I want to preface this by saying, I am NOT a professional photographer by any means! I miss traveling (like I know we all do) and I miss posting my experiences, photos and itineraries for everyone. I’ve had some extra time on my hands due to quarantine and decided to type up a few tips to help take your travel photos to the next level.
- Lighting Is Errrrrthang! ✨
Bad lighting can totally ruin a photo for various reasons. Little to no light can cause photos to be grainy and well….dark. Whereas, harsh light coming from directly above, below, or from the side emphasizes texture, shows every imperfection, and casts unflattering shadows. For this reason, you should avoid taking photos midday when the sun is high in the sky and shining from directly above you. It’s better to shoot in the morning or afternoon when lighting from the sun is softer and shining from a lower angle. Golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise and right before sunset. It is an amazing time for photography because the lighting is bomb! Despite what you may think, overcast days are also great for shooting because the clouds diffuse the sunlight and act as a natural softbox.
*See photo examples below of both good & bad lighting*
- Rule Of Thirds 3️⃣
If you are using an iPhone, turn the grid on your camera. Align your subject with one of the vertical or horizontal lines. Doing this will create more tension, energy and interest in the composition of the photo rather than simply centering the subject.
- Depth Of Field 📸
Incorporating a blurry background or foreground adds nice, dreamy out of focus elements and gives your photo that extra oomph.
- Stiff Posed Shots 😬 vs. Candid Captures 💃
Instead of just standing still, looking directly at the camera and saying “Cheese,” have the photographer shoot on burst mode & MOVE! Experiment with walking, twirling, playing with your dress and laughing. These tips will help you achieve a candid photo which, in my opinion, look more natural and more aesthetically pleasing than stiff, very posed shots.
- Editing 💻
Find some bomb presets that you love and put them to good use. There are so many photographers and bloggers these days that have really amazing presets that you can find online. Presets can really enhance your photos and just take them to the next level.
I have included some of my very own travel photos below that demonstrate some of the tips outlined above. I’ve included captions with each photo explaining which tip it correlates with. I have also included some NOT so great examples to show the difference that these tips make! I hope these tips are helpful.
Share some of your favorite photos you have taken while traveling! I would love to see some inspiration!
