Capturing that perfect travel image

The common misconception about traveling is that every moment holds an opportunity to take the perfect shot. While there is some truth to this, it is mostly false. Many photographers, especially the newer ones, have a hard time capturing the magnificence they see with the naked eye. They snap several images in succession hoping that the perfect one is among the bunch. They may get lucky, but they also might just be wasting time.

Image source: Intrepidtravel.com

There are ways though to make sure you take a great shot while traveling, but the most effective on is to humanize your shot.

Taking shots of places and landscapes may be amazing, but to capture the real essence of travel, “humanize” the shot. This means you should take pictures with people in it. This added dimension captures different cultures and histories, as well as stories the people have. For instance, taking a picture of a farm is quite different when a farmer is seen tying together haystacks or gathering cattle in one place.

For other cultures, colorful clothing creates an entirely different image. Imagine going to New Orleans and taking pictures of an empty street ready for Mardi Gras and taking one a few hours later with a street filled with merrymakers.

People add a personality to an image, especially one geared toward the exploration of strange lands. There is a certain quality, whether joy or sadness or pride or despair, that is embedded in a photograph of a historic place that people bring to life.

Image source: Lifehack.org

I’m Dr. James DeVellis from New York City. Lately, I’ve been on the road a lot for travel and nature photography. Learn more about me and the stuff I love by subscribing to my blog.

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Dr. James DeVellis

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