As travel begins to reopen, after all the planning, saving, and eagerness that comes in advance of a major trip, it's only natural you’ll want to document your adventures around the world. Great quality travel photography no longer requires dragging around a bulky professional camera anymore. If you own a smartphone, it’s safe to say you will return home with hundreds of snapshots; or in my case thousands.
While anyone (talking to you, mom!) can tap their screen for a quick shot of his or her loved one on the beach or a beautiful landscape, getting the truly Instagram-worthy results takes a little finesse. Try these tricks on your next getaway and you, too, will be stirring wanderlust in your followers.
Take Inspiration
Look around, take it all in, and think of the destination you are at and what made you come here. Whatever it is—the beach, the lake, the mountain, the galleries, the food, the amusement parks, be a part of it and enjoy it. The sites or experiences that will leave you with a bag full of happy emotions will be the moments you will want to capture. Never go to a destination with the only intent of clicking a picture, uninspired moments make for super dull captures.
Rise With The Sun And Use Natural Light To Your Advantage
This way the lighting is great and you can avoid crowds hampering your photography process. We all know how difficult it is to edit or crop out strangers from pictures. Mornings tend to have much softer light and you can avoid shadows that make objects over- or under-exposed during the day. You will also have ample time to sit back and relax.
Don’t Ignore the Depth And Framing Feature On Your Phone
A travel shot typically includes a subject/ object in front of a busy landscape in the background. Adding some textures and colour can help create a sense of depth and framing to help the image feel more intriguing. Activate “Grid Lines” to choose between a rule-of-thirds overlay or a square overlay for perfectly framed Instagram images. Framing is one part of composing the image itself and so is making sure you’re not capturing any unwanted subjects while you shoot. Experiment with depth and exposure. Always tap the screen to lock focus on the subject you’re photographing. This is particularly useful when shooting people against skies. It prevents you from having dark images. If you want silhouettes, tap just around the picture and play around, to underexpose your subjects.
Go Easy On The Flash Light
The flash from a smartphone doesn’t compliment anyone. The white LED glaring light coming from it will more often than not give your images a harsh, odd-coloured hue. Try to find other sources of light you can use, even some candlelight. If there is no other source as an alternative use a different smartphone’s flashlight to provide a more consistent light source.
Strike A Balance Between A Picture Of Them And A Picture Of The Place
A colleague of mine once took a close-up portrait of me in Taiwan. It was a great portrait, but it could have been taken in Mumbai—there was nothing of the place in the frame. And then I pointed that out he took a picture of me where there was a gorgeous backdrop and me looking like a vertical speck that could be anybody. Balance out the ratio – your frame has to be able to draw just enough attention to the primary subject and be recognisable but still keep some sense of the place.
Portrait Mode Is Not The Best
While everyone loves the look of a photo from portrait shots, it’s not always flattering. There is no room for experimentation, it makes the object look closer, one dimensional and larger. But if you must use the portrait mode, make sure to only use it when you have sufficient light.
Ditch The Selfie-Stick
No one really wants to carry a stick around in their pocket. Many tourist destinations have now banned them, and also the one angled photo is unoriginal and boring. Invest in a mini drone or tripod instead, and if you can’t, politely ask someone to click a picture of you.
Wear The Right Outfit
A good put together outfit has the power to take photos to the next level! Plan a bit in advance to see what colours would work well with the surrounding — I pick whites and bright colours that blend amazingly well with the background. Stay away from busy patterns or images that can be distracting in images. When in doubt, a simple flowy white dress or white shirt and denims will almost always look effortless.
Pose! It Is Your Movie
I admit it’s awkward, even now. Out of every hundred photos I take, I may like five enough to post them. Play with your angles, moving your body, making triangle shapes with your arms and legs (believe me, it works!). Use a prop, a cup of coffee or glass of wine, a hat or scarf, or even your hair or clothing. A fun go-to pose is to run directly at or away from the camera. Get your clothes and/or hair moving to create energy in an otherwise still photo.