Guest Author: Steve, author of  Asian Ramblings

I’m really excited to introduce my readers to my first guest author and fellow blogging aficionado, Steve P. Steve is an expat ESL teacher, writer and photographer living in China. Go check it out! I promise it will be well-worth your time.

Without further ado….

Planning for Better Travel Photos

A little preparation will pay photographic dividends.

You arrive home after a week in Beijing, your camera’s memory cards are full of photographs from the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. Disappointingly, you discover a lot of the images on your computer monitor are less-than-perfect. Over-exposure, under-exposure, bad shadows, messed up white balance; you can’t count the number of mistakes. Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software packages can help correct a digital image but there are limits to the rescue efforts.

The easiest way to avoid disappointment is to plan ahead. When you decided on your holiday you searched for the best-priced air tickets and hotel, right? You booked them, planning ahead. Do the same with your photography. With a little scouting and map work you will see your images improve, regardless of your camera or skill.

X Marks the Spot

If you know how long you’ll be in a city you can scout around, doing a little photographic reconnaissance before filling up a memory card. There was a reason you picked that vacation destination. You wanted to document Angkor Wat or capture the color of Patpong? Visit them without the stress of photographically capturing each one.

Buy a map. Walk around your destinations. Look at the light. What will it look like in the morning? What about late afternoon? Look for different angles; try to estimate the light and shadow, and the crowds. If you’re lucky enough to find everything perfect during your recon you can snap away, but that’s not often the way it works out.

Mark your map with the locations and any notes or ideas. This also works if you see potentially great image that is currently in shadow. Ask yourself: When should I come back? When would be the best time to take this photograph?

Many cultures rest between noon and 2 pm. The Mexicans call it a siesta. It’s done to escape the worst heat of the day. Photographically, midday light should also be avoided. The sun, at its highest in the sky, can wreak havoc with your camera’s automatic exposure and white balance settings. Conditions may look ideal to you, but the results won’t be.

Early morning or late afternoon light is best. Its golden color can lead to great casts in your images. The position of the sun in the sky also causes long and interesting shadows. If possible, plan your shoots for early or late in the day. When doing your recon remember to take this into consideration.

Planning your vacation is important if you want a memorable experience. If you want good photographic memories a little forward planning will pay off in spades.

Here’s How Your Planning Can Pay Off.
Take your travel photography to the next level!