Travel photography is a particular form of art, and one that Shahriar Ekbatani is highly experienced in. A lot of people would like to become involved in this form of photography, not in the least because it gives them a good excuse to travel more and see new places. If this sounds like you, then Shahriar Ekbatani has created a number of top tips that you have to be aware of.
Top Tips from the Expert
First of all, you have to have the right equipment. A good quality DSLR with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery is a starting point. Pick one with a good lens and stick to that lens, because you realistically won’t have time to constantly change lenses anyway. Make sure it has good auto-exposure and good auto-focus functionality, so that you can just point and click.
Secondly, you need a backup camera. Unfortunately, things sometimes go wrong. Imagine paying for a trip to a beautiful location on the planet to take pictures, only to find your camera breaks down or you get a scratch on your lens. Make your backup a good quality camera, but a much smaller one. That way, you can use it in locations such as temples and gatherings, where it is not as respectful to put a camera in someone’s face.
Thirdly, get to know your cameras really well. You need to be able to quickly change settings as you see fit, and not spend hours trying to figure them out or read the manual. Different scenarios require different settings, and you need to know what to use, when, and how.
Types of Travel Photography
There are two main types of travel photography: people and landscapes. Both have their own difficulties. The issue with people is that you must always ask permission before you take someone’s photograph, and if they say “no”, you will have to respect that. Unfortunately, if they say “yes”, you may have to get them to pose, rather than capturing that perfect image that you saw in the first place. If you intend to use your photographs in a published manner, you will also need to have disclaimer forms with you, so do remember those.
You don’t have such difficulties with landscape photography, so long as you don’t trespass on someone’s land. The problem with landscape photography, however, is that you are hugely restricted by natural light and the weather. Not just that, it is all too easy for a landscape photograph to look flat. Again, it is all down to practicing and preparing. Don’t feel weird about going to a field near your home and taking lots of shots, just to see how things look.
The key to take good travel photographs, according to Shahriar Ekbatani, however, is to simply go out and enjoy yourself. The beauty of digital photography is that you can take as many pictures as you like. While this doesn’t mean that you will have a fantastic shot just because you took 1,000 pictures, it does mean that you don’t have to be worried about the limitations of an old-fashioned film roll.