without leading lines, the viewer’s eye doesn’t know where to land, which can be particularly problematic with travel photography where there’s often a lot going on visually.
Leading lines also create visual interest, depth, perspective, direction, flow, context, and environment in an image. Without leading lines, there’s no sense of place and space.
9. Use your accessories to your advantage
Mastering your camera should always be your priority as an aspiring photographer, but once you have the hang of that, we highly recommend letting your creativity loose. One of the least expensive ways to get creative with your equipment and help improve the look of your travel photos is with filters.
Even a very basic filter can be especially helpful for travel photographers by protecting your expensive lenses from travel dust and the elements. Not only do filters protect the lens, they can reduce glare and reflections, control the amount of light entering the lens, and add creative effects to images.
Bottom line, filters help capture better-quality photos and even be used to add a unique artistic touch.
10. Don’t be scared to shoot in raw
We know that shooting in raw can be a little intimidating when you’re first starting, but trust us on this one, if you want to improve the quality of your travel photos, you need to get used to shooting in raw.
Why?
We recommend travel photographers shoot in RAW because it captures more data, provides greater flexibility for post-processing, and offers better image quality. RAW files also allow for non-destructive editing and are ideal for capturing travel photos where color and detail are important.
In other words, when you shoot in raw, you have more control over your image and can deliver the best image possible.
11. Keep an open-mind
Having a plan as a travel photographer is important. You don’t want to waste time during your travels.
Having said that, also being open to spontaneity can help you produce work beyond what you thought possible for yourself.
Embrace adventures that you didn’t have on the schedule, look for unique patterns and textures, and don’t be scared to shoot images that might feel a little raw and outside your typical aesthetic. You might be surprised to discover what you’re able to capture when you open up your perspective
12. It’s never one and done
As a photographer, you know this already, but it’s something that we want to drive home, particularly for travel photographers.
When you’re traveling for a photo, it’s more important than ever to take the time to get extra shots. What if you never go back to that location again? Or what if you think an image looks a certain way but when you get the images onto your computer, you notice a flaw?
Experimenting with different angles, compositions, lighting, and depths of fields can ensure that you get exactly what you want and won’t leave you regretting your trip.
13. Respect matters
This is a tip that applies to all photographers who are shooting people, but it is an especially important tip for travel photographers to keep in mind.
Why?
Well, because when you’re out on a job, it’s easy enough to start treating people like subjects. We forget that not everyone wants to have their picture taken. This can be especially true if people from different cultures don’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re taking their picture.
You should always ask permission before taking people’s pictures, and you should never continue shooting if someone seems upset, uncomfortable, or reluctant to have their photo taken. If communication is a problem, remember, there are plenty of apps available that make language barriers much less difficult to navigate in our modern era.
14. Don’t underestimate the power of editing
Editing your travel photos can take them from great to totally stunning. Editing is important for travel photographers because it allows them to enhance and refine their images, bringing out the best in their work. Here are a few reasons why we love editing for travel photographers:
Editing allows you to refine your image
Editing allows travel photographers to refine their images, adjusting exposure, contrast, color, and other elements to create a more polished and professional-looking final product.
You can fully express yourself creatively with editing
Editing also allows travel photographers to express their creative vision, experimenting with different styles, filters, and effects to create a unique look and feel for their images.
Editing provides a unique storytelling capability
Editing can help travel photographers tell a story or convey a mood or emotion in their images, using techniques such as selective focus, color grading, and composition to create a specific mood or atmosphere.
You can achieve consistency with editing
Editing can also help travel photographers maintain consistency in their work, ensuring that their images have a certain style and look that reflects their brand and creative vision.
15. Make sure you have a website
If you simply want to pick up travel photography as a hobby, then sure, a website might not be necessary. But, if you ever want people to actually see and appreciate your work, you’re going to need a website.
A website not only acts as a hub for all your photos, but it also works as a place for you to share upcoming events, news, your contact information, and even just general information about yourself for those who might be interested.
Plus, don’t forget that a website can be a great place for sharing your social media handles and your email newsletter if that’s a marketing route you’ve decided to go down.
16. Set up your portfolio
You can have the most beautiful website in the world, but if you’re not sharing your photos in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for the public, then chances are, all that website design work isn’t going to pay off.
You want people to come to your website, check out your photos, and notice your talent. If your photos are small, blurry, or hard to access, you decrease the likelihood of this happening.
Plus, having an online portfolio website makes it much easier to share your work with people who are interested. You don’t need to constantly carry a physical copy of your portfolio with you, and instead, you can simply share your website with anyone who is interested.
17. Consider marketing
Since we’re largely focusing on travel photography tips for beginners, we don’t want to overwhelm you too much with marketing ideas, but at the end of the day, if you don’t spend at least some time on marketing, then your photos will likely live in obscurity.
If you’ve put in the time to learn photography, hone your skills, and nail your aesthetic, here are some marketing ideas you can begin implementing to get eyes on your travel photography business:
Build a strong social media presence
Social media is a powerful tool for travel photographers to showcase their work and connect with potential clients. You can use Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to share your travel photography and engage with your audience.
Collaborate with tourism boards and travel companies
You might not get opportunities like this right off the bat, but once you have some experience under your belt, reach out to tourism boards and travel companies and offer to collaborate with them on projects. You could offer to provide them with high-quality travel photography in exchange for exposure on their website or social media channels.
Create photo books and prints
Step outside the box and consider creating photo books or prints of your travel photography and selling them online or at local markets. This can be a great way to generate additional revenue and showcase your work.
Participate in photography contests and exhibitions
Participating in photography contests and exhibitions can help you get exposure and build your reputation as a travel photographer.
Network with other photographers and travel industry professionals
Attend photography conferences and events and network with other photographers and industry professionals, such as travel writers. This can help you build relationships and learn about new opportunities in the industry. If you’re not sure where to start, be sure that you’re on social media and start connecting with photographers who are also in the travel photography niche.
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