MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com The Ultimate Beginner's Guide for Travel Photography So you booked your next trip(s) and you want to document it with some travel photography. But how? I started this guide a few years ago and regularly updated since. When I started myself, as a beginner, I had so many questions. What camera should I use, what is the best setting, how to spot the best places, what makes a great photo composition, how to approach locals in the street? This is what this ultimate beginner's guide for travel photography is all about. Answers to most common questions. Bang Bao fishing village, Koh Chang, Thailand (from the Top 6 sites to take a picture in Koh Chang ) 1 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com Photography is a form of art, and as any form of art can be subjective. All of the suggestions and tips in this guide come from my personal experience in travel photography and obviously can be debatable, it's my personal opinion. However, I believe this guide is a good starting point from which to expand your experience. And most important, add a comment below with anything that I have missed, anything that needs to be better explained, anything you would like covered, any suggestion you may have. FREE Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Travel Photography PDF and JPG papers I have written and drawn these PDF and JPG papers as a good reference to use before or during your travel photography. I usually give them away in my workshops and I suggest to keep them in the own mobile and go back from time to time to have a read. 2 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com "Cheat Sheet to Travel Photography" a JPG file you can also print and fold it in your camera bag "How to excel with your Cheat Sheet" a PDF file you can read to understand how to use the cheat sheet and how to better use your camera and your daily travel photography "Photo Equipment Insurance" you may need it or not, however, this quick guide will help you to understand the benefits of an insurance and give a value to your gear. It includes also a quick reference spreadsheet and links to a free app to at least register your gear worldwide. "50 Tips to Make Money with landscape and travel photography" yes we all need to pay the bills. This paper covers my best tips on monetizing the photography work and how I structure my photography work. I write these papers on a regular basis. If you are interested to receive them as well as other exclusive tutorials and travel stories, join my free newsletter. Join the newsletter for more papers Later in this post, I have also created the possibility to download this Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Travel Photography as a separate PDF file that you can read whenever you want, even offline. 3 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com What is Travel Photography? This is a fair question. What is travel photography? Is there any description, or reference definition? 4 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com Easy question = difficult answer Why? It's very subjective. In saying that, I tend to agree with the Photographic Society of America on most of its definition. And let me go through the most important points: a travel photo has to "expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally", I love to document the place I find, who doesn't. I think, however, we should always try to make photos from unusual corners, unusual situations, unusual people. A travel photo becomes great when it makes the place unique "Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not appropriate", I am sure you have been to many local dance events. They are organised but not directed for photography. That makes the difference. This definition also takes most of the Instagram photos out of Travel Photography, here I mean the millions of photos including a traveller well positioned for example on top of a mountain, inside a van, etc. "Close up pictures of people or objects must include features that provide information about the environment". Sometimes the face or the hands of a person say more than a thousand words. I am not sure I really agree with this definition 100%. Indeed, sometimes we need to include features to define the environment, but not always. "The only allowable adjustments are removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the appearance of the original scene, and complete conversion to greyscale monochrome". This is the point where I find myself a bit in disagreement and let me explain why. I do use Adobe Lightroom to improve my photos. I usually start on shadows, highlights. Sometimes I replicate an old film output (Kodak, Fujifilm). Why this should not be considered anymore travel photography meanwhile a greyscale monochrome conversion is. The majority of the people are not colour blind and a b&w photo is much more unusual, and far from reality, than a photo with a higher dynamic range, like our eyes are actually seeing the place. 5 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com Travel Photography gear: best cameras, lenses and how to set them You may already know there is no best camera for any photography type. Sometimes I am surprised to read or hear someone, even in an authoritative position, saying "The best camera for wedding photography is the Canon XYZ" or "The best camera for sport is the Nikon ZXY". I wonder if there is any sort of compensation, or affiliation, behind it. Back to travel photography. There is no unique model or brand. It mostly depends on you, what kind of trips you usually do, what is your budget (very important). I personally suggest travelling as light as possible. There is no need to take 6 lenses with you. There is no need to have a "big" camera. I myself prefer to have an interchangeable lenses camera, however, there are nowadays a few 6 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com compacts for travel photography in the market which are such a great value. Here below a list of guides and tutorials that will help you not only to buy a camera but also to use it in the best way: "Best travel cameras [with tips on what to look for]": I update this guide quite regularly. You will not find just a list of cameras but also what are the important features to search for. I explain how this or that particular camera can help you in your daily travel photography. 7 / 37 MEL365.com - Travel & Photography THE LOVE FOR TRAVELLING, THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY (MADE IN MELBOURNE AND AROUND THE GLOBE) https://mel365.com "Best lenses for your travel camera": this post is as popular as the previous one. Why? Because it explains what to look for even before listing a lens. And most important, based on the budget you have. My tip here is to read both articles before buying anything. "Best Compact cameras for travel": the compact cameras are so convenient. Small and light. But what is the drawback and why? "Understanding focal length": to read before buying any lens "Full guide to ISO in Travel Photography": it's not just about how ISO works. It's about the creativity you can get through it. "How to use the Natural Light in Travel photography": who said that photography is all about controlling the light? Well, in travel photography we have only the natural light. This is a guide on how to use it to improve our shots. "Camera focusing techniques": how to be in control of the camera focusing and how to use in your favour "Photographing moving water: the guide": who does not love that nice silky effect or the artistic movement "Shooting moving objects in travel photography": have you ever heard of panning? "Capture movement in the landscape": simple and easy photography effects "Three easy steps to shoot light trails": how to impress with less "How to use lead-in lines in travel photography": one of the most effective way to compose your photo "7 steps for your best misty and foggy travel photography": I used all of them in foggy France and misty Malaysia "Top suggestions for sharp travel photography": it's not all about a tripod. There is much more than that "Essential tips for better Landscape Photography" You can see here all the cameras and lenses I have used and reviewed. If you are after an amazing photography course, that explains everything you really need and so much more, then have a look at the incredible videos of Marc Levoy, retired from Stanford and now working with Google on their photography technology.