Enjoy Travel Photography

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!)

The truth is that there is no one perfect photo! If you gave 10 people identical cameras and told them to take a picture of the same object, you would wind up with 10 very different photos. Some would be better than others; some would be pretty “blah.” Some of the people would take one picture and hand the camera back. Others would take several in an attempt to ensure they got one good one.

How do you look around you and visualize a good photo? The real difference is in the framing. Sometimes I can visualize a rectangular box around the object and see what would be in the picture and what would not.

Sometimes I have to resort to an old photographer’s trick that anyone can do. I hold my hands out in front of me with the palms facing toward each other. I then place the tips of the forefingers together and the tips of the thumbs together to form a box like the viewfinder on the camera. I then look through that “box” at the object. I can move my hands closer or farther away to simulate a wide-angle or telephoto view.

Sometimes, when I do that, I find that the view isn’t as exciting as I had thought it might be. Other times, I run and get the camera.

The main point is to get an idea of how a picture might look before you ever bring your camera up to your eye. Let’s face it, you’d look pretty silly walking around with a camera viewfinder in front of your face all the time!

First, imagine that viewfinder rectangle superimposed on things, places and people around you. If need be, use your hands to create that view for you. Then, once you think you have a good photo possibility, bring the camera up.

If your camera’s lens is adjustable for distance, look at the wide-angle, normal and telephoto settings to see which would be best. If the lens isn’t adjustable like that, move forward or back to get the same effect. Sometimes, you don’t have much choice where you need to stand to get the picture. Just do the best with what you have.

Another factor is: how much do you want in any one photo? A lot of people take one picture and try to get everything and everyone into it. The resulting photo is not too exciting.

Remember, you don’t have to have full-length photos to know who the people are. Most of the really good ones show people from the waist up or head and shoulders. This, too, is a matter of “framing.”

Take more than one picture and focus in on different aspects of the overall scene. You’ll find those photos to be more exciting than the one that has it all.

Even if you don’t think you have an “eye” for a good picture, you can develop it. Using the techniques mentioned above, you can sharpen your ability to see and get great photos that won’t put people to sleep. Just think back to the times when you’ve been asked, “Wanna see some pictures from my vacation?”

Imagine bringing home travel photos that your friends WILL want to see!