Most of us take photographs differently when we’re travelling. We stop for views, buildings and landscapes which would barely register at home, while our phones make it possible to record almost anything without carrying a camera bag. The challenge isn’t finding something worth photographing, it’s making the most of the opportunities in front of us.
Fortunately, better travel photography rarely requires expensive equipment or complicated techniques. A little more attention to where you stand, how you use light and what you put in the frame can make a familiar holiday snap considerably more interesting.
Start with a clean lens
Let’s begin with the least glamorous tip of all: clean your phone lens. Our phones spend their days in pockets, handbags and hands, picking up fingerprints and a fine layer of grime along the way. A quick wipe with a soft cloth before you start taking photographs can make an astonishing difference, particularly when you’re photographing bright lights or a distant landscape. It takes seconds, yet it’s easily forgotten until you look back at your photos and wonder why everything seems slightly hazy.
Move rather than simply point and shoot
Most photographs are taken from roughly the same height because we photograph from wherever we’re standing. Before pressing the button, try changing your position. Crouch down, step sideways, move closer or find a higher viewpoint. A different angle can remove a distracting object, change the relationship between foreground and background or make a familiar scene look entirely different.
It can also pay to look behind you. At a famous viewpoint, dozens of people may be pointing their cameras towards the same spectacular scene, while the opposite direction reveals an interesting building, unusual light or a wonderful stretch of landscape. Turning around costs nothing, and you may come home with a photograph nobody else thought to take.
Don’t put everything in the middle
Our instinct is often to place the main subject directly in the centre of the frame. There is nothing inherently wrong with doing so, but photographs can become more interesting when the subject sits slightly off-centre. The rule of thirds offers a simple way to experiment: imagine two horizontal and two vertical lines dividing your photograph into nine sections, then try placing your subject along one of those lines or near one of the points where they intersect.
The idea works particularly well for landscapes. Rather than allowing the horizon to run straight through the middle, try giving more space to the sky or more room to the foreground. A dramatic sky might deserve two-thirds of the frame, while an interesting beach, field or architectural foreground could warrant more attention. Take both versions if you’re unsure. Comparing them afterwards is a much better way to learn than worrying about getting the “correct” composition.
Know what happens when you zoom
Phone cameras can make a distant subject seem wonderfully close, but there is an important distinction between optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom uses the camera’s lens to magnify the subject, while digital zoom enlarges part of the image electronically. Depending on your phone, digital zoom can result in a softer, less detailed photograph.
If you’re able to move closer safely, do so. If you can’t, consider taking the photograph without zooming and cropping it later. You may discover the wider image contains something useful around your subject anyway. If your phone has several camera lenses, experiment with them before your trip so you know which settings provide genuine optical zoom and which simply enlarge the image.
Give people something to do
Photographs of friends and family often become stiff when everyone is asked to stand still and smile. Instead, give your subject something to do. Ask them to walk towards you, look at a view, browse a market stall or sit with a coffee. You aren’t necessarily looking for a perfectly posed portrait; you’re trying to capture a person behaving naturally in a place.
People can also make landscape photographs more powerful. A tiny figure walking across a beach or standing beneath a mountain provides a sense of scale, helping the viewer understand just how large the landscape really is. Rather than removing people from every scenic photograph, consider whether someone might actually improve it.
Look for reflections and natural frames
Once you start looking for them, reflections appear everywhere: in lakes, puddles, windows, shopfronts and polished surfaces. A reflection can turn an ordinary scene into something more graphic or give you a second perspective on a building or landscape. After rain, pause before walking past a puddle and see what appears in it. The wet pavement may offer a more interesting composition than the scene above it.
You can also use things around you to frame your subject. A doorway, arch, tree branches or even part of another building can create a natural border around a view, adding depth to the photograph. There’s no need to manufacture the effect. Look at the surroundings before taking the photograph and see whether something already exists which could help draw attention towards your subject.
Let the light do some of the work
Good light can transform an ordinary scene. Early morning and late afternoon tend to provide softer, warmer light, while the strong sunshine around the middle of the day can produce harsh shadows. If a location is particularly beautiful, consider whether returning later might reward you with a more flattering photograph.
Indoor spaces can offer beautiful light too. A window, doorway or shaft of sunlight can create atmosphere without any special equipment. Instead of simply asking whether somewhere is photogenic, notice where the light is falling and position yourself accordingly. Sometimes moving a few steps is enough to turn a flat photograph into one with depth and mood.
Take the photograph, then take another look
Before you move on, give your photograph a quick check. Is there a rubbish bin growing out of someone’s head? Is the horizon crooked? Would taking one step to the left remove a distracting sign? Could you include more of the foreground, or perhaps less sky?
You don’t need to become obsessed with composing every photograph perfectly. The point is simply to pause for an extra second and look at the whole frame rather than concentrating only on the thing which caught your eye. A little attention before pressing the button is often more valuable than another dozen photographs afterwards.
Travel gives us an endless supply of subjects, so there’s no need to turn every photograph into a masterpiece. Experiment with angles, composition, light and perspective, take a few versions when you’re unsure, and keep an eye out for opportunities beyond the obvious view. You may find the best photograph of the day comes from moving three steps to the side, turning around or simply waiting for the light to change.
