Some people collect souvenirs while some collect gorgeous pictures on their cameras while traveling.

It was unfortunate that for the last year, due to the pandemic, traveling became prohibited. And I believe that many of you missed going out and going to different places for a vacation. Fortunately, thanks to the different apps such as TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, and the like, people shared their experiences that make you still connected to the world.

However, going on an “actual” vacation is still the best opportunity to take beautiful photos. What’s more, it is also the best time to practice your travel photography especially if you are just a beginner. Good thing, as the world is starting to open up its doors and people can now go to different places (but you still need to practice safe health protocols), you can all once again travel and start taking photos.

How do you start your travel photography?

Learning how to capture different subjects through photos is one of the best ways to keep your memories especially when you are traveling. Aside from that, it can also be an opportunity to earn money and make it a business.

If you are a beginner, here are some tips that you can use to capture amazing and beautiful photos that are worthy to share on your social media platforms.

Common terms in photography

So, before giving you a few tips on how to capture photos, it is also helpful that you are familiar with the different photography terms to help you understand what you are doing or what you are about to do.

Aperture: this is the size of the opening in the lens. A smaller aperture will allow less light in whereas a wide-open aperture will allow more light to come in for a brighter picture. This will also affect how the focus is in the image you’ve captured.

ISO: This is a type of setting that will enable you to brighten or darken your photo depending on the lighting conditions of the place. Hence, increasing your ISO will brighten your photos. It can also help when shooting in dark places.

Exposure: this is how dark or light an image is and is controlled through the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

Shutter speed: this is the part of the camera that opens and closes to let the light in. The speed of the shutter is how the amount of time it stays open. The longer it’s open, the more light is allowed to come in. But if something moves while the shutter is open, it will become blurry. For this reason, having a tripod helps a lot.

Noise: in photos, noise makes them grainy. For example, photos that have high ISO usually have a lot of noise. Therefore, it is best to use the lowest ISO as much as possible for the amount of light you can use for your photo. You can reduce the noise in your photo by editing them after you took them.

And without any more delays, here are the tips you’ve been waiting for:

Wake up early but stay out late

When taking photos, the time of the day is very important. Light is one of the most important ingredients when it comes to photography. Hence, getting up early will allow you to capture amazing photos because of the soft, warm, morning light.

When you also wake up early, you don’t have to deal with a lot of tourists and other photographers which will make it easier for you to take photos of famous landmarks.

However, mornings are not only the time to catch good light. Sunsets are also one of the best times to click on some photos as you see golden lights with soft, warm tones that are pleasing to the eyes. The hour after sunset can also serve as your inspiration as you can see different hues of color as the city lights are all turned on.

Unique angles

Try and check out different angles. If you’ve seen photographers or people crouching or lying on the ground – you may already know that they are looking for the best angle. Give it a go and do the same thing. Experiment with different angles so you can choose and create a unique angle fitted for the photo you’ve captured.

Shoot photos in aperture mode

To add background blur, shoot on aperture priority mode using a large aperture and focus on the subject to create a beautiful blur behind. This can be achieved best by using prime lenses like 50mm or 85mm lenses.

Keep hands steady

Ensuring that your hands are steady will avoid the dreaded blur. If you don’t have a tripod yet, be creative and use different things that are on hand like placing the camera on a pavement, a table, a trash can, your friend’s back – whatever will keep the camera steady while taking a picture.

But if you find that the photos are blurry after keeping them still, you might want to check your setting and do the necessary adjustments.

Look for something unusual

Keep an eye for things that are different and unusual. Find things that are interesting, colorful, or cultural that you can include in your photo. Work on the details and capture different things or moments. It can be something unique from that place or something that may be “out of place”.

Practice, practice, practice

Finally, when you are a frequent traveler, make it a habit to keep on capturing different photos. We all know that practice makes perfect and with you traveling around the globe, you will have a lot of experience doing so.

Take advantage of the time while you are at that place because you will never know, you may find the perfect shot you are looking for!