OK so “simple” might be an overstatement, but we as humans definitely have a tendency to overcomplicate things. So let’s define “simple” as streamlined, get down to business, don’t overthink things...sound good?
When I said that we as humans tend to overcomplicate things, well I have taken this skill to a whole new level. If there was an olympic sport of overcomplicating something (anything) I would have as many gold medals as Michael Phelps. So the reason for this post is to break the giant “travel photography” beast into bite-sized parts. You know that expression “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time”? Well I hate that expression as far as the whole eating a precious elephant part, but the point is that something daunting or overwhelming is accomplished gradually by taking on just a little piece at a time.
Today I’m going to walk you through one little piece at a time. Because in my journey to understand the field of travel photography and to be good at it, I tended to bite off a lot. More than I could chew. And then I’d get frustrated, overwhelmed, and give up. And I really don’t want you to do that. I know that I throw a lot of information at you, and it can be a lot to sort through. So today we’re going to walk through the essentials, and get you on track for success. Are you ready?? I AM!!
I absolutely loved these door knockers in France.
The first step in our formula for travel photography success is to figure out how you’re going to manage your digital files.
Yeah right. That does SOUND simple, but if your current system is to have files all over the place...it might seem daunting.
But here’s what I suggest. Start somewhere. Don’t go back to all your old files...yet. Maybe someday, maybe not. But starting today, figure out where you want to store them and what sort of system you’ll keep them in. Don’t overcomplicate this! It can be as simple as the year, month, and maybe a description like Italy Trip.
If this is causing you to break out in hives, here’s another blog post with more details. Or reach out to me and I can help you get started. I know. This can be a big one. But it’s important to have an organized base to get started in order to keep your sanity. And sanity is nice.
This is in Gruyères, Switzerland. It’s to distract you from being stressed out about your digital file organization. Is it working?
The next step in the formula is to become familiar with your camera. BEFORE you travel. That means right now. Right freaking now. Get out that camera and play with it.
I don’t mean you have to be an expert. It might just mean being comfortable making photos in automatic mode. It means knowing the basics about how to insert and remove your memory card, and to how to format it. It means knowing how to change to different modes if you want to. It might be handy to know how to change your ISO setting. And it means knowing how often your battery needs to be charged, and whether or not you would benefit from a backup.
Just the basics. Nothing fancy, that can come later. But if you get out your camera on a regular basis, scan through the menu, make some photos...I’m telling you that the fancy will come. Because once you get comfortable with the basics, you’ll want to try more. And you will.
This is when I was practicing with my camera, trying to figure out how it worked. I thought I would give the ol’ slow shutter speed for motion blur a try here.
Next up? Figure out your why. All right, did we just veer off the path here into la-la land or something? No, we’re still on a clear path. But photography isn’t ALL about digital files and cameras. It’s about you as the photographer, and why you’re making those photos.
Are you making wall art? Telling a story? Are you a blogger and want to share good photos in your blog post or on Instagram? Maybe you have a family who can’t wait to see your 948 photos when you get home, and you want to capture as many details as possible.
You see how all of those different why’s could lead to different types of photos being made? And your why might change. It’s just something to think about as you set off somewhere with your camera.
My why here was to tell the story of our transatlantic cruise to get to France. Instead of a much faster plane. Yes it’s true.
Next, get comfortable making photos in ALL different lighting scenarios.
That means low light, like inside or at sunset...or bright light like in the middle of the day. And everything in between.
This is another reminder...don’t overthink it here - you don’t need to write a book on the subject. But if you get comfortable with different lighting situations at home, then you’ll be making much better photos when you’re on the Amalfi Coast, wouldn’t you say?
OK, so how exactly do you get comfortable with different lighting? Just do it, to quote Nike. Get out there with your camera when the sun is setting - even if it’s in your backyard. Try to make some photos inside your house of your dinner, or your dog. Try using automatic mode, aperture priority mode, heck even full on manual mode. Do not be afraid! You won’t mess anything up, you’ll just learn some new things. And that’s why you’re here, right? So quit resisting!
Here I was playing with really low light. I loved the glow coming out of the window and the low glow in the sky as the sun went down. Jersey City…ahh we have such fond memories.
Moving on. Next up is to get comfortable knowing how to frame a scene or subject...to compose your photos.
How does this magic happen? I think you’ll see a pattern here...try different things. Let fear take a little vacation and just jump on in there and give it a go.
Find something you want to make a photo of. Now make a photo of it. Then shift to the right, make a photo. Shift to the left, make a photo. Squat down, stretch up, take a few steps to one side and then the other. We can make this topic complicated, but what I’m saying is to just try different angles and see what you get. That’s it.
Once you’ve done this a few times (or 100) you’ll start to realize what you like, what looks better than something else. And that’s when the comfort starts to set in.
When we visited the Pont du Gard in France, I must have taken 100’s (OK I DID take 100’s) of photos of this same Roman aqueduct, all from different angles, perspective, vantage points…
And the final step in the formula for travel photo success? Breathe. Relax. Have fun.
It’s so easy to go down that rabbit hole of “am I doing this right?”...”are my photos good?? And we ALL want to make better photos. But let’s start with the basics.
How are you going to organize your photos so you don’t go mad; why are you making them; are you fairly comfortable using your camera;...and most importantly, are you having fun?? Because no matter how much you learn, and try, and practice...if you’re not having fun then you won’t keep doing it. And you won’t make good photos.
I love to go into gory detail on ALL of these topics, and I will. But I also know what it’s like to get overwhelmed when you’re just starting out. So start here, and then when you’re ready, join me for more. I’ll be doing that in blog posts, on Facebook Lives in our private Facebook Group, AND I have a workshop for you to check out: Camera Settings For The Not-So-Tech-Savvy Traveler.
Want to stay in touch for all of that? Join our Facebook community and when you do make sure you give me your email address when I ask for it. And then you’ll know all about all the good stuff.