Shoot to still

Travel photography can be a daunting task. Five tips to make the most out of a holiday

People add life and flavour to a picture. Photo: Shruthi Venkatasubramanian

Remember the clichés

Embrace the inner traveller, without expunging the tourist. Let the tourist in you to visit the Taj Mahal, it’s a must see, but allow the traveller in you to stop yourself from taking that picture on the bench! The idea is to step out of the norm and clinch the unusual. Walk away, walk around, go high, go low and away from everything that has already been seen before. Isn’t it more interesting to capture a slice of local life and livelihood that is centered on the Taj?

Sense of Place

The simplest of concepts are usually the most difficult to execute. Sense of place can be captured in people, in markets, in offbeat ruins, in festivals and cultural events that abound most locations that one visits on a trip. Time your visit to coincide with one of these, check with local guides about time of day, significance of events and places before you plan your photographic break to any destination.

People

People are the spice to any place, they add life and flavor like no other, even if they are just tourists. So if you want them in your shots be friendly; ask if you can photograph them by establishing a rapport through friendly conversation. Candid shots are exciting, but never carry an intimidating telephoto lens to capture them. Seek permission, especially if children are involved.

Research

Before embarking on a trip, make a list of photos that have to be taken, everything else is an added bonus. Then research and find out from locals when the sunset and sunrise times are during the time of year you intend to visit. For instance, winter sunsets over Manhattan are far more brilliant in colour than during summer and ‘Manhattanhenge’ occurs twice every year! Research on Flickr, 500px, Pbase, Tumblr – just to understand the kind of pictures that already exist, usually that helps in formulating a plan for the picture you intend to take.

Technicalities

Carry extra memory cards as these don’t really occupy space, a polariser and a couple of neutral density filters, a tripod and whatever lens you need to reach your objectives. If you do have the pleasure of taking an African Safari, then sure bring out the bazooka there is no better place to use it than here! There are some odd things that photographers must carry in general - rubber bands, plastics bags/zip locks to cover equipment in rain or to set your tripod down in slush! Lens cleaning wipes and brush – don’t leave home without it.

If all you own is a point and shoot, don’t fret! Just learn the limitations and advantages of your camera to achieve what you expect to. At the end of the day, it is the eye for detail and the overall vision that matters – not the equipment. No one is going to say, “What a gorgeous Nikon D3S picture that is!”