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TRAVEL
PHOTOGRAPHY

20 TIPS BY KARA MERCER

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 KARAMERCER
Kara Mercer is a commercial and editorial photographer, and art director based in Seattle,
Washington. She specialises in developing content for fashion, travel and lifestyle brands.
Known for her use of light and her eye for creative direction, Kara believes every image
should stand strongly on its own, while also contributing a unique yet complementary voice
when serving as part of a collection. Her work is influenced as much by minimalism and
thought-provoking conversations as it is by contemporary studies in human psychology and
the emotive, sometimes ethereal feel of romanticism. With these influences, she seamlessly
combines playful narratives with a timeless aesthetic for commercial media campaigns (print
and digital) and editorial work.
Today, her work has been featured in several magazines, Huffpost, Buzzfeed, FujiFilm and
more.

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1
THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM
Always wake up for sunset while on your travels. I came prepared for this job
in New Zealand with a variety of lenses and it did not disappoint! If you aren’t
in remote areas, places can become overrun with people, making it hard to
get clean shots. That time of day, the light is perfect for shooting just about
anywhere, too.

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2
GET LOST
When travelling, I often mark places that I want to see or experience. Yet the
best thing ever is just happening upon really amazing locations. Part of our
job as photographers is to seek out the unknown, tell stories about the journey
and get off the typical path. Wandering through unknown areas of a city can
be so rewarding.

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3
NEVER MISS A MOMENT
Even if I am on out for the day, I always carry my X-T2. Often the lens is a
35mm or 23mm. You don’t have to be on some crazy far-away place to capture
stunning scenery. This sunset was so unexpected and right by the beach we
were staying at in Oregon. So always be ready for the moments happening
in your life by carrying your camera with you. Change up the focal lengths for
variety too!

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4
BE PATIENT
Shooting great travel images doesn’t just come in one click of your shutter.
Sometimes there are a sequence of events you are waiting to play out or
something to move out of your frame. With the ease of snapping hundreds of
images, maybe just wait and focus on capturing the best image of the scene
in front of you.

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OBSERVE THE WORLD AROUND YOU
Getting to know your settings really well, as well as your camera, sets you up for
success. You never want to be fiddling with settings while a beautiful moment
passes you by. I often feel more present capturing a photo because I am truly
taking in all the world around me. So just watch, listen and observe the life
happening before your eyes.

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6
MOOD
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I am no stranger to crazy weather! The wind
and rain add such interesting elements to a place. It is always so interesting to
see how a place can look in bright sunlight, and crazy wind and rain. Don’t limit
your work to just the sunny days. There is so much feeling and mood translated
in various weather conditions.

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7
DIRECTING A SCENE
Lifestyle images have more interest by mimicking real life events. By directing
the scene and adding the reflection of the pool, I created leading lines around
my scene. Always look for ways to direct your subjects and use elements such
as light and reflection to enhance what you are directing.

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8
HIDE IN THE SHADE
Shooting conditions in the noon light aren’t always favourable. Images can
be harder to edit to your typical standards in harsh light conditions. Keep the
colours soft and bold by knowing when and where to move your subject.

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9
UPPING THE KELVIN
Travelling in the winter can be amazing, as it is off-season and there are less
people crowding the streets. The tricky part comes in when everything looks
really grey and not as vibrant. One of my favourite ways to give warmth to a
grey/overcast scene is to up the Kelvin. It turns a grey overcast day with less
vibrant colour into a soft, warm feeling.

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10
REFRAME
One of the biggest mistakes I see in new photographers is their acceptance of a
frame as it is. No matter how great your lens is, one must always move to gain
a better angle or framing. Move onto rocks, walk a few feet back, and don’t be
afraid to direct your subject to create the perfect framing.

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11 PERSPECTIVE
Always shift your focal length to enhance a story or scene. I love how
lightweight all my Fujifilm gear is, as it allows be to come more prepared with a
few lenses on my travels. I love my XF16mm or XF23mm lenses as it allows me
to capture a fuller scene, with more context. The context formulates a broader
scene, which translates into actually feeling like you’re a part of it.

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12 SHADOW & LIGHT
Lighting is the hero to all great images! I truly believe that light changes any
scene and adds so much interest. Don’t be afraid to experiment with lighting
and upping your f-stop.

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13 FILM SIMULATIONS
Test out all the Fujfilm film simulations. There is nothing more amazing than
seeing how much they change up a single frame. When I find colours to be too
harsh, I love shooting in Classic Chrome. It tends to soften the colours, resulting in
a more classic old magazine style. This simulation creates a perfect starting point
for my edits once out of camera.

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14 GET OFF THE GROUND
Packing a variety of lenses comes in handy when you get to fly above spectacular
views like this in New Zealand. The XF90mm is one of my absolute favourite
lenses to shoot with from an aerial view. If I am shooting on the GFX, I tend to
use the GF110mm.

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15 WHEN TO ZOOM
Commercial aeroplanes typically provide the most picturesque views when
approaching for the landing. On every flight, I always choose the window.
Just before landing, I pull out my X-T2 with an XF16-55mm. The range allows
me to create multiple frames in a short period of time before arriving at my
destination. These images have become some of my favourite frames to date.

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16 TELL A STORY
Not every culture appreciates a camera in their face. Even though I asked permission
to shoot images in my Jordanian friend’s home, it was respectful to shoot them quickly
and get back to conversation with the crew. Always know the lens that fits each
situation and create custom functions on your camera to complete the job in a quicker
fashion. As a photographer, building a bond with others and respecting them is just as
important in telling the story as how we tell the story. I used a XF23mm for this image.

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17 LANDSCAPES
If you aren’t familiar with shooting landscapes, you may not know that sunrise
is the best time to capture many secluded spots. This lake is like pure bright
turquoise glass early in the morning. By sunset, it is pretty choppy and doesn’t
look quite the same. I tend to shoot landscapes in the earlier hours of the
day, no lower than f/4. Adding a higher F-stop gives more detail to your frame.
Underexposing a few stops will help you retain all the detail in the mountains,
reflection, and water.

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18 SPOT METERING
In order to balance light and dark backgrounds, I always spot meter. This allows
me to preserve my highlights and brings out shadow detail. Spot metering
measures light reflected from only a small area of a subject of a scene, so in a
way it is like a laser reading of 2% of the frame. In this case, I metered an area
that was trees and fog to gain the perfect exposure.

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19 KEEP IT SIMPLE
Style a frame if needed. Put elements in your images that make a place feel
like home. Your job is to understand your gear but to be aware of all the details.
A simple capture like this can change in feeling, just by adding a sweater over
the chair and shoes.

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20 TRIPOD FOR THE WIN
Shooting as a voyeuristic photographer, from the side-lines, with a long zoom is
going to yield lovely images but it won’t really give clients those images that will
remind them exactly of how the day unfolded. If you try and be like a guest, dress
like a guest and position yourself like a guest, you’ll get images from a guest’s eye
point of view. Those images will tell a story from a powerful and meaning viewpoint.

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