I started taking travel photos about 15 years ago but only invested in my first professional camera in 2015. Fast forward to 2016 and I quit my 9-5 day job to start my own business and take travel photography full time. Since then I have partnered with some of the world’s biggest brands on photo projects, have had photos published in numerous magazines, and have also published my own coffee-table photo book. I’m 100% self-taught and haven’t gone to college for photography. There is SO much you can learn these days via the internet, in-person workshops, and by practicing.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
Choose which approach best suits your needs and interests: phone, camera, or drone photography. Or it could be a combination of two or three. I personally use all three approaches to my photography work.
CREATING TRAVEL PHOTOS WITH A PHONE:
High-quality phone camera such as the Apple iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max, Huawei P30 Pro, Google Pixel 4XL, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, OnePlus 9 Pro
Mini tripod such as a Joby Gorilla pod (including the phone attachment). The Peak Design Travel Tripod also has a phone attachment and I find it super useful for phone photography and videos.
Optional: Screw-on lenses such as the Xenvo Pro Lens Kit, Moment Anamorphic Lens. Or Apexel 36x Telephoto Lens
Optional: Waterproof case cover such as those from Lifeproof
Optional: AxisGo Underwater Phone Housing and Dome Port (for half over/half under style images)
CREATING TRAVEL PHOTOS WITH A CAMERA:
DSLR or Mirrorless camera body, and/or an action camera like a GoPro
Kit lens, or if you’re looking to upgrade a wider range, such as a wide-angle (16-35mm), middle range (24-70mm), and zoom (70-200mm, and 100-400mm)
A sturdy and compact tripod that can hold the weight of your gear, and is compact enough to travel with
Optional: Waterproof Housing (e.g. Aquatec) or waterproof camera (e.g. GoPro Hero 9)
TIPS FOR SHOOTING IN HARSH LIGHT?
As beautiful as golden hour and blue hour are, it’s not always possible logistically to shoot a location during those times. You’ll often find yourself exploring destinations in the middle of the day where you’re much more likely to experience harsh light. Here are some tips to help you still make the most out of these midday conditions!
Always shoot in RAW and in manual mode to have more control over your settings. A RAW image stores more information about a photo and allows you to have more freedom when editing later on.
Try shooting with the sun off to the side or behind the subject. If it’s a cloudy day, wait for clouds to pass to diffuse the light.
Play around and get creative with shadows. Shooting your subject in the shade is also a great option, especially if the scene’s lighting is consistent.
