How To Capture Engaging Travel Locations
Make sure you pack a spare memory card and extra batteries when you hit the road with your digital camera. These compact picture-takers are perfect travel companions, but you don’t want to run out of storage space or juice halfway through your trip.
When you’re on the road, approach your travel photography the same way a director thinks about filming a movie scene. The first frame, often called the establishing shot, is of the point of interest itself, such as an old church. The second image is a nicely framed portrait, with an element of the structure included in the picture. If the subject warrants it, you might even want to move in very close for a third shot, or several follow-ups.
Why multiple shots? For the same reason that moviemakers use this technique. If you try to tell the whole story with just establishing shots (see figure below), your viewers may soon lose interest in the presentation, and you may miss interesting details. That’s the problem with so many vacation shots—they’re taken at too great a distance.
A beautiful landscape shot helps establish the mood of your travel location.
On the other hand, if all of your travel compositions are tightly framed, your viewers won’t know the difference between Denmark and Detroit. By using the multiple-shot approach, you establish both the setting and the detail of each location. This method is particularly effective when building slideshows.
But don’t stop there! Be sure to photograph details of the area too. This will make your presentations more compelling.
Pro Tips
Don’t forget to take pictures of signs and placards. It’s a lot easier than taking notes about locations, and the information comes in very handy when recounting your travel experiences. Signs can also be a source of humor for your presentation—you never know what some people are going to post in public!
Pictures of signs don’t always have to be serious. Sometimes they can add a little humor to your presentation.
