You spend days flying, driving, ferrying, boarding trains, or even a combination of all these modes of transportation to get to your destination. Now you’re finally here, a place you’ve always dreamed of, to tell friends about, to brag to your colleagues about, so, of course, you want to capture it in all its glory on your smartphone or your fancy digital camera. But when you do, you realize that these images simply don’t do it justice, that you’re stuck on the journey of your life with nothing to show.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, travel photography is not only easy but fun. All you have to do is get an expert opinion.
On a recent excursion to Havana, Cuba , we had the pleasure of spending time with some of the biggest names in travel photography, including National Geographic photographer Renan Ozturk and North Face athletes; Elisabeth Brentano, a California-based photographer who spent nearly a decade working in newsrooms across Los Angeles before living on the road in search of the perfect landscape shot; and Chelsea Yamase ( Chelsea Yamase, an adventurer and photographer from Kauai whose photos will make you want to learn to freediving this very second.
Renan Ozturk: Chasing the Light
“My biggest travel photography tip is very simply shooting in good light,” says Ozturk, explaining that good light can be found during “sunset or sunrise.” It also extends before sunrise and after sunset.
Here are their best travel photography tips that anyone from beginners to experts will love.
For Ozturk, timing really is everything when it comes to taking pictures and enjoying time spent on global adventures.
“Spent a little longer outside than most people,” he said. “This will give you better photos and help you beat the crowds for food and photos.
Chelsea Yamase: Taking Candid Shots
“I think the best photos evoke a sense of place and make you lose yourself in a specific moment; vacation photos are no exception,” says Yamaze. “Three rules I use: lighting, composition and connection.
One glance at Yamase’s popular Instagram account and it’s clear she follows the rules religiously, which helps her followers feel like they’re traveling with her when they’re freediving in Hawaii or camping under the stars in Yellowstone .
Like Ozturk, Yamase believes that waking up early does pay off.
“Generally, shot in morning or evening light, tropical ocean scenes sometimes look good in the middle of the day, when the water is most vibrantly colored,” she said, adding that spending a little extra time walking around an area will Help you set up the perfect snapshot.
“Go lower or higher, and take a few from each. A slight change in breeze, angle, or posture can make a big difference,” says Yamase. “You can always go back and delete the ones you don’t like.
Technology aside, Yamase explained that “connection” is the most important part of taking any photo.
“What does it feel like to be here, and how do I portray this emotion,” Yamase asks himself, pressing the shutter of his camera. “I see a lot of holiday photos with couples or families standing in front of a viewing point, all posing and smiling. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these (they make great Christmas cards), but nothing more than showing ‘Hey, we’re all here to make it! ‘Other than that, there isn’t much of a story.
Instead, she recommends that people try to move and interact with their surroundings, which she says is “inherently more fun.”
Often the best photos, Yamase points out, capture real moments (“maybe your friend laying blissfully on the beach”) and refine them a bit. Her suggestion of directing your subject to move in a certain way (“Maybe have her lie 15 feet away with the sand undisturbed and you can let the water touch her toes”) will not only help you capture beautiful images, and capture the feeling of that moment.
