“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams

Travel Photography is all about recreating a cherished travel moment. It’s the perfect memoir, taking you back in time and space to the place, people, feelings, smells, culture, and essence of your travels. Build your skills to do the different- get learning, get shutter-happy on your travels!

1. Arming yourself right: While equipment only may not be the defining factor for great clicks, different lenses serve different purposes. The kit lens (18-55 mm) is good for starters, while a wide-angle lens (Canon 10-18 mm or Nikon 14-24 mm) helps for landscapes and cityscapes. A telephoto lens lets (100-400 mm) you capture the finer nuances from afar – portraits and wildlife. Select your equipment basis focussing speed, weight/size, quality (fixed focal length lenses yield better image quality than zoom lenses) and price.

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2. Back to Basics-Exposure Triangle: The exposure triangle explains the three parameters of digital photography- shutter speed, aperture and ISO and their interdependencies with exposure. Spend time experimenting with different combinations on a single subject to gain a practical understanding.

   1. Shutter speed: A slower shutter speed (1/15 second) means that the shutter is open for more time, allowing in more light and creating higher exposure and motion blur. Faster shutter speeds (1/1500 s) ‘freeze’ motion and are used for wildlife/sports events.

   2. Aperture (absolute f-number): A lower f-number (f 5.6) indicates a wider lens iris, rendering a brighter image i.e. more exposure. A small f-number allows greater depth of field i.e. backgrounds appear blurred and the subject stands out. Useful for flowers, portraits etc.

       
      
       

   3. ISO (absolute number): ISO allows you to control the sensitivity of the sensor to light. Switch to higher ISO in lower light for greater exposure.

3. Selection of Mode: Different camera modes allow you to exert varying degrees of control and are used for different situations.

   1. Shutter-priority (Tv): Used for shooting motion, it allows you to set the shutter speed and self-adjusts the aperture.

       
      
       

   2. Aperture priority (Av): Used mostly when you want to get the right depth-of-field, you need to set the aperture size and the camera self-adjusts the shutter speed.

   3. Manual: It gives you complete control on the camera, you must manually set all three i.e. shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Used for special situations like low light/indoors.

4. Curate Your Composition:

    
   
    

   A composition is all about adding a dash of your creativity to a photo! Some globally recognised rules related to composition are Rule of thirds, leading lines, background and foreground, framing and use of focal points.

5. Master Post-processing: Digital post-processing has the potential to create a ‘wow’. The aim of post-processing must not be to correct but to enhance. Adobe Light Room provides a user-friendly interface, Photoshop is more technical with in-depth functionalities.

A travel photograph is all about re-telling a story, one that evokes a sense of nostalgia for you, and a feeling of awe and inspiration for the reader. Master the basics and become a master of travel photography!