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Travel Photography: Create Better Pictures for your Next Trip!

Some people are just born with the gift of a good eye.  Even though it does help to have natural ability not everyone needs to be a professional photographer or even an amateur photographer to have great travel pictures. 

Whether you choose a simple point and shoot camera or a digital single lens reflex,  you can take advantage of as much photo opportunities as possible.

Let's start with a few simple tips and suggestions for creating better pictures.  Before taking your next trip, remember than when you return that your photography will reflect the story of your adventure.   For every story, there is an introduction, a  middle and an end.   As you get ready to travel, prepare by researching your destinatoin. 

Some easy planning tools to establish your shots:

Research
Fodors
Lonely Planet
Travel Sites
Road Trip Sites
Triple AAA

All these will give you ideas of what types of shots you would like to have and where you would like to visit.
Research interesting places, ideal times to go, what time of year and day should you go? 

Check the Weather

Ideally most photographers want sunny weather for the best shots.  Weather is a wonderful indicator of what it's like in a location.  Don't be afraid of the rain.  Some of the best photos result from the spectrum as a result of weather.  It tells the story of  what it was like in a destination. 

Check for the sunrise and sunset in a location.  Be prepared to wake up early to catch the magnificence of the sun as it crosses the horizon.  Sunrises/Sunsets are never the same.

Check your Settings

Explore the camera beyond the automatic mode each and every time you shoot.  Images change and your settings should reflect whether you are shooting flora, forest, night or architecture.  With Digital Camera's it is easy to take a few shots of the same  scene with different effects.  Each condition is different, understand whether you are shooting indoor with your camera,  outdoor, or evening.

Practice and Experiment

You want to know your equipment and your gear.  Before traveling, buy an extra disc and experiment in your local neighborhood.  Try different angles, zoom- in, zoom-out with different objects.  Practice taking pictures of friends and families; include portraits.   Catch friends in off moments to create realistic effects.  Try different strategies at home for interesting group pictures and to help think out of the box.

Be realistic

Not every pic will come out perfect.  However, every pic will come out personal  with cherished your memories. Remember for Travel Photography create a story of your trip.  Give the story a beginning or theme, a middle and a conclusion. 

What to bring:

Digital/Film Camera and/or video camera (Tip: Flip Cameras are small and handy)
Plenty of Memory Cards (Tip: you can load your pic's in a cloud application during travel as backup)
Film, 1 X use cameras, or underwater cameras
Power, Batteries, Charger, International Adaptors
Tripod or Monopod (Don't let strangers take your pic's with your expensive camera.  Tripods can do the job for you)
Additional lens, telephotos, wide angles
Filters, bag or case
Laptop or Printer for downloading and backup


Be creative.  Look up.  Look around.  Lean on the wall.  Get under the picture. Stand above. Contrast. Find reflections.

Have fun!

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