Compared to even a few years ago, the world is a much smaller place. Budget airlines, cheap deals and the internet have opened up travel like never before. Many of us of course take our cameras with us on our travels. Going to new places can open your eyes to new photographic possibilities as well as ways to improve your overall photographic technique.What to Know Before You Go Many people take far too much away with them and the same can be said for photographers. We have multiple lenses, filters, tripods, flashguns and all the other paraphernalia that go with our chosen hobby. Add it up and it will come to some serious weight, so unless you are planning your trip solely as a commercial-based venture, lose some of the equipment and enjoy the trip. First and foremost, you will need a camera. If you have more than one, pick the best and leave the other body at home. If you are worried about camera failure, then take a decent compact as a back up, the results from modern compacts fall not far short of a DSLR, except maybe under difficult lighting conditions. Ifyou have a selection of lenses consider taking ‘one or two. Better still, if you have a super zoom, take that instead; it will cover all the bases. For filters, you will probably only need a polarizer. Most other filters can be replicated in Photoshop to a certain degree. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyWhether or not you take a flash will be a subjective decision. If you plan on taking a lot of people portraits outside or interiors, then it may be worth taking along, if not you may find the pop up flash on your camera may suffice. The same applies with a tripod: think carefully whether you need one. Most modern DSLR's handle low light very well. If you do need something, consider a monopod. The other big question you will need to answer is whether to take some form of backup for your images. This can be in the form of a media drive, or perhaps a netbook or laptop. If you plan on shooting a lot and want to edit on your travels, then it is worth taking a laptop but just remember that for virtually everything electronic that you take, you will also need chargers. The ‘one charger you must take is the camera battery charger; as good as modern lithium batteries are, it is unlikely you will get through even a weekend break without needing a charge, so make sure that is in your bag. Traveling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyOne last tip: anything valuable should go as hand luggage. Don't take the chance of putting anything of value in checked luggage. Check your airline's hand baggage requirement and use a camera bag that fits inside their guidelines to be on the safe side. = So you are planned and packed, and the journey is about to begin. In the next sections, we will have a look at some of the things budding travel photographers should look out for on their trip. = Traveling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyBRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY ‘The Keys to Finding Great Subjects in a New Place Whilst some people could happily spend two weeks lying on a beach, there are many of us that are drawn to the big cities. As photographers, cities provide an endless source of photographic possibilities throughout the day. Most major cities are 24-hour frenetic, chaotic places, and you should try to capture that in your photographs. Transport in cities is always a great source of travel photos; from London's iconic red buses to the yellow cabs of New York ‘or the Coco Cabs of Havana. Look for the details, inside and out: a Ganesh hanging inside an Indian Tut Tut, the expressionless commuters on a subway train. It is here that a good compact is useful. Its small size allows you to be a little more discreet than with a larger DSLR. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyMany of the world’s iconic cities are defined by their architecture. In many places, you can trace a city’s history through its buildings. Do your research before you go. Shoot not only the big, well known landmarks but look for the lesser known but equally beautiful places as well. Don’t just take the big picture, search out interesting and unusual angles. Use a good telephoto and pick off the details. Some iconic landmarks can be identified by a close up; the clock of Big Ben or the graceful curves of the Sydney Opera house, for instance. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographySometimes, you can shoot an image that is just a suggestion of the landmark; for example, when shooting blossom on a tree, shoot a wide aperture. Position yourself so that the background is identifiable, but in focus. The end result will be a colorful shot in an instantly recognizable location. Another thing to look for in cities are events. Before you go, check if there are any interesting events happening such as carnivals or religious festivals. Some cities have daily rituals such as the firing of the midday canon in Valetta, Malta, or the changing of the guards in a number of Northern European cities such as Copenhagen or London. These make great photo opportunities. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel Photography“Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel Photography When shooting events, capture not only the event itself but look for the little details. Bring a telephoto lens to isolate individuals. Keep a keen eye out for something unusual, like a soldier out of step or the joy in a child's face. If you can get close to the event, a good wide angle can be useful. Get down low and zoom ‘out to capture the drama. If the event allows participation, get into the crowds, join in and shoot. At carnivals and street parties, most people are enjoying themselves and are more often very open to having pictures taken.WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Photographing People on Your Travels A country or city is most often defined by its people but getting photographs of locals can be a daunting task, especially if you are a little reserved. The two main approaches to photographing people on location are by doing it candidly cor by asking their permission to do so. Shooting candidly, you can capture people at their least self-conscious. It is better to use a long, telephoto lens with a reasonably fast shutter speed set, shutter priority is your friend here. Look for people doing interesting things and observe for a while what they are doing. This way, you can get the timing of your shots right. Just people's expressions can make a great shot, like someone's joy at meeting an old friend or the world-weary look of a vagrant on the streets. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyThe idea of candid photography is not to get seen, so try to conceal yourself behind a column or, if you have a flip screen camera, use this to get the shots. If your subject sees you and is not happy, then acknowledge them with a wave and an apology then move ‘on. An alternative way to shoot candids is to use a wide angle in a confined space such as a bar or club. The beauty of a wide angle is that you can capture the character of the location whilst keeping the locals in shot to the edge of the frame. The other approach for shooting local people is of course the direct approach. It can take some effort to get over personal inhibitions and build the courage to talk to a stranger, but it is often worthwhile. This technique is easier in some places than others, but the best policy is to be confident and smile. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyIf the language is an issue, just mimic with your camera what you would like to do. Sometimes it is easier to get the shots with a compact camera as these can appear less threatening than a bulky DSLR. As well as shooting close ups of the person, try to show them in their environment and interacting with friends or colleagues. If the person is open to being photographed, keep shooting and your subject will relax, and perhaps even forget that you are there. If your subject shows any sign of irritation then thank them and leave. In some places around the world, particularly impoverished countries, you may get asked for money to take photographs. You need to think carefully and decide for yourself whether you wish to do this. My policy has been not to give money. However, | do keep a selection of “presents” in my bag such as biros and sweets for children; this often is as much appreciated as money. Traveling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyWALK IN THE WooDs Photographing Rural Areas Whilst the major cities of the world can be a photographer's dream, the rural and wild parts of a country can be as equally photogenic. Villages can be great places to get good travel images, and the slower more sedate lifestyle will rub off on you, giving you more time to compose and take your shots. Village life often revolves around one or two locations, usually the local religious building or the market. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyChurches, temples, and mosques can be great places to photograph. From the minarets and domes of Islamic architecture to the gothic spires of Northern European churches, externally these buildings are of exquisite beauty to shoot. Inside, take a wide angle and be prepared to use a high ISO, as the interiors can be dark. Respect the religion; for example, remove your shoes if entering a mosque and make sure you check whether photography is allowed. Photographing people at prayer can be a difficult subject to approach and you will need to decide whether your shots will disturb the worshiper. “Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyOutside the villages, agricultural shots can make for very evocative travel images, from the women working the rice paddies of South East Asia to the modern tractor harvesting a field of golden wheat in England. Farm buildings often make colorful subjects - as with all travel shots, try to get 3 range of images, from detailed close ups to wide views showing the full environment. Further afield, the wild parts of a country can also make great travel shots. When shooting landscapes, think about features that are unique to the location, and try to incorporate them into the shot. The coastal regions are often among the most dramatic and photogenic in any country, from tiny fishing villages to steep cliffs and, of course, the idyllic beaches. Beach shots can be harder than they would seem to shoot. The whiteness of the sand will often fool a camera's meter and make the image under- exposed. Meter carefully and add about one stop extra to brighten up the image. Look for a foreground subject to balance the image such as a boat or a leaning palm tree. ‘Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyHow to Organise Your Travel Photographs So, your trip is over, you are back home with thousands of images to sort. What should you do? Well the best way to organize images is with image management software, be it simple free software like Google's Picasa or advanced pro level programs such as Adobe's Lightroom. | have always found that the best way to catalogue travel images is to organize them by date and location; for example | would have a folder named 2012-05-11 Odessa—this would contain all images taken on the 11th of May 2012 in Odessa. 2012-02-05 Odessa Arcadia Traveling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyIf you shoot two different locations in one day then use two folders or albums. Sort all your images into albums then have a quick look through and delete anything that is out of focus or generally a bad shot. Using your image management software, take a second look through and mark out the best shots by assigning them a rating or label. You can also add simple keywords to describe each shot. For example, “Big Ben’, “Tower”, “Parliament”, “London. This will make finding the images easier in the future. Lastly, once everything is catalogued and you are happy, back your images up. This could be to a DVD or an external hard drive. If possible, back up to two different drives for extra peace of mind. So, this was a brief look at getting good images, when traveling with your camera. Remember, unless you are shooting travel shots for stock or commission, try to enjoy your holiday too and don't put too much pressure ‘on yourself to get shots. You may find that this technique will lead to better images than you had expected to get. ‘Travelling Light: A Beginner's Guide to Travel PhotographyJason Row is a British-born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his site, The Odessa Files. Te orcaeeee Renae niece CUS nue eo ie Ono)