Tips for Top Travel Photos
The gardens at Willows Lodge
At the Travel and Words travel writers’ conference, which I attended earlier this week, photographer Roger A. Ward led a tour through the gardens of Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington, and shared some tips for capturing the best images you can. They’re aimed at writers who are trying to sell their photos to magazines, but even if you just want to post a killer Facebook album, they apply. Here are a few of his words of wisdom:
Remember the rule of thirds. For prime visual appeal, imagine that your photo is a grid, with two equally spaced vertical lines and two equally spaced horizontal lines that separate the image into nine boxes (a la The Brady Bunch). The intersections of these lines are ideal places for the points of interest you’re capturing.
Pay attention. Soak in all the details. Those power lines behind the statue you’re photographing will be glaringly obvious when published. If you change the angle, you may be able to avoid problems like that — but only if you notice it in the first place.
Shoot vertical. This tip is largely for people who are trying to sell their photos to publications, which are, by and large, vertical. Even if you’re not aiming for a cover shot, a mix of horizontal and vertical takes will enhance your photo portfolio. Most people don’t have a natural tendency to rotate the camera, so work on making it a habit.
Develop a shot list. It always helps to have a plan. Know what you want to capture going in, whether that’s people, skylines, history, street scenes, fashion, culture, architecture, etc.
Get a new perspective. Sometimes the best shots involve lying on the ground, climbing on top of a rock, or placing a prop in a spot that adds something new to the shot. Don’t just take the standard picture that everyone else is getting.
Roger is currently writing a series of guest posts about travel photography on journalist Allen Cox’s blog, Local Roads. See his first post, on choosing a camera, here.
Roger was a wonderful teacher at Travel and Words. I had a great time touring the gardens with him and seeing what he would do with a particular view. And he even worked with me and my sub-par little Elph – while at the same time giving me pointers on what to look for in a real camera. While I’ll probably never have to worry about shooting vertical for covers, his rule of thirds has already come in handy a few times.
I don’t think I have a lot of magazine cover photos in my future, either, but it was nice to learn more about photography now that I have a camera that’s at least capable of getting good shots (even if its operator is much handier with a pen than a lens).
[...] places for the points of interest you’re capturing.” Read more of Shapley’s advice in Tips for Top Travel Photos on her blog, Girl About the World [...]
[...] stories and discovered her style. Quirky is my preferred angle on anything, so I’m a fan. See GirlAboutTheWorld for her lovely pix of the [...]
I love enthusiastic learners, and the writers and photographers at Travel and Words were certainly enthusiastic, and more. It was an honor meeting you and spending some time in Willows Lodge’s spring garden. Thanks for the mention. I am honored.
Roger, thanks for stopping by and for all the great pointers. The gardens there certainly are beautiful, and I’m glad we had a chance to tour them on Sunday while it was still nice. It was tough the next day to hold an umbrella, shiver from the cold, AND take pictures all at once!
Haley, thanks so much for including some of Roger Ward’s helpful photo tips on your Girl About the World blog. Also, we’re pleased that you could join us at the Travel & Words Spring’11 conference at Willows Lodge in Woodinville, WA. And the first day, Sunday, was so gorgeous. I loved the garden art at Willows, with the NW native American themes, I look forward to visiting again when I have more time to shoot photos. Don’t give up on taking that “cover photo,” you just never know:) When I wrote Public and Private Gardens of the Northwest, a Personal Guide a number of years ago, my vertical shot of a lovely historic garden on the southern Oregon coast–Shore Acres Gardens near Coos Bay–was used on the book’s cover. That vertical shot remains one of my favorites and I always use it in my slide talks. So keep taking those verticals as well as horizontals, you just never know when you’ll capture an award-winning shot. We’ll also email you a selection of shots Roger snapped at the conference, he’s so good with informal shots too! Happy travels, Myrna O.
Thanks for organizing a great conference, and glad to have you drop by the blog. I’ll keep snapping away and hoping to get that lucky cover shot!