7 common mistakes in travel photography
A lot of students also like traveling photography. Taking beautiful pictures in different places is the reason why many photographers also enjoy it. For novices, how can we increase the chance of taking good pictures in traveling photography? In fact, there are some skills and experience. Let me share with you seven common mistakes in travel photography!
(Error 1) Only take photos of “this tour”
Before traveling, you may search the photos of the destination on the Internet. Most of the time, the photos you see will be taken by tourists or other photographers, and will be taken in specific “hot spots”. At this time, if you only take photos according to others’ photos, you are only “copying” the photos, making your entire portfolio feel like “visiting here”. Many scenic spots taken by many people are also beautiful, so of course you can take pictures, but if time permits, you can take pictures from the following points:
Different angles, different time and light (such as sunrise, sunset, Magic Hour, etc.), different foreground or background (the same protagonist can also have different foreground and background to make more changes in the work)
(Error 2) Never let others appear in the picture
Of course, it is also good to have no strange passers-by entering the scene many times, but it is difficult to avoid crowding tourists in popular scenic spots. At this time, it is advisable to use your mind, use the crowd as a foil, and make passers-by a part of the picture!
(Error 3) Laziness or lack of patience
We often remind students that “laziness” is one of the biggest obstacles to taking beautiful pictures in photography (especially in travel photography)! Because many wonderful pictures should also be taken in the proper light, such as catching the sunrise in the morning, the Magic Hour after sunset, or shooting the starry sky in the middle of the night. If you stay in the hotel because of laziness, it is really difficult to take beautiful pictures! So when you feel tired, remember to tell yourself “Don’t be lazy”!
In addition to not being lazy, patience is also a must for a photographer. When your ideal picture has not yet appeared, don’t hurry to leave for the next scenic spot. Sometimes the weather changes a lot, and the whole environment will become different just by staying a little longer! Therefore, remember to reserve enough time for shooting (and waiting) when traveling.
(Error 4) Only shoot at the preset “best viewing place”
Many famous scenic spots will also have “viewing platforms” or “best viewing places”, and most tourists will also take photos here. If you want to take different pictures, you can find out if you can take better pictures in nearby places before leaving for the destination, for example:
Highland: find a higher shooting point, or run directly to the other side of the lake on the mountain. If you are shooting the lake view, consider whether there is a better shooting place around the lake (the same with the mountain view) (after arriving). Find a location near the “best viewing place”
(Error 5) Don’t pay attention to details
In addition to the big scenes, there are many subtle things to be photographed in the scenic spots during the trip. They may be interesting textures and shadows on the ground, or grass on the wall. They can also become works under your camera. Shooting these easily missed details at multiple points can not only add more changes to the whole trip collection, but also effectively train your “photographic eyes”!
(Error 6) Travel with partners who don’t like shooting
One of the biggest mistakes of travel photography is to “go with partners who don’t like to take pictures”. Photographers often need to climb mountains and wade in the water to take pictures, and because they need to take pictures in the right light, it is also a chore to stay for an hour or two. In addition to the time for setting tripods, filters and adjusting cameras, people who don’t like to take pictures must feel impatient (thinking: take so long? Is it OK to take pictures with mobile phones?), In this way, you are also embarrassed to stay more, resulting in the failure to take the best picture.
(Error 7) Only take photos during the whole journey
In the travel photography class, one of the key points is to advise students not to “focus on shooting all the time”. Although it is difficult to resist the temptation of the beautiful scenery along the way, if you can reserve some time to feel with your heart, sometimes it is more meaningful than continuous shooting! In addition, you can also put down the camera and let your head relax during this period. You will find that the next time you pick up the camera, your perception will be different, and you can notice more details!
