The world has changed remarkably over the last 30 years, and not least because of the advent of the internet, and this is especially true when it comes to photography. When photography was first invented in the 19th century, it was the preserve of the rich and the educated as the first cameras were extremely expensive and it was difficult to transport them.
Throughout the 20th century, photography became more available to the masses as no longer did you have to develop your photos yourself, instead you could send them to a company to do it for you.
The internet, however, changed everything as cameras became digital and there was no need for film at all. This meant that budding photographers could take snaps from the comfort of their smartphone and share them online immediately.
There has been a proliferation of apps such as Instagram where people can post pictures of their lifestyles and travels, although this presents added pressures as it is vital that you make them as appealing as possible.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how to make your travel photos seem remarkable, so read on to find out more.
Use People
It may seem simple, but putting a human being in a photograph can change it from something rather boring and mundane to something that has a lifelike reality to it.
The person does not have to be the center of the photograph, it could just be people in the background or even a scene of a crowd, but by doing so you will make your photos seem more personal and memorable.
If you are taking pictures specifically of people make sure that their eye lines are level with the camera, and never take a shot looking down on anyone as they will seem small and unimportant.
Use Light
Light is your best friend when it comes to photography, and it is no surprise that professional photographers like to take the majority of their photos at dawn or at dusk.
Direct sunlight is probably the worst condition to take a photo as it produces sharp shadows and glare which will affect the final quality of your shot, whereas, at dawn or dusk you will find softer light tones and longer shadows which will give your shot more impact.
You also have the added advantage that there are fewer people about at these times of day giving you more privacy to take the perfect shot.
Add Text
‘With the advent of smartphones, you are no longer limited to just taking a photo, you can now annotate your shots with emojis and text to make them more friendly to a millennial audience.
If you are using free and open-source GIMP,or a GM Image Manipulation Program, https://parkerphotographic.com/text-along-circle-path-gimp/ share just one of the many ways you can augment your photos.
For example, you can encircle text around an image, adding an interesting description, meaning that memories will stay with you for longer as you will remember the exact circumstances around when you took a shot and why. Some of the techniques may be tricky at first, but there are plenty of tutorials that will help you get the hang of this technology.’
Forget the Flash
Because of our historical knowledge of photography, we often think that it is necessary to use a flash to brighten up our shots when in reality, this is the worst thing that you can do when using a smartphone as your camera.
Ever seen those horrible images where eyes appear red and distorted? Yep, that is the flash causing it. Ever taken what you thought to be the perfect shot, that comes out slightly fuzzy and blurry? That will be the flash too.
If you want confirmation of this then just take the same shot with the flash on and then off and you will see exactly what we’re talking about. Next time you think about adding the flash when the light is a bit dim, don’t. You can always touch up your shot using editing software or an app like Instagram, and the result will be 100% better than what you would achieve using a flash.
As we have learned there are several different techniques that you can employ to make your travel photos seem remarkable. Ensure that you have a person in every shot to give them a human element, and use light to your advantage remembering that dawn and dusk are the best times of day to take photos.
Add text or emoji’s to appeal to the millennial audience and forget about ever using the flash as it will ruin your photos, you can always use editing software to brighten them up at a later date. Take on board these lessons and you will take remarkable travel photos for the foreseeable future.
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