Captivating travel photographs are more than the typical snapshots that everyone takes when they are on holiday – they go beyond in order to capture a moment or portray the unique feeling of the destination. If you are becoming more serious about your travel photography and you want to improve your skills, there are some things that you can do in order to create more captivating travel photography.
Keep Things Simple
Sometimes we make the mistake of trying to capture too much in one photo, which just makes the shot overwhelming and confusing. It is often better to cut out the clutter and focus your image on one subject. This will ensure that the attention of the viewer is where you want it to be and it will highlight the specific beauty of what you are focusing on.
Think About the Rule of Thirds
One of the basic rules of artistic composition is the Rule of Thirds. To understand this, imagine a photo divided up vertically and horizontally into thirds. The idea is that any elements in the photo that are placed at the intersections of these divisions will be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. For example, if you are taking a photo of a castle in the countryside, don’t place the castle right in the centre of the photo. Instead, move the camera to the left or right so that there is two thirds of the space on one side of the castle and one third on the other. This will make the composition automatically more pleasing to the eye.
Look for Interesting Light
The light within a photo can turn it from ordinary to extraordinary, so look for opportunity where you can capture an interesting type of light – such as the purple soft light just before sunrise, or the golden glow of the late afternoon. Think about what lighting situation would highlight your subject best and return at that time for an amazing photo.
Show a Sense of Scale
If you are photographing a landscape or a huge monument, try including a person or a few people in the frame so that you can give a sense of the scale. It will help people realize how vast the scene really is, as well as adding a visual focal point.
Get Up Close
When you are taking photos of people, animals or scenes of everyday life, they will be much more captivating if you can get closer to your subjects. When photographing children, crouch down to their level. When getting shots of a street performer, get as close as possible so no other audience members are in the way. Of course, if you are getting close to random people on the street to take their photograph – it is always polite to ask for their permission first!
These are just a few guidelines to keep in mind which will help you to make your travel photographs better and more captivating, so that you can highlight the beauty of your destination.
Evan Sharboneau is the person that took all these Photos above and his Photography Tutorials guide With Step-By-Step Instructions is impressive and very helpful. And it's all done with just a regular camera. Definitely worth checking out.