TAKING DIGITAL TRAVEL PHOTOS


Good travel photographs come from good trips and good trips come from good planning. Rule No. 1: Don't buy a new digital camera just before going on your trip. Be sure to test and be familiar with it before leaving.

And don't only look for the obvious―the panoramas, the strange clothes, all the things that are different from back home. Have an eye for the details. Remember that you’ll show your pictures to friends on your return, so try and give them the atmosphere and feel of the place. This is sometimes better done with a general photo plus three or so detail shots.

It’s better if you travel with a positive interest in something, rather than a "today's Wednesday, must be Mexico" attitude. Carry your camera with you at all times. The small size of most digital cameras make them ideal for this. This way you won’t miss a shot.

Don’t photograph military installations. And since 911, airports are also off limits to photographers. With the tight security around the world, it’s important to ask before you shoot.

Respect other people's cultures. Never intrude into places of prayer or private areas. Ask permission to take pictures but be prepared to sneak a shot if the answer is no. Be discreet and always polite so you don't foul it up for another photographer later on. One advantage to using a digital camera is the relative ease and quiet of its operation, especially with the simpler point-and-shoot models.

Professional photographers clean their cameras every day, immediately after returning to base. At the same time they write captions for their photographs while their memory is fresh. Carry a small notebook and make notes about the photographs you take as soon after you take them as possible. If possible, plan your next day's shooting.

For many people, travel is an experience, shared with the family. When carrying assorted hand baggage, cameras are often incidentals. Another advantage of digital cameras is that moderately priced models come with a zoom lens, so extra lenses are unnecessary. Also, many digital cameras fit into small pouches that can be slipped on a belt or carried in a purse.

Read or watch videos about your destination before departing. One of the best sources are Time-Life books, which contain both text and photographs of various locations. And don’t forget to search for travel videos online. A knowledge of local customs, main features and interesting events is helpful and will enhance your first impressions.

Try not to travel with a group, as photography is a single minded pursuit and unsympathetic people will affect the concentration needed to take good pictures. If you have to travel with a group, study the itinerary before booking your trip to make sure it allows sufficient time to go off on your own occasionally to take pictures. Be sure to be considerate of your fellow travelers and try not to make them wait too many times.

Don’t cover too many places in one day or overshoot on the first day in a new place. There’s a tendency to do this due to your excitement at being in a new culture. By overshooting early on it’s also possible to fill your digital media cards. Just when you’re beginning to get the feeling of a place, you may find that you could have put the space on your media cards to better use. On that note, it’s a good idea to purchase extra storage media cards before your trip so that you don’t have to lug a laptop along.

It’s often best to choose a location and wait for the action to come to you. Stand back and observe before shooting a number of shots. By observing the scene around you, you’ll see details that you might have missed otherwise. People going about their daily business also make interesting shots.

When visiting a foreign town, buy postcards of the places of interest. If the visit is short, the cards will save you time by enabling you to select a sight and, if there’s a language barrier, you can show them to cab drivers. Once at the sight, look for the camera angle the professional postcard photographer had chosen and try to produce a better shot. Then walk around and photograph the location from different angles. Note the position of the sun and calculate the time when the light might be better. If necessary return to the spot for a better shot.

Don’t be put off by unfavorable weather conditions. It’s possible you’ll get a unique picture of a place that has been photographed a million times before. Also, find out if there are any special events taking place while you’re in town.