People probably get into travel photography by capturing amazing images that tell stories. Returning home and showing your friends and family the fantastic places, you visited is excellent. But what if you want to get better at your travel photography?

Maybe you want to turn it into something more? If you’re trying to grow social media accounts or start a blog, taking your travel photography to the next level will constantly be on your mind.

However, your images need to, well…. stand out from the crowd!

What makes you stop and say ‘wow’ and give one photo on Instagram a quick like, but not the one above it? It’s not always something you can put your finger on, but with these 5 tips, you can become the photographer who gets all the love!

1. Gear

Let’s start with the obvious things you need to become a great travel photographer or any photographer. You can always add to your setup, but these 3 things are required no matter what: A high-quality camera, lens/lenses, and a tripod.

Camera

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes, but the real question you need to ask yourself is, “do I buy a mirrorless or a DSLR?” Compact cameras just will not cut it. You need the ability to take complete manual control of your camera. Changing lenses will be essential if you consider capturing vastly different scenes on your travels (landscapes, streets, people, etc.). Mirrorless cameras are much smaller than DSLRs. If you pair them with an excellent compact prime lens, the space-saving benefits outweigh the DSLR. Remember, this is a travel photography-focused suggestion. If you’re shooting supermodels for Vogue, then yes, get a DSLR.

Lenses

Lenses are a personal choice when it comes to travel photography. You have to think about what kinds of shots you will be taking and also decide how much space you have available for them in your luggage. My suggestion is you pick no more than two lenses.

One should be an excellent prime lens (one that can’t zoom) with an equivalent focal length of 50mm. Today many mirrorless cameras have what is called a ‘crop sensor. Don’t worry too much about it. Just know that if you have a crop sensor camera, you need a 35mm prime lens, which will give you a 50mm focal length after the ‘crop’ has been considered.

A 50mm and a zoom lens:

This focal length is absolutely perfect for street photography as it is the same focal length as the human eye. The resulting pictures are pleasing, and everything will be in good proportions. My second suggestion, if you can take 2 lenses, is a zoom lens. This gives you some flexibility in terms of focal length. Basically, you can zoom into a scene rather than physically having to walk closer. The good news is most cameras will come with a standard zoom when you buy them! It’s called a kit lens, and some people say kit lenses aren’t excellent, but depending on the brand, they can do the job just fine. My first 5000 or so photos were taken with a Canon kit lens, many of which are of excellent quality.

Tripods

Buy an inexpensive, lightweight travel tripod. I will probably be disowned by the photography community for saying that. Still, you can’t be expected to haul a big professional tripod with you while traveling. It’s just not practical.

Even an inexpensive tripod will be great for night-time photography. (allowing a slower shutter speed to let more light in, with no motion blur from the camera shake). Suppose you plan to explore the outdoors on your travels. In that case, it can also be used in most normal conditions for landscape photography. Just don’t try to use it to hold your expensive camera in gale-force winds.

2. Composition

You can have all the equipment in the world, but if you can’t compose a clear shot, it will be challenging to stand out. Luckily, it’s not hard if you follow some basic rules. Pick a subject. Focus on one specific element with all other factors contributing to the main topic. Adding human elements to photos helps people relate to and, to a certain degree, empathize with them. Something else you can do to improve your photography, in general, is to make use of leading lines. Leading lines are natural lines that draw your eye to the main subject or into the center of the photo, making you feel like you are in the frame.

3. Approach

Your approach to travel photography is something that will make the difference between getting that great shot and just how you imagined it. You need to have the confidence to snap that picture of the old lady working at a store counter, even if that means putting a camera in her face, so to speak. If you wait until you think she isn’t looking, the moment will be gone. Now, if your subject isn’t happy about the photo, then obviously apologize and offer to delete it. But in my experience, that’s not the reaction you will get most of the time. Instead, smile, show the photo, and compliment the person in the picture. Telling the person why you love the image often defuses the situation and makes them feel involved and noticed. You can even take their contact details and offer to send them to them!

4. Pre-trip Planning

If you are going to a destination, you haven’t been to, researching beforehand will pay off massively. Get an idea of the places you’re going to photograph, more or less, before you get there. After all, you’re there to actually enjoy your surroundings, not spend the whole-time hunting for photo opportunities. Look online, read some books or find some brochures. That way, you will know what gear you need to take with you. That said, keep your eyes peeled for that spontaneous moment. Landscape/cityscape photographers listen up. You should at least know where the sun rises and sets! 

5. Always Go Out with Your Camera

There is no point in taking a big, heavy camera with functions you don’t know how to use. Find the best camera setup for you that isn’t a burden and take it out with you all of the time. Some of my best work has been images of spontaneous and random moments. And also, don’t forget to bring extra SD cards and fully charged batteries.