There’s no need for a fancy camera to relate to these tips, just the desire to take better photos. This travel photography series will run for 3 weeks, focusing on preparing for your trip, taking photos on the trip, and what to do with your photos when you get home. If you want to take your travel photos to the next level, read on!
BEFORE THE BIG TRIP
There’s nothing worse than going on an awesome trip, taking all kinds of photos of places you want to remember, and then getting home and realizing your photos look terrible – or worse – that your memory card was deleted or lost! Don’t leave room for disappointment when you get home. Follow these tips to ensure when you arrive at your destination you’ll be worry free and ready for whatever comes your way.
1. Love yourself enough to know your camera.
Taking a vacation is the perfect reason to get a new camera. It’s also a good motivator to learn how to use the camera you already have. You don’t want to step off the plane into your first Hawaiian sunset and miss the shot. If you’re not into reading the instruction manual, make sure you take plenty of time to play around with your camera and the different settings. Know how everything works before you leave. What if you drop your camera in the toilet and have to get a new one the day you leave? Bring the instruction manual and read it on the plane or in the car. Not while driving of course. Having the manual with you means if something goes wrong, you can look up the answer on the spot.
2. Bring extra memory cards/film and batteries
It’s always better to have extra on a vacation than to run out. I recommend thinking about how many memory cards you’ll use, and then bringing double that. Take at least 2 batteries (or sets of batteries) so you’ve got one for the day you are in and one as backup.
3. Charge all of your batteries before you go, and make sure you pack the charger. (Also a power converter if you’re heading to a different country)
4. Use more than one memory card on your trip.
Too many times I have overheard a conversation something like this: “What happened to my photos! My card got DELETED!! That means every photo I’ve taken since Christmas is gone!” Don’t let this happen to you. It’s a really good idea to change out your memory card every few days, or after important happenings, so that if something happens, you haven’t lost all of your photographs.
5. Make sure your memory cards are empty and ready to use before you leave.
Back to the conversation about Christmas photos: print them, download them onto your computer, burn them to a disc… do whatever you want – just don’t take them with you.
6. Stuff a small notebook in your bag.
When I went to Ireland last year, I thought I’d remember the names of all the different castles and landmarks and cities. Who was I kidding?! What saved me was the fact that I stuck a mini-notebook in my purse. At the end of each day I jotted down the highlights of where we went and the things we saw. This helped me identify things and places in my photographs when I got back.
7. Get a gorillapod.
It’s worth it if you don’t have a tripod. I’ll talk about some different ways to use it in next week’s travel post.
8. Don’t underestimate the value of plastic bags.
My grandma was notorious for always having ziplock and plastic bags, and now I am too. If you have an SLR camera, you can cut a circle out of the bottom of a gallon sized bag, stick your camera inside and the end of your lens out the hole––instant rain protector. You can store used memory cards in a plastic bag (labeled as such of course). You can keep batteries in a plastic bag so if your water bottle leaks they don’t get ruined. The uses are endless, and aren’t limited to photography.
9. Pack your camera in your carry-on or purse, not your suitcase.
If your camera is always at the ready, you will never be disappointed. I hate photos out airplane windows, yet I love to take them. Having my camera with me means I won’t miss the obligatory wing and clouds shot. If Tom Hanks happens to be seated next to me (or you) on the next flight, I won’t miss a photo opp. Plus, having your camera near you means it can’t get lost when your luggage does. (Did I say that? I mean if your luggage gets lost.
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10. Take a few photos before you leave.
Remember that the preparation is part of the trip. Later on, it’ll be fun to look back at the photos you took just before you left.
This photo of my backpacking gear ready to go is one of my favorites from that trip. It sums up all of my anxiety and excitement in one photo.
I also love this shot of my two hiking buddies in the parking lot at the very start of our trek.
I hope these photography tips are helpful as you prepare for your next trip. Check back next week when we’ll go over how to take better photos during your adventure.
If you have any specific questions you’d like me to answer, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will do my best to work them into next week’s post!
