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Ten Tips for
Travel Photographers
Part 2
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By Bob Krist
Bob was voted "Travel Photographer of the Year" in 1994 by the Society of American Travel Writers
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3. SEIZE THE (WHOLE) DAY
It's no secret that the most beautiful light occurs early in the morning and late in the afternoon. In fact, John Loengard, the former picture editor of LIFE, once quipped that "Teachers don't work in the summer, and photographers don't shoot in in the middle of the day." In a perfect world, that may be true, but most of us need to utilize the whole day while we're on location.
To make the most of my time, I'll shoot my scenics and exteriors in the early morning and late afternoon. I save interiors and closeup shots, location scouting and phone call returning for the middle of the day, when the light is more harsh. If I need to shoot people in the middle of the day, I look for backlight or open shade, using fill flash or a reflector to open shadows and add sparkle.
You can "stretch" the nice warm light of early morning or late afternoon, adding another hour of good light, by using a warming filter, an 81C or 81 EF. These filters mimic the warmth of the early morning/late afternoon sun and as long as the sun is somewhat low in the sky (two to three hours before sunset or after sunrise), the effect is very natural looking. Do this at noon, however, and it will look phony and contrived.
Finally, don't quit shooting when the sun goes down. Sure, everyone loves to shoot the sunset itself, but how many stick around for the afterglow and the dusk? This half hour or so after sunset, when there is still color in the sky, is such a favorite time to shoot that it is known as the "magic hour" by many photographers. It's the ideal time to shoot skylines, lighted monuments, and even landscapes.
4. STANDARDIZE AND KEEP IT SIMPLE
A trip on location is not an excuse to load everything you own into bags and take it with you. True, I take backups for my most-used lenses and cameras, but they stay locked up in the hotel room and hopefully, I won't need to use them. As a rule, if I can't comfortably carry it around all day in my bag, it stays at home or back in the hotel. Travel photography is a very fluid thing and you must be able to react quickly.
And you can't react quickly if you're loaded down with gear. Unfortunately, today you can't safely leave anything in the trunk of a rental car anywhere, so that's no longer an option.
I was recently on a press trip in the Caribbean with a photographer who had everything. Whenever we spotted a picture and stopped the van, my colleague took about 10 minutes to load himself up with a huge 300mm lens, a big tripod, a fisheye lens, an extra fannypack, etc. Spontaneous grab shots and found moments were, of course, out of the question. And by the time he emerged, festooned with all the gear, the picture was gone (and I was finished shooting it) , and he became the center of attention instead of capturing it on film.
To further lighten my load, I standardize whenever possible. Batteries, for instance, are a necessary evil for a traveling photographer, and their weight and bulk can easily add up to a major burden. Everything I carry -- cameras, flash units, battery packs, meters, travel alarm, flashlight, shortwave radio, etc. -- runs on AA batteries. I don't need to carry four different types of batteries, just a whole slew of reasonable, easily replaced AAs. Once, on a domestic flight in India, all my batteries, including those already in cameras and flashes, were confiscated from my carryon bags before I boarded. They were supposed to be returned to me upon arrival, but somehow during the flight , the batteries disappeared. I was left literally powerless in the middle of rural southern India. Even in this fairly remote location though, AAs were easy to find, and I was up and running again in no time.
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Copyright 2006 Bob Krist. Reproduced with permission. No Internet reproduction or other usage permitted. For more information send an email. Bob's next book will be PhotoSecrets 101 Tips for Travel Photographers
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