Photography Tips

I am by no means a professional photographer, but I enjoy taking photos of the places I visit and sharing them on Instagram. I sometimes worry that people will get sick of all my posts while I’m on vacation, but when I ask people they say they like following along and seeing everything. Here are a few tips to help you get the best photos to commemorate your trip and maybe get you some likes on Instagram!

Equipment

People

I see this a lot where there’s a beautiful photo……with other people in the background. Now, if you don’t care, then all the power to you, but I personally do not want strangers in my photos. It takes away from the photo being personal as well as the beauty of the photo (for landscape/landmark photos). When my sister and I went to Greece, everyone commented how it looked like we had private tours and had each place to ourselves. Newsflash; we didn’t, but our photos made it look like we did! We were patient and waited for people to move out of the way, or we just decided to take photos from different angles to make sure we got the perfect shot. Now, sometimes this isn’t possible because it’s high season or you’re on a time limit, so during these times, try and make the people seem like a part of the photo instead of just being there, or, try and find a spot that doesn’t have as many people but still gives you the relatively same photo or vibe you’re looking for.

Time of Day

Another tip for getting photos without people in them, get up early; it’s honestly so worth it. Most people like to sleep in on vacation, so if you’re someone like me, who is up early no matter what, why not take advantage of that by sneaking out and capturing some amazing photos!? Not only that, just after sunrise, and just before sunset, is called “the golden hour”, where the photos you take with have a softer feel and the lighting will be almost perfect.

You also want to be careful with where you’re posing/facing during certain times of the day. When the sun is directly behind you, it can make it difficult to see your face and using the flash can sometimes make the background too dark to see. Since you’re travelling, I’m assuming you want to see the background of your photo, but if you don’t, using the flash is a simple option. If you can, try and move around so the sun is hitting you at an angle (then you aren’t staring directly into the sun either!).

Presets

I use Jillian Harris presets and it’s something else that I find worth it. It can really make a huge difference in the photos that you post. I have the Love Collection and the cost is $65, but I purchased them when they first went on sale and got a discount. When you sign up for them, you get information regarding which preset you should use for different types of photos (i.e. indoor with low light, outside, sunset, etc.) I put that information in the Notes section of my phone so I can easily refer back to them. Jillian usually provides discounts multiple times a year, so you can just watch for them if you don’t want to pay full price. If you don’t want to pay for presets, Instagram also has filters that you can add to photos to improve the look of them as well.

Recap

• Find the right equipment for you and the type of photos you want to take;
• To get people-free photos, wait until there’s a lull to take your picture, try a different angle or wake up early;
• Just after sunrise and just before sunset usually provides the best lighting for photos;
• Be mindful of where the sun or any other bright light is; and,
• Use presets or filters where you can, to brighten and generally enhance your photos.

Enjoy and happy shooting!

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