Travel Photography

[Shadowman]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/p...tography-tips/

I started reading this article in reference to this thread Tourist or Street 2: Sparkle City I started. It made me realize that I don't behave like a tourist when I'm traveling, I'm either practicing street photography or practicing the craft, at least I don't think I behave like a tourist but I'm sure the inhabitants of the regions I visit think so.

[rpcrowe]

One of our guides during my trip to China mentioned that she would have no interest in any travel shots that did not have her or a member of her family or a friend in the shot. I think that is true of many if not most people.

My sister-in-law can view the most lovely and best composed image and unless that image contains someone she is close to it doesn't impact her one bit.

OTOH, show her a badly composed, badly focused and badly exposed image containing even a faintly recognizable picture of someone she is close to and she ohs and ahs about the image. My wife is very much the same but, to a lesser degree,

I think that may be the secret of selfies. It shows the person's face in context with some area in which they are visiting. That is very likely why UWA lenses are so popular...

Another fault of travel photography is bringing home multitudes of images showing images of just brick and mortar and fauna with no people shown... Paris is not just the Eiffel Tower and Rome is not only the ruins. And believe it or not, The Netherlands is not just windmills and tulips Believe me, wherever we go there are unique people to be photographed... Yes, its easier to shoot an inanimate subject but, that is not all that I want to capture...

Have a mental or even a written list of all the things you might want to shoot and then flesh these out with the serendipitous things or people you come across...

Like...

or...


One final thing... I never carry a camera in a case when I am on a foreign trip. There are just too many things that I might miss if I have to take the camera out of a case to shoot! I learned this in Vietnam on my first assignment into the field. I was on a convoy that was ambushed and I saw what to me might have been the epitome of Vietnam pictures.

A hill line in the close distance was being rocketed by attack helicopters... There was a line of palm trees in the foreground with American Marines taking cover behind them and firing at the hill line. While all the time there was a little Vietnamese boy trying to sell cans of Coca Cola to the Marines, oblivious of the firing around him. Great shot - even the light was perfect that day! However, my movie camera was safely ensconced in an aluminum Halliburton case in the bed of the truck I was riding in. I had jumped off the truck when it stopped. No imagery of that action and the last time I traveled without a ready camera.

[Manfred M]

One of the strongest drivers to what people consider to be a great image is the emotional response it evokes, Richard. I'm sure you are well aware of that as this is exactly what you are trying to do with your dog shots. You want people to see the pictures and have them adopt one of the dogs.

One of the photographers I shoot with at my photo club is one of the most successful pet photographers in the area. He gets calls from time to time to get the last shots of the family pet that does not have long to live and his sales can rival what some higher end wedding photographers pull in.

If you look at most wedding, baby and graduation photos, they tend to be of little interest to anyone other than family or close friends, but to those people, the emotions that are evoked are quite high. There is a lot of money in images most photo enthusiasts we classify as mediocre or worse...

To many people, your wife and sister-in-law included, do not seem to get overly impressed by the interesting scenery or people they run into during their travels, whereas you are. Throw a so-so shot of someone they know and they are over the moon.

[DanK]

Some people just want photos as mementos. Nothing wrong with that, but it's to be expected that those people won't look for the same things as those of us who are trying to create better images. I do a lot of candid work, and I learned a long time ago that the errors that bother me--e.g., failing to get a consistent white balance across a set of images from one event--are generally not even noticed by the people who want the images.

I generally don't travel for the sake of photography, but I usually take my little Lumix LX-100 in a fanny pack to that I have at least some chance of capturing good images. My hit rate with this arrangement is very low, but I have managed to get a few keepers, e.g.:

Berlin



Bergen



It's a nuisance to carry real equipment, but I think I am going to do so this fall. In all likelihood, I'll be going back to Mainz in September for work. The old city is truly beautiful. I'm thinking of packing my gear to do night photography there.

[billtils]

Nice shots, with Bergen being an eye-catcher.

[Tri Danimal]

When I travel I usually have my camera handheld with a wrist strap to deter people trying to grab it out of my hand. What do you guys use to keep your camera safe while your traveling about?

[rpcrowe]

I have a neck strap that has a metal cable within it. Impervious to the slash and run artist...

[John 2]

I have a neck strap that has a metal cable within it. Impervious to the slash and run artist...

Ditto and although I generally have a wrist strap in addition (depending on circumstance), the neck strap can also leave my hands free to haul this aging body over rough ground.

[DanK]

I have a neck strap that has a metal cable within it. Impervious to the slash and run artist...

Many years ago, my mother was the victim of that sort of attack. The thieves were on a motor scooter. Because her strap wouldn't give way, they ended up dragging her for a short while until they gave up. Fortunately, she wasn't badly hurt.

[Manfred M]

I will often use my Cotton Carrier harness to hold the camera. It connects to a chest harness with an aluminum adaptor that attaches to a polycarbonate (Lexan) receiver on the harness. There is a safety strap that further holds the camera to the harness to prevent one from accidentally dropping the camera.

[rpcrowe]

I remember the first time that I saw a cotton carrier used during a photo walk with a camera club. It is a great way to carry a camera but it looks a lot like an orthopedic device of some type. In fact, I heard a lady say - "Look at the poor man but he is brave carrying a camera" Honestly.... that is what was said!

[Shadowman]

If I think I'm in a dangerous area I'll just put my camera away.

[DanK]

BTW, this is an issue for some of us even close to home. When you do night photography, this is often a concern--although no one I know has yet had an incident

[Shadowman]

BTW, this is an issue for some of us even close to home. When you do night photography, this is often a concern--although no one I know has yet had an incident

When I was down in Miami recently this happened to me, I went out for a bit of early morning shooting by the pier, at first the area looked deserted but then the homeless started stirring from wherever they were camping. At first I wasn't so worried, I was dressed in dark clothing and moved around without notice or so I thought, I then realized I had a very shiny (although inexpensive) watch on my arm and thought my cover had been blown.

[Tri Danimal]

When I was down in Miami recently this happened to me, I went out for a bit of early morning shooting by the pier, at first the area looked deserted but then the homeless started stirring from wherever they were camping. At first I wasn't so worried, I was dressed in dark clothing and moved around without notice or so I thought, I then realized I had a very shiny (although inexpensive) watch on my arm and thought my cover had been blown.

I used to have a chrome fake rolex, One time i was leaving a store and someone stopped me to comment on my watch. I simply responded thanks man when they said it looked like a nice watch. about 3 mins later two guys pulled a knife on me asking formy watch. I gave itto them knowing it was a $25 knock-off (suckers). But I definatly learned a valuable lesson that day.

Regardless what the item is, I always tell people "Oh fooled you, this is just a cheap knockoff fapple watch (Fake-apple) that I got in china town for $10 last weekend." My watch looks kinda like an apple watch so it works for me, but it instantly lets the potential perp know its a fake and not worth and money.

[Shadowman]

I used to have a chrome fake rolex, One time i was leaving a store and someone stopped me to comment on my watch. I simply responded thanks man when they said it looked like a nice watch. about 3 mins later two guys pulled a knife on me asking formy watch. I gave itto them knowing it was a $25 knock-off (suckers). But I definatly learned a valuable lesson that day.

Regardless what the item is, I always tell people "Oh fooled you, this is just a cheap knockoff fapple watch (Fake-apple) that I got in china town for $10 last weekend." My watch looks kinda like an apple watch so it works for me, but it instantly lets the potential perp know its a fake and not worth and money.

Its interesting how we hold onto certain accessories even though we probably have at least two other time devices on our person, just so convenient to lift the wrist.

[rpcrowe]

One of the reasons that I like my (couple of) camera groups is that we often do some night photography. We don't go into "bad" areas but, there is, or at least seems like, there is safety in numbers...

As big cities go, the San Diego is generally pretty safe but, there are areas in which I would not venture into with a camera and would not go at all at night...

I usually feel this way about any area in which I want to photograph. If I feel uneasy about the area, I don't go there or at least don't go there alone.

One place that I want to go to photograph is Star Wars Canyon in Death Valley. Along the Jedi Approach, you can stand on the edges of the canyon and actually "shoot down" on the Navy and some Air Force jets. No, kidding, you are actually above the jets as they fly through the canyon...

https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-j...isitors-2017-4

However, this is a very lonely area and IMO would be an ideal place for a bad guy or guys to wait for an unsuspecting guy who is carrying a thousand bucks or more of camera gear. I am trying to organize trip of three or four guys to visit the area...

[Tri Danimal]

I am trying to organize trip of three or four guys to visit the area...

Please post on here if you make this trip happen. I'm in Riverside CA and would love to check this area out with other photographers.

[LePetomane]

TriDanimal, your story reminds me of going through customs in Saint Petersburg, Russia in the early 90's. The customs agent looked like a villain from a James Bond movie. After inspecting one of my bags he pointed to my Rolex and said "very nice watch, be careful" as he pushed me through.

When I'm out and about I have my camera on a wrist strap. I've heard that Leica people place a piece of black electricians tape over the red badge.

[rpcrowe]

arajani... Welcome to the forum. I have always wanted to photograph India but, since I will reach my 81st birthday on June Second, I think that this will not happen.

My travel photography allows me to extend the joys of travel over many years. I still enjoy looking at and reprocessing images that I shot on a trip to China over ten years ago. Years later, I will still view these images in a new way and sometimes totally re-crop them.

Lovely lady in the image you posted. However, I think that I might include a bit more room at image left (in the direction she is looking) and a tiny bit less at image right (towards her back). However, that is just my opinion and I'm sure that many photographers would like your image exactly as it is...