Enjoy Travel Photography

I recently discovered a way to make some extra cash AND share my travel photos with others. This has nothing to do with selling on eBay or dealing with cranky customers.

I got an e-mail telling me about websites that will display your photos on line and sell them for you. Once a photo has been downloaded, you get a commission for it! Being on line, it operates 24/7 without any further action on your part.

I don’t know about you but I am kinda touchy about my photos. When I shoot a good one, I take it personally when someone tries to imply that it really isn’t worth much. It’s almost like a slap in the face. That’s why I don’t like to deal with people directly when I want to sell any of my work.

These “microstock” sites are made to order for people like me. I upload my photos. They display the ones they consider to be the best and most saleable and pay me when people buy them. Their prices are fixed and I don’t have to deal with buyers trying to talk me down in price.

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One of my daughters has an uncanny way of visualizing a photo and getting it right. While her daughter (MY granddaughter!) is, of course, quite photogenic, my daughter takes pictures of her that are virtual works of art. We say she has an “eye” for a good picture.

For many years, I’ve been blessed with the ability to “see” a photo whether or not I have my camera in my hand. My children, including that daughter, used to get impatient with me when I saw a photo possibility and took the time to make it happen. Now, I’m seeing her exhibit that same ability. Cool!

Please understand that we’re not talking ordinary snapshots here. We’re talking about getting those great shots that have people “oohing” and “ahing” when they see the resulting photos. (For the record, most of my shots aren’t perfect, either!)

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One of the things that separates snapshots from the really good travel photos is the point of focus. I’m not talking about how sharp the photo is but, rather, how the photo is framed.

I’m sure you’ve seen the snapshots Aunt Gertie brought back from her vacation with her husband and their children. They’re all pretty much alike. There’s the famous building, mountain or statue in the background. Standing in front of it is the smiling family.

The purpose of the snapshot is to provide proof that they’ve been there and done that! The hope is that everyone is smiling and has their eyes open. Only one shot was taken because we can’t be wasting film, you know. Many of these people still follow that habit - with their digital cameras!

After making sure she got the famous landmark in the photo, Aunt Gertie concentrated on getting everyone together and smiling. That was all she needed for a proof photo. Click!

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