As an addicted traveller myself ­ here are my top ten travel photography tips to help you get the very best out of your travels.

1. Firstly choose equipment that’s appropriate for what you’re doing. If you’re going on holiday with people who aren’t photographers lugging a massive bag of kit won’t help. It’ll slow you down and that’ll drive everyone mad and put pressure on you. If you’re travelling alone and will be planning locations for the best time to get the best light etc ­ some extra kit and a tripod will come in handy.
2. Take time and consider your composition ­ especially the Rule Of Thirds. (Check out the video - its one of several from our series on composition) Look all around the viewfinder before pressing the shutter and ask yourself “Does this look better with the subject in the middle or to the side? Would it work better if I turned the camera upright?
3. If you’re photographing your family having a great time on the beach, avoid getting loads of empty sky above their heads. By getting closer
   and tilting the camera down a bit you’ll fill the
   picture with what you want to look at.
4. Try photographing famous places from different angles. Some places are photographed to death and if you can find a new way of looking at it you’re onto a winner.
5. Wherever possible think about lighting. Landscapes and monuments often look better early in the morning or late in the day when the sun’s low in the sky ­ but an evening glow can also add atmosphere to a portrait too.
6. Turn off the flash and raise your ISO instead. When your camera’s auto flash goes off it kills any moody soft light that’s available and results in photos which aren’t reminiscent of the scene you remembered. By boosting ISO sensitivity you can shoot in low light without it.
7. When photographing in low light brace yourself against something solid like a tree, fence or wall. The smallest movement could make your picture blurry (especially with the flash off) but it’s surprising what a difference leaning against a solid object will make. Placing the camera on a table or branch of a tree and using the self times works brilliantly for this.
8. Photographing small details can be just as evocative of a place as the big overall scene. Spices on the market, exotic meals, and interesting signs can all build a picture of a place and its culture.
9. Learn how to ask “Please may I take your photo” in the local language so you don’t always have to shoot candidly. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know where the words begin and end ­ the phonetic sound is enough. I’ve found people usually respond favourably because I’m showing a level of respect by taking only a tiny bit of trouble.
10. When photographing wildlife make sure your lens is long enough. You don’t want to spend all that time and money going on safari only to come home with leopards, monkeys and even elephants appearing in your pictures as tiny pea sized dots. In order to fill the frame you’ll need a lens of at least 300mm.

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Until next time - happy shooting.

If you love it when you get a 'good one' but aren't quite sure how you did it - our Digital Photography Exposed eCourse is perfect for you. And you can take it with you on tablets, smart phones etc...

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