Common sense that a travel photographer must know.

Travel photography is a very broad topic, and what we are talking about here is only a small part. These 10 errors usually happen to novices who are new to photography.

1. Misunderstanding device

When I first came into contact with photography, I was most likely to misunderstand the photographic equipment. The latest and best equipment can take better photos.

The reason why the photos are not excellent is that the equipment is not sophisticated enough. In other words, all the equipment.

The camera itself cannot take pictures, nor can any photographic equipment. The photo was taken by your photographer himself. Of course, in rare cases, you will encounter technical problems with the camera body or lens, but most of the time it is not a fault. In the past five years (with the digital SLR becoming more and more popular), most of the equipment has gone far beyond the scope of "enough". You just need to know how to maximize your potential.

My advice is just to stop chasing the latest and greatest gadgets. Take your guy out, find out the best way to shoot, learn how to choose a lens, when to get on a tripod, and of course, master the basic knowledge of photography, such as setting aperture, shutter and ISO. Although this suggestion is so simple, I don't know why, there are still many ambitious photographers who still blame everything on the equipment and are getting farther and farther away from the truth.

Don't do research

"Investigation" here refers to collecting as much information as possible about tourist destinations. The best tourist season/time, what to do and what not to do, and the mode of transportation are all compulsory courses. Every time we travel, we have to figure out these things before we leave, so as to have a smooth travel experience. This means not just taking pictures, but the whole trip.

In addition to the compulsory courses mentioned above, if photography is one of the main purposes of travel, you should also learn as much as possible about the features that you can see at your destination. Sometimes these features are not so obvious, you have to work hard, but once you get something, the chances of taking good photos will be greatly improved.

I chose this picture because it is an excellent example. You can know the background of the picture by doing some simple investigations. The photo depicts a Namboodiri boy (a priest caste) singing the Vedas in a traditional school in India (similar to the ancient Indian proverb). This school is not a major attraction, nor is it a place that ordinary tourists will go when they travel to Kerala, but it is an excellent opportunity for me to take some vivid and interesting photos. Although this school is far from the city center, I will never walk there by accident, but if I know such a place, it is not difficult to find it and get permission to shoot.

I know the reason is simple. I made a survey, which was not very detailed and difficult. I went to a travel agency and chatted with the staff there, telling them that I was a photographer and wanted to see what was interesting and distinctive in this city. They racked their brains for almost an hour and I got some useful information. This traditional school is one of them, and I realized that I should go there.

3. Look only at the main attractions

Many tourist destinations have "must see" and "must shoot" major attractions. Sometimes we focus on shooting these scenic spots and ignore the surrounding scenery. We didn't find them as interesting or even more interesting.

I feel guilty when I think that I have been forcing myself to observe the less obvious scenery over the years, and sometimes even let me stay in one place for an extra day or even two. I photographed the main scenic spots, and then I devoted myself to discovering those little-known themes that are still worth shooting. This is how the photo below came from. It was shot in Borneo National Park.

A few days before I arrived there, I took photos of Mount Bromo and its nearby peaks from different angles like others. From the third day, I shifted my perspective from shooting volcanoes and mountains at sunrise and decided to turn my attention to other topics. I rented a motorcycle and rode all over the area, and found a perfect scene of a herder walking through the fog and on the volcanic wasteland.

Ignore light

Ignoring light means that you simply take pictures of what you see under any lighting conditions, without considering the overall situation. Your work may occasionally impress others, sometimes reflect your intentions and feelings, but more often, it can't.

Paying attention to light means that you understand the functions of different lights, and the excellent understanding of photos depends on the light that enters when shooting. Of course, this also means that you can deliberately create some kind of light effect in the photo to reflect your intentions and feelings about the theme.

Let's look at a simple example:

The scenery in the photo is so beautiful and vivid because the whole picture is shrouded in the golden sunshine at sunrise. I deliberately took pictures in this light, because I knew it would make the scenery look vivid and beautiful in every detail.

This kind of light allows me to create such a picture: it can not only reflect what I want to express, but also be a bridge to connect the excitement I feel. If I shoot the same scene without considering the light, what I get is undoubtedly a much inferior photo. You may take pictures when you first see it. It was a cloudy day, when the light made everything look gloomy and lifeless.

Avoid artificial light

As we become familiar with light and begin to understand how it affects photos, most people will avoid using artificial light, especially flash.

Many people do this because we don't know enough about artificial light. It is true that the built-in flash should be avoided under any circumstances, but it is not the only artificial light available. If you don't use artificial light at any time, you never know what it can do. If you ask me, it is all wet.

In my opinion, the equipment worth using by all traveling photographers includes a soft box, an external flash and/or a reflector, which are good artificial light tools. They are "good" because you can use them to control and manipulate light. This will create all-round creative opportunities, even if it is impossible to take pictures. The photos are evidence.

The only reason why I can take this photo is that I "assisted" the fire with artificial light and external flash in the soft light box. The fire itself is not enough for me to shoot the desired effect.

6. Forgot to communicate with the theme in the painting.

When traveling, we will be drowned in all kinds of sound and light that we have never seen before. They make us excited and elated, and it is easy to forget that we should not only record our memories, but also compose the subject in front of the camera to express our thoughts and feelings. In other words, we forgot how to compose a picture.

This often happens in my previous travel photos, especially when I first came to India. Coming to this great country, there are countless amazing people and things, and that kind of excitement swept through me, even close to "madness." I aim my camera at everything that interests me and take photos at will, regardless of the content conveyed by the photos and the feelings of the audience.

When I came home and looked at these photos objectively, I realized that only a few photos had merit. I occasionally want to shoot good works by intuition and luck, but in many cases, the most important part is "cut off" because I took too many irrelevant elements in the shooting process, which made the world presented in the photo appear unclear.

Finally, I learned to pause when I press the shutter, rearrange my thoughts, think clearly about what I want to express, what I want to convey with what I have in the camera, and how to achieve the best effect.

I think all the dramatic and interesting photos were taken by the Universiade.

The picture below looks like pure luck. It's easy to think that I'm just in the right place at the right time, but it's not all true. I don't deny that luck plays a big role in this kind of photos, but it is certainly not the only factor. Experienced photographers will often tell you that only when you are lucky enough to be prepared can you seize a good "shooting moment".

I said I was well prepared because I had the original idea of filming. I investigated the place and ate it thoroughly. I know I can find some people like Saddhu (Indian ascetic) there, and I have observed many times the pigeons flying before. Because someone is looking for food, they hover in the same area every morning. I want them to appear in the photos.

To take the photos you want, just put all the necessary elements together. They are really together, which can be called luck. I have to admit, I didn't expect the dog to appear (I think it brought a lot of content to the photo), but fundamentally, it was because I made full preparations that I seized the opportunity when luck came.

8. There are not enough lenses.

Of course, the judgment of "sufficiency" is subjective. When I say "not enough", I mean that I have not done the following: exploring different angles and perspectives; Shoot a character in action at different heights; Test various possible settings (exposure, ISO, shutter) by changing different lenses.

I and other experienced travel photographers have learned one thing from many painful lessons: take more photos than you need. Obviously, if you meet an opportunity worth shooting, you may not be able to make it happen again or later, so take advantage of it.

The above example can give you a better understanding of what "enough" means. In fact, I took far more photos than you saw, but you can already see what I want to say. In this scene, I tried to photograph the movements of women from different angles and heights. Doing so gives me the opportunity to create a series of works that I like. The one on the left is my favorite one.

9. Lack of communication with the main body

People's photography is often daunting, and many of us are ashamed to communicate. Of course, in the absence of communication, it may be good to take a snapshot with telephoto. But being limited to this skill also means that we don't give ourselves any chance to create some special works.

Sometimes the communication between the photographer and the subject is clearly reflected in the photos. Trust and release can usually be seen from the way the other person stares at the camera. But the benefits of communication go far beyond these obvious things.

When the relationship between the photographer and the subject is harmonious, it means that he/she is no longer a passerby, but a person who understands the current situation and can guide photography creation as much as possible.

The story behind this photo proves my point well. The man in the photo is a sulfur miner working in the famous Ijen crater in Indonesia. I stayed there for a while and made friends with him.

Because of our friendship, we all accepted the idea of following him to the crater and taking pictures of him on the way. In a sense, the whole photography process is like a collaboration. Sometimes I let him walk slowly and look in one direction. I was busy taking pictures, and he was happy to follow the instructions. When I found a perfect place to shoot portraits (with a shocking volcano as the background), I suggested that he light cigarettes hundreds of meters in advance. Our "cooperation" allows me to further creatively decorate the scene and take more outstanding photos, but if I meet someone I haven't communicated with before, I can't achieve this effect just by taking photos with telephoto.

10. Never leave the crowd.

This usually happens when traveling with a group or when a group of photographers go out to take pictures. Of course, this way of traveling has its advantages, but there are undoubtedly some disadvantages. The following are the most obvious points I found:

It is almost impossible to get close to the subject. When a person is surrounded by a group of people and bombarded by cameras, it is easy to feel uneasy and have resistance to any "ordinary people".

Usually you don't have the freedom to take the initiative, because you are not the only one who makes the decision. When I am in charge of organization and planning, sometimes initiatives can spark creativity and bring some unexpected images.

What you experience is not only your own, not only because you are with a group of people, but also because what you see and experience will inevitably affect each other in the process of getting along with others.

Enumerating so many shortcomings does not mean that you should never travel with a group of people. I mean, it's good to spend some time alone. Have some personal experiences and take photos that resonate with you. How much time you leave for yourself depends on yourself, but even a quick walk around the city where you stay can bring wonderful experiences and photos worth taking.