Hi everyone.
My name is Melissa Findley
and today we are going to be talking
about travel photography.
(warm music)
Travel photography is the act of photographing
whilst traveling
with the intention to capture the places visited
and the experiences held.
Travel photography can be fluid
across many different genres of photography,
from documentary to landscape, to wildlife, adventure,
portrait, street, and even architectural photography.
But to me,
travel photography is seeking to simplify the complex beauty
of our world by capturing sensory experiences
and turning them into moments.
(warm music)
The best way to get started in travel photography is
to simply just begin.
Taking the first step doesn't have to involve travelling
to far flung destinations.
Instead, it's about attuning your attention
to the beauty of what is around you.
Whether it is capturing the big scene at your local park,
maybe it's a native wildlife or perhaps you wanna focus
on the macro details like the leaves, the bugs,
the morning dew, or simply it's taking notice
of light and how it affects everything
and then starting to research trips
and the best time of day to be at your chosen destination.
It's about falling in love with the art of photography.
A few questions to consider
in the beginning stages of conceptualising
or mood-boarding your photography are,
what is the subject of your shoot and what is the best time
of day that captures the emotions
that you were trying to convey?
For example: a dreamy landscape.
Maybe you're looking for the soft pallet
of the golden hours of sunrise and sunset
or perhaps you're looking to photograph a moody scene,
so blue hour, overcast, in the rain or big storm clouds.
Maybe it's the bold scene
of high noon or underwater photography.
Once you've considered the optimal time of day,
it is best then to start planning out what lens
or lenses do you need to photograph the scene?
My go-to lens is a 24-70mm f/2.8.
This lens is extremely versatile when it comes
to travel photography.
A budget friendly lens that would be good is any kit lens
that comes with your camera
or perhaps it's a "nifty fifty",
which is a very reasonably priced 50mm f/1.8.
Then you need to consider how long does it take
for you to arrive
or return from your destination
and how long do you estimate that you'll need
to be there in order to capture the scene?
What other equipment is required?
For example, do you need a tripod, spare batteries,
memory cards, wet weather gear for yourself
and for your camera, perhaps a polariser or an ND filter,
maybe you need a drone.
Do you need any other props
or creative tools to bring your story to life?
Do you need a permit of kind to be there,
including a drone permit?
And do you need to update your first aid
or add to your safety gear?
These might seem like obvious questions to ask yourself
but having a checklist and having a plan reduces the chance
of anything going astray.
And then it also fosters your creativity.
Knowing your location is very important for your safety.
Scouting the location, where possible, around the time
of day that you plan to create
helps you plan out all the potentials
whilst leaving room for the unknown to unfold.
If you can't physically be there,
Google Earth has been a very useful way to location scout
over the years and social media can be a wonderful tool
in assessing the current conditions
at your certain location.
Bring the right layers of clothing, and yes,
even in the summer-time.
The right equipment, including first aid and safety gear,
so then you can enjoy all the splendors
of travel photography.
(warm music)
Travel photography and the art of storytelling is one
of the easiest ways to connect
with your subject and with your audience.
The most important piece of information
or advice that I can offer you is
to truly think about why you are picking up the camera
and what you are attracted to capture
and then let your creativity flow.
Explore the scene and then think about pressing the shutter.
Slowing down and immersing yourself in the moment
will really help you
to develop your personal travel photography style.
Remember that practicing and time spent in the field
will help you hone in on your craft.
Falling in love with light and learning about the science
of colour are useful elements
to help you further develop the emotion in your imagery.
A lot of professional travel photographers
will focus their body of work around golden light,
which is pre sunset or post sunrise
when the sun is at a low angle,
casting golden light across your scene and/or subject.
Golden hour and golden light can create positive
and inspirational, dreamy and nostalgic scenes.
When I'm creating in golden light,
I like to keep my aperture wide open to let as much light
in as possible and create that extra dreamy bokeh image.
If I want to incorporate the sun start in my image,
I will stop down my aperture somewhere between f/11 to f/16,
depending on the lens I'm working with,
which is normally a 24-70mm or a 16-35mm.
Another popular time
for travel photography is called blue hour.
That is predawn or at dusk when the sun's position is just
below the horizon
but night hasn't fallen yet or morning hasn't begun.
The deep tones of blue hour can be used to create a sense
of serenity, peace, and even melancholy.
When I'm creating at blue hour,
and if I don't have a tripod handy,
I will increase my ISO to around ISO400 in order
to maintain a sharp image as the available light decreases.
If I do have a tripod handy,
then I will begin to experiment with slower shutter speeds
as it is a great way to explore the creative process
at any location.
Not only are golden hour and blue hour times of day
which are less busy with tourists,
but the emotional connection
with the contrast and deepness
of the scene will add to your storytelling.
But also, don't be afraid to shoot at high noon,
which is midday,
and experiment with all different types of light.
The harsh shadows
from the overhead sun can make for some compelling imagery
particularly when you're photographing tropical places.
In a fast paced, digital society
with access to unlimited images a day,
it's really important to follow your own curiosity
and to be unique.
And yes, sometimes you may turn up
at the famous Roy's Peak on the South Island of New Zealand
and after hours of hiking, you'll find a queue
of people lining up to take the exact same photo.
We've seen this with places like the Matterhorn
in Switzerland, or Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park,
or the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia.
But remember that your vision is important.
Your uniqueness and your way of seeing the world is
what we want to see.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
By trying a fresh perspective, say using a different lens
to the one that you normally would,
or maybe focusing in on the smaller details,
you can really bring a unique vision
to a popular travel spot.
Some of the best travel photos that I have had the pleasure
of viewing are not the same view
that I've seen online thousands of times.
It's often the unique perspective
and the storytelling that really captivates me.
A common question that I get asked is,
"But how do you take photos with no one in it?"
And the answer is simply just choosing the time
of day appropriately.
A lot of what I do as a travel photographer
is researching the best time of day
for the location and the axis of the sun, moon, or stars
and then how I can effectively create the image
that I have conceptualised - without the crowds.
(warm music)
Patience, perseverance, and practice.
The best camera you have is the one that you know how
to use and that is simply because when it comes
to travel photography,
moments unfold in front of you
and as much as it is important
to learn the exposure triangle
and understand how the shutter, aperture,
and ISO work together,
it's important to learn about your histogram
and also how to read your electronic viewfinder.
But if you want the most out of editing your photos,
then I suggest making the switch from JPEG to RAW.
And if you're still learning, don't be afraid
to shoot in aperture or shutter priority mode.
Selecting either of these modes will enable you
to focus on the outcome of the image.
By reflecting and reviewing your settings later,
you can then begin to understand what worked.
For example,
maybe it was the fast shutter speed that freezes the scene
or the wide open aperture, which created a depth
of field in your portraiture photography.
Perhaps it was the slow shutter speed
that created motion blur or movement
or stopping down your aperture to ensure
that the entire landscape is sharp.
One of my favorite mindsets to teach is "Change your lens,
change your perspective."
I also believe
that it can be a lesson across multiple lenses
of life and not just about photography.
However, knowing the rules of photography will help you
in your ability to tell a story
as much as the lens in which you choose
to capture the scene.
Having a different focal length can aid
in your storytelling capabilities whilst you're on the road.
A 50mm is the closest to the human eye's view
and a wonderful travel portraiture lens.
If you wanted to capture the grandeur
of the natural landscape
then I would suggest a wide angle lens,
anywhere from 14mm to 35mm.
Those wide angles can also be a great lens
when you're learning astrophotography too.
The 24-70mm is my go-to lens
because it allows an element of wide angle, portraiture
and enters telephoto focal lengths, as well.
The 70-200mm is a versatile lens when adding compression
to your images, for example, the layers of mountains
and it can also be used
as a wonderful portrait lens as well.
Focal lengths anywhere from 100mm - 600mm are great
for wildlife and also a landscape when you're wanting
to add further compression in your travel images.
When beginning with travel photography,
ultimately, you just want to practice as much as possible.
By adapting quickly
when the dynamic scene unfolds in real time,
you'll know exactly what settings
or what lens you want to use to capture that moment
and if that moment happens whilst a smartphone is
in your hands, don't be afraid to use it.
Lightroom has been my go-to editing software
for over a decade with a very user-friendly interface
for all your photography needs and your
colour grading needs.
Lightroom allows you to take your images
to the next creative level.
Remember, to get the most out of your digital images,
you must always shoot in a RAW format.
In Lightroom, you can make adjustments
to the crop of an image, level a horizon,
remove unwanted sensor spots, fine tune details
with the brush and/or the gradient tool
and you can even apply presets for a unique look.
From learning how to change the white balance
to sharpening an image or removing an unwanted object,
Lightroom can really elevate your creativity
to that next level.
Travel photography is about capturing the moments
on a micro and a macro scale,
but be in those moments and embrace your travel experience.
Most importantly, it's about having fun
and being respectful to others and to nature.
So get out there
and start practicing your travel photography.
(warm music)