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Ten Tips for
Travel Photographers
Part 4
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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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7. SHOOT PEOPLE PICTURES
One of the most common shortcomings in amateur travel photography is the lack of people pictures. Frame after frame of architecture and landscapes may be fine if architects and landscapers make up your audience, but most people want to see pictures of other people.
Shyness is the main excuse for not photographing people in your travels. Here are a few ways to overcome that shyness and break the ice.
Look for subjects with whom you naturally interact during your travels. People in the hospitality industry -- waiters, doormen, bellhops, taxi drivers, even the friendly cop who gives you directions -- are usually easy to approach and more than happy to pose for a quick picture. If you're out on the street or an outdoor market, vendors are usually amenable to a picture, especially if you buy some of their wares (it doesn't have to be expensive -- a hot dog, a few pieces of fruit, a small souvenir).
Street entertainers and artists also make great photo subjects, as their acts and art work are colorful and lively. Since these folks make their living in tips, it's appropriate to offer one if you are going to take a few pictures.
Despite what the "rules" say, you don't have to use a medium telephoto to shoot all of your people pictures. Sure, that focal length is great for headshots. But you'll want to do some environmental portraits, showing both the subject and his surroundings, with a wide angle lens too. Remember to keep chatting with your subject as you are shooting to keep his or her interest. If you fall into dead silence, or if you spend an undue amount of time fiddling with your cameras, your subject will glaze over, and the resulting pictures will suffer.
8. SEEK THE HIGH GROUND
It's all too easy to fall into a shoulder-high eye-level perspective when shooting on the road. This is fine for a majority of your pictures, but just as you want to vary your lens choice to keep your pictures interesting, you should also vary your point of view.
High angle views are perfect for travel photography. Nothing gives a better sense of place than a sweeping panorama shot from a highway viewpoint, hotel window, or an observation platform in a tower or skyscraper. High viewpoints abound in most travel situations, and they're easy to find once you've trained yourself to seek them out.
I start on arrival, always asking for a room with a view when I check into a hotel. Afterward, I am constantly on the lookout for rooftop terrace restaurants, scenic overlooks, observation decks, sky rides, elevated walkways, boardwalks, and overpasses, and if all else fails, an open window in an upper level store or restaurant.
Scenes that often look chaotic at ground level, like an outdoor market or a stand of forest, take on pattern and order when seen from above. So once you've found your perch, be sure to explore it with different focal lengths, looking for patterns and tighter shots with a telephoto as well as those sweeping vistas shot with normal and wideangle lenses.
You don't necessarily need to be outdoors to look for an elevated viewpoint. Museums, cathedrals, malls, and historic buildings often have balconies and galleries which can produce some interesting perspectives.
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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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