Hi, everyone! Karen Lao here. I’m based in Dallas, Texas, but I travel often and take lots of photos along the way. I want to share a trip I went on last May to Santiago and Easter Island, Chile. I was with a group, so the shots I wanted often had to be quick. I learned a lot about travel photography on that trip, and I wanted to share some of those tips with you today.
1) Walk and Shoot
I normally do this when I want to enjoy the scene around me without looking through my camera at all times. If you’re traveling, you’ve gotta enjoy the experience, right? Leave your camera on as you’re traversing the streets or trails. If you see something even slightly worth capturing, point your camera in that direction and press the shutter. I suggest that you have burst mode on so that you can take quick shots in succession. When you’re looking through your camera roll later, you can pick the best shot. I failed to do this and missed a lot of opportune shots, so I’ve taken a note of it ever since.
- Snapshot of bicyclist riding past us on our way downtown
2) Rule of Thirds
Many of you may have heard of the rule of thirds. It’s a really good basic rule that makes your photos instantly better. “The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.”
Here are some examples. I try to eyeball the rule of thirds (elements placed along the lines or their intersections):
There are stray dogs all over Santiago, and the people of the city take care of them. These dogs joined us on our walking tour! But notice how during this quick snapshot, I placed the dogs in the bottom left intersection.
Placing things in the center is perfectly fine too
When you’re doing the walk-and-shoot method, don’t worry too much about the rule of thirds. Just try to capture that photo. Cropping and editing can come after.
He’s more well-fed than me!
Ahh, young love
This one walked us from our hotel to the subway, and then back again at the end of the day.
3) Be Patient
A lot of shots happened when I had framed the image and was patiently waiting for someone to pass by. This can result in great candid shots with a bit of action. Fleeting moments are the best!
- Cattle driver in the Andes Mountains
This was was actually the opposite. On the ride up to the Andes Mountains, I saw the rider up ahead of our car, and I turned around in the backseat until I was able to frame him in the photo as we passed him by.
I was way too close to this horse, and he was about to pass me by leaving me no time to change to a wider lens! But I decided it was a moment that had to be captured anyway!
4.) Be Aware
Be aware at all times! This goes for capturing photos and being safe. I actually lost my backpack with 2 of my lenses on Easter Island 🙁 It gave me an excuse to upgrade my equipment, but it was definitely a costly mistake.
5.) Take Photos of the Ordinary
Don’t be afraid to take a photo of something even if it’s not magnificent. If you’re on a trip, these memories are yours to keep. A few of my photos may be generic and ordinary to others, but it reminds me of what I loved about the trip.
I learned that I loved this fruit, especially as an ice cream flavor. I present to you: lúcuma.
- Best friends on Easter Island
6.) Landscape/Cityscape Shots
As for scenery… go big and go wide. Nothing is more beautiful than huge landscape and cityscape shots. I still like to use the rule of thirds, mostly using the horizontal lines.
Hiking back down the Andes. A successful 3.5 hours!
Last look at Santiago before heading to Valparaíso and Easter Island
Colorful port city Valparaíso. Rainy days won’t stop our explorations.
Easter Island just after sunrise. Wake up early for those photo ops!
7) Be Mobile
Ah, yes. My favorite part. I’m a huge Instagram fiend, and a lot of my travel shots are actually taken with my phone. You can apply the same tips I’ve mentioned above to your phone photos as well. Have fun!!
Viña Santa Ema. One of the most relaxing vineyards I’ve been to. Gorgeous sights and delicious wine!
The streets of Valparaíso
Taken at the quarry of Easter Island where the statues were made
Great tips! The burst mode while walking is a great idea – one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. And of course it’s always a good reminder that cropping can come later. Thanks for a good read!
Great advice! Thanks for sharing!!
I haven’t heard of the rule of thirds for years! I’m so glad you could remind me. Thanks so much for sharing these tips.
My husband always reminds me of the rule of thirds 🙂 This is a great article, thank you for sharing
This article was so useful. I got to learn about a lot of things. Thanks for such great posts .. Looking forward to more photography tips by you .
I really appreciate this wonderful post that you have provided for us. I assure this would be beneficial for most of the people. It’s always nice to hear and be inspired by such success stories. Thanks!
Excellent post! I must thank you for this informative read. I hope you will post again soon.