How to take professional travel photos for your social media

Imagine that you have finally booked a trip to your favorite dream destination. Thailand, Iceland, Maldive, Bali, Italy wherever you are, you’ve been waiting for a lifetime and will finally visit it. In this article, I will give you some useful tips that you can consider to take professional photos for your social media.

So, you are ready to leave for your dream destination and your plan is to take the best travel photos of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, share them with friends and family, share them on social media, or print them on your home wall. They certainly are moments and travel experiences you’ll always want to remember. So you got a new camera or you just have your powerful smartphone and are ready to go.

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I have been shooting photographs and videos for nearly 10 years, traveling around the world, leading professional workshops, taking pictures for the journalism industry, and telling stories.

And now I would like to share with you the knowledge, secrets, and insights from my travel photography journey so that you can take better travel photography.

In this post, you can find many of our favorite travel photo tips you need to know to get home with great work. Today is time for learning. let’s start.

First, let’s talk about some general tips for travel photography. I think this is not only the most important but also the most difficult to master. It takes time to develop an eye for photography. Actually for years. It’s a never-ending learning process, but I promise you will be much better with practice. And once you start designing and creating your portfolio, the rest is noise.

Know your camera

Whether you’re shooting with a professional camera, smartphone, or vintage film unit, the first tip for travel photography is to get used to the camera gear. Everything depends on the purpose. For instance, you may need a Go Pro if you need action as well as a waterproof camera.

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The best compact camera for travel, based on my experience, is Sony RX100VA as it is perfect if you are looking for portability and benefits of having a point and shoot, but you also aim to take incredible photos. In case you. are looking for a more affordable option but still take decent photos, then you’d better check the Canon Powershot SX70 20,3 MP.

If instead, you are looking to take some pictures in order to establish your online presence as a travel influencer, well content is key and engagement is important as well. You might consider Canon G7X Mark iii which is a good choice for Vlogging and taking some stunning Reels as well.

However, no matter what’s in your camera bag, take the time to read the instructions, do some practice with all the buttons and camera settings, and spend hours making it a part of yourself. Examine the menu and avoid spending minutes scrolling the menu when the timing is important and when you need to change camera settings in the field.

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Also, don’t forget to understand the camera limitations. Does it work well in dark places or does the image get corrupted? Is it sharp and wide open, or do you need to stop for maximum transparency? It definitely helps you to better understand how to take decent photos no matter the situation.

After all, when you pick up the camera, you feel comfortable and want to know exactly how it works. That way, you can get better photos faster and easier.

Focus on the Golden and Blue Hours

Golden Hour is the time when the sun rises and gives the scene a magical warm glow.

Think about the first hour after sunrise in the morning and the last hour or two before the sun hits the horizon in the afternoon. Blue Hour is the time when the sun is below the horizon and the sky has a beautiful shade of blue.

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If you really need better travel photos, one of the best travel photography tips I can offer is to get used to getting up early and going out late to get the most out of twice a day.

If you’re not an early bird, get in the habit of setting an alarm clock. For example, many of the great travel photos of the Taj Mahal and other invisible sights were taken by those who arrived there early.

Learn about the composition

You’ve probably heard about the importance of properly composing shots, but if you’ve read the manual, you’ve probably come across the “rule of thirds.” A good composition makes the difference between an average shot and award-winning travel photography.

In theory, there are all sorts of “rules” that make a photo look good. For example, let’s get into the rule of thirds a little. This concept divides the image into nine even squares (many cameras actually have this grid feature built into the display options).

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The next thing to do is to select topics and points of interest such as people placed along these lines and squares. The idea of ​​the rule of thirds is that this is a mathematical concept of what our eyes are naturally comfortable with. Therefore, it is advisable to integrate this method into your shots.

Another thing to note is the guide. The guide naturally looks around the photo and draws different angles and shapes.

Ask for the permission

Travel photography does more than just capture the most beautiful sunsets and gorgeous architecture in the world. Travel photos are also about the people you meet. But if you’re a little shy, how can you get those great portraits without feeling rude?

Easy: Just ask for permission. Asking someone for permission to take a picture is polite and respectful.

If you have had a great meeting with someone, or if you have a great opportunity and want to take a great portrait, give them a big smile and ask if you can take a picture.

Just ask and you’ll see that many people are happy to pose in the photo (if they say “no”, be sure to respect them).

Use a tripod

A tripod is one of the best camera accessories to put in your camera bag and is an essential part of your travel photography. This allows you to take excellent low-light shots and express your images creatively (such as long exposures).

Nowadays, especially if you’re a hobby photographer who wants to travel lightly, you don’t necessarily need a big tripod to get around. Check out some of the gorillapods or simply a tripod that you might invest in.

These are some tips on how to take professional travel photos ready to be used for your social media. I hope you have found this article useful and if you liked it share it on social media. You can also join our community of travelers on Instagram and share your photos on our travel accounts.