What began as a pastime or hobby can quickly become an obsession when it comes to travel photography. It’s no wonder; an image captured and shared with the world often communicates more than words ever could. It’s how we can save our memories, tell stories, and express our appreciation of what we’ve experienced. But to move beyond amateur shots and into the realm of the professional photographer takes time, effort, skill, and dedication. In this article, we’ll explore the steps needed to expand your travel photography skills from amateur to pro level.
1. Taking the First Steps to Professional Travel Photography
Travel photography is a highly sought-after form of artistry. Capturing the beauty of the world, documenting culture, and helping those at home feel a sense of wanderlust—these are some of the many reasons why people take up this challenging craft. But getting started in professional travel photography can be a daunting task.
The first step is to decide on your subject matter. Are you interested in street photography? Landscapes? Portraiture? With social media’s vast array of new tools and marketing opportunities, don’t forget to take into account how you can maximize your images’ reach. In other words, focus on finding the unique angle that will be sure to draw the most attention.
We recommend that you study the works of established travel photographers in order to gain perspective on the industry and familiarize yourself with the various techniques to uncover the beauty in any given area. Taking photography classes or even joining an online course can give you a better understanding of composition, angles, lighting, and framing.
Once you have a portfolio of work, you can start building a social media presence or connecting with travel magazines to promote and share your work. Additionally, it’s always helpful to have a technical understanding of your camera settings, and of course the places you plan to photograph. These steps will help get you on the right track to showcasing your travel photography.
2. Mastering the Art of Composition
Knowing how to compose an image for a visual impact is a critical aspect of photography. For the most part, composition starts as soon as you click the shutter, but there are a few ideas to keep in mind to help you get that money shot.
- The Rule of Thirds – One of the most popular compositional elements used in photography is the Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds is both a guide and a reminder to arrange the elements of your photo for the greatest effect.
- Simple is Often Better – What’s the simplest way to capture the subject of your photograph? This is a great place to start as a lot of the time it works best. It’s a great way to convey the emotion of the photo clearly.
- Make Use of Leading Lines – Lines are your helpers when it comes to composition. Instead of aimlessly pointing the camera straight ahead, use lines on the ground, walls, and other items in the immediate area to lead the eye towards the subject of your photo.
Experimentation and practice is the best way to become proficient at composition and to find out which rules you want to break. Look for the brightest part of an image and keep your horizon line level to make the photo look professional. Break up monotony with angles and experiment with different perspectives. Take your photo, outline a compositional form that you believe works, and then use it as the basis for your work.
Embrace the creative process and let each photograph take you further and further away from the rulebook.
3. Expanding Your Knowledge of Camera Settings
One of the biggest components of becoming a great photographer is developing a finesse for adjusting your camera’s settings. While a lot of the instructions in your camera’s manual can be confusing, it is worth putting in the effort to understand them. Here are a few tips to help you on your way to becoming a photographic virtuoso.
- Shutter Speed: A setting you will almost always be playing with. Shutter speed is the amount of time your camera’s shutter is left open to capture light. A shorter shutter speed is often used to freeze motion-perfect for capturing skaters or runners in action. A longer, slower shutter speed can help add a sense of motion, like blurred wheel spokes to show the speed of a cyclist.
- Aperture: Aperture is the size of the opening of your camera’s lens. When you open it up, or use a larger aperture, more light comes through, helping you take pictures in darker settings. More light also means that less of the frame is in focus when using a wider aperture, making it ideal for creative blur effects.
- ISO: ISO determines how sensitive your camera is to the light. Commonly, when shooting handheld, you would want to keep the ISO as low as possible, to avoid grainy photos. A low ISO also means that you may not be able to take handheld photos in lower light, so this setting is often adjusted accordingly for the situation.
Understanding the settings on your camera is a great starting point for becoming a better photographer. To get a true understanding, put these into practice. Find different situations to experiment with all 3 settings and take creative risks. This will give you a great foundation to build on your photography skills and will help you start creating powerful images.
The more you familiarize yourself with your camera, the better you will become at understanding how to use your settings at developing inspiring and beautiful shots. Take your time to explore and have fun with your camera. You may be surprised at the creative results!
4. Navigating the Professional Photography Landscape
Getting to grips with the professional photography landscape isn’t the easiest task. Here are a few tips to help guide you on your way.
- Familiarize yourself with business essentials – Many photographers get hung up trying to take the perfect picture, but success as a professional photographer also requires an awareness of practical aspects. This includes understanding contracts, pricing, and how to market your services.
- Network and build a portfolio – By attending local events, pitching your services to established industry professionals, and submitting work to competitions, you can considerably increase your visibility and gain recognition for your work.
- Explore online platforms – From social media to online marketplaces, there is a vast number of ways to connect with potential customers and showcase your work. With the right approach, you can quickly and effectively reach a global audience.
Though the professional photography landscape can sometimes appear intimidating, if you arm yourself with knowledge, persistence, and a strong portfolio, you can launch a successful business.
Start researching local networking events, look up photographers whose work inspires you, and boost your reputation online. Seize everyd opportunity to develop and hone your craft, and you
Aspiring pro travel photographers, the time is now to cultivate your skills and take your work to the next level! With the right training strategies, determination and passion, you too can ignite your creative spirit and embark on the journey of creating captivating works of travel photography. What are you waiting for? The world awaits your artistry!
