Introduction

Everyone loves vacation. Usually when we travel, no matter how far and wide, new or beaten path, we all love to document our experiences.

Sometimes it’s our our simple vacation to some nearest locations for a change. Or sometimes we do travel to get some inspiration for our photography.

Travel photography is by far the most loved genre of photography. Here are few tips that will surely help you maximize your productivity while doing travel photography.

1. Pick the right gear.

Selecting proper gear is of prime importance in my opinion. It somewhat depends upon the purpose of vacation. Very few people actually travel only for photography. Majority of people just want to clear their minds. They want to enjoy and have a good time. And in the process they want some good photographs.

The key is to travel as light as possible. For me its just one camera body with one walk around lens. I try not to pack a complete camera bag with 2,3 lenses, laptop and accessories etc.

I always take my canon 6D with sigma 24-70 f2.8 lens. Yes I do miss 20mm focal length for landscapes and 135mm for street portraits. But keeping just one camera-lens setup forces me to look for creative alternatives.

Check out my article on Contrastly : How a single camera and lens can improve your photography. In this article Inexplained how I used Fuji x70 during my entire vacation. It has a fixed focal length of 28mm. If you are into street photography Fuji x70 will be your perfect partner. Check my review of fujix70.

2. Document your own Journey too.

It’s very easy to dive too deep into photography while You are on your vacations. Remember, vacations are meant to enjoyable and if you are too serious about your photographs, you will end up feeling exhausted by the end.

Document your entire journey along the way. Take photographs of your car, hotel room, restaurants where you dine and any tour guide or local food. Capture all the crazy and silly moments. Its these photos that you will cherish after 10 years.

While documenting all these things, you might get a lot of good professional photographs as well. I always try to take proper portraits of people I am interacting while I am on journey. I met one old guy (shop keeper) once on my vacation. I took his portrait and that picture ended up as full page feature on Digital Photo Magazine.

3. Hire a Local Photographer as guide.

Not all of us can afford a tour guide, yet alone a photographer guide. But if you are serious about photography or you are on some project, hiring a local photographer will go along way.

Local photographers knows all about the place. they know which time and location is best for which type of photograph. They know where permissions are required and where you can simply sneak and take your shots quickly.

You can search local photographers on instagram. Contact them using DM and describe what you want exactly. Once agreed on a price, you are good to go. I used that concept and now I started my own business based on this.

If you are coming to Muscat,Oman, feel free to contact me ( im.zahid@hotmail.com ) for any photography tour, Photography workshop or on-location vacation shoots.

4. Make the Most out of your time.

Unless you are on a specific project, don’t be too eager. Divide your day time into chunks of time for photography and leisure. Golden and blue hours are definitely important and should be taken seriously for good landscape and outdoor portrait shots.

But after sun is high enough or after dark, still you can do a lot. Harsh light might be bad for landscapes but it is very good for street photography. You can make use of strong light and shadows during this time while walking inside markets and pathways. Night time is good for documenting night life of a city. Even same place looks enitrely different during daylight and night time.

So use your time wisely. Also use bad light for your leisure as much as possible. I usually take a sandwich or some snacks during actual shoot and go to restaurants, movies,shopping and meeting friends during bad light. That way I utilize my time more efficiently and balance my photography/leisure time.

5. Do your Homework.

It doesn’t matter whether you hire a local guide, photographer or you have a friend. Always do your homework before going to vacation. Always search for worthy locations and local activities. It will help you in making a blue print of what kind of photographs you might end Up when your vacation finishes.

When you are hiring a guide or photographer, always contact them and discuss these in advance. Check with your fellow photographers or friends who have been there. Once your homework is done. It will be much easier for you to check if everything is going in a right direction or not.

6. Mingle with locals.

If you really want to make the most out of your vacation, try to communicate with locals. I know, when you are travelling to distant places, there is a language gap. But you will always find someone that can do it for you or someone that knows a little bit of English.

Communication with locals open new areas for you. You might get unexpected opportunities of photography. Your knowledge will widen as you start communicating with them. You will start to know their customs and traditions etc.

I always communicate with locals and try to capture the real essence of that area. For street and portrait photography, it is the best strategy.

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7. Don’t Compromise on your Safety.

Not all countries and cities are completely safe. Even some of the safest countries have few cities that are not safe. So, if someone informs you about something, do take it seriously. If you end up losing your expensive gear or get injured, it will ruin your vacation.

Don’t try to look too overly classy. Hide your brand name on your gear. Keep your eyes open if you think something fishy is going around. Always check with locals about security situation if you are in a city that has a bad reputation.

Some places require permission from certain authorities before taking pictures. Check for these things from local guides or hotel staff first.

Conclusion.

The key to good travel photography is a combination of being at the right place at right time. Whether you are a PRO or an amateur photographer. Whether you have an expensive camera setup or a simple point and shoot. These travel photography tips will still be applicable to you.

And last but not the least. Travel photography is supposed to be fun. So keep it that way. Don’t stress out if you are not getting good shots. Just keep your cool and make use of your time based on my tips while enjoying your vacation.

Peace.