My Top Travel Photography Tips to Improve Your Photos

I’m a travel photographer with over 10 years of experience.

I focused on photojournalism while earning my degree in journalism from the University of Arizona. I attended Semester at Sea in 2019 where I took documentary photography classes around the world.

I won first-prize awards from my university in four categories in 2020 and sold many of these prints to collectors and alumni.

Though I haven’t pursued travel photography on a full-time professional level, I have a decade of experience under my belt as a freelancer and student. Whether for work or leisure, I always travel with my DSLR camera on me. After all, you never know when you’ll stumble upon a picture-perfect scene.

A woman holding a child with a painted face — *This photo of a mother and child in an ancient pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar won first place at the U of A study abroad photography competition*

Travel photography is different from traditional photography for few reasons. Shooting in a new environment is both daunting and exciting. It takes time to figure out what you want to convey behind the lens when you’re in a setting you’ve never experienced before.

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How to Take Great Travel Photos: The Four C’s

A woman cleaning a kitten on the wooden table — *A woman cleaning a kitten in Casablanca,* ***Morocco***

I developed the four C’s of travel photography over 10 years of photo classes, freelance jobs, and half a lifetime of traveling abroad.

This alliterative checklist pertains to any kind of travel photography, whether you’re using a professional DSLR, a cell phone, or a disposable camera. If you can implement these elements into your photo shoots, I guarantee you’ll see results in your work no matter where you roam. Let’s get into it.

1. Composition

A tiger passing in front of the jeeps with group of photographers — *A tiger showing off for a crowd of photographers at a nature reserve in* ***Ranthambore, India***

Composition is the most basic element of photography, and it applies to every form of the craft. It’s important to remember what composes a good photo so you can come home with images that best capture your travels. After all, you likely won’t get a second chance to shoot the exact moment and place you were in again.

Here are the composition elements that make a good photo:

Framing

A woman with a camera on a cruise ship deck seen from above — *Views from above on the ship I lived on during Semester at Sea*

The framing should accentuate the subject without taking away from it. You can use natural objects like trees and sunbeams to frame your photo. You can also get creative with buildings, people, cars, and more. Experiment with different angles to create a unique frame, and subsequently, an eye-catching photo.

Rule of Thirds

Two people paddle boarding on a serene lake — *The paddleboard (the subject) is centered on the crosshairs of the dividing lines*

Imagine your photo is divided into 9 boxes, 3 rows of 3. As per the rule of thirds, the subject of your image should fall on the crosshairs of the middle boxes, as depicted in my image above.

While this composition is often more eye-catching than other placements, it doesn’t always have to be followed. Trust me, I still center plenty of photos. But the rule of thirds typically amplifies the structure of your image.

Lighting

A group of four people riding camels across the sandy desert dune under the clear blue sky — *Camels in the Sahara Desert at sunset*

Lighting goes hand in hand with time of day. Two of the best times of day to shoot are at twilight (blue hour) and at dusk (golden hour). The sunlight at these times is less harsh and more flattering, especially if you’re focusing on human features. Long shadows add dramatic effect.

When I take photography trips, I plan my activities to make sure I’m free to shoot at these ideal times. Some of my best work has been shot at sunrise and sunset.

If you’re shooting indoors, try to shoot in warm lightning as opposed to fluorescent or ultra-bright scenes. Additionally, super dark environments are difficult to capture if you don’t have a tripod handy (which you should, more on that in a moment).

A white truck with rooftop tent under the starry sky — *Night scenes from* ***Mexico***

The Milky Way shining brightly over the town of Morocco at night — *and Morocco*

The following are my starting settings for daytime and nighttime photography:

For sunny daytime shots, go for a higher aperture (somewhere around 16), a low ISO (100-400), and a quick shutter speed (1/200 minimum). Adjust to the time of day accordingly.

For night time shots, the lowest ISO delivers the sharpest quality. Set the aperture to f/11 to start and set a long shutter speed to let in more light. You’ll need a tripod for this.

It takes patience to learn the right settings for night scenes, but I promise the result is worth the process. Some of my best photos are of the Milky Way over a sleepy town.

Flow

Three Ghanaian models in stylish dresses standing on a wall at Elmina Castle — *Ghanaian models at Elmina Castle on the* ***Cape Coast***

This is a subjective term that I use all the time. Sometimes you can take an image that hits all the points of good composition, but it just doesn’t flow the way you want it to. Maybe the subject isn’t interesting enough, or maybe the colors don’t do the scene justice.

I’ve found myself mourning the camera roll of a shoot I thought would be life-changing simply because the exact moments I captured didn’t measure up to my expectations. The flow was just… off. It happens!

There are plenty of immeasurable factors out of your control that lend to the “flow” of a photo. Look for new and interesting ways to capture your subject so you can decide which perspective flows best later.

2. Culture

A woman sitting on bamboo bench wearing hat — *A woman from the Dao ethnic group in northern Vietnam*

Photography is a powerful way to represent cultures. Telling stories with images of the environment and people who make a place special is a profound and touching way of informing viewers about places, people, and things they’ve never seen before.

There is something unique and different about every new culture you encounter. If you can capture the beauty of that uniqueness, your photography will take life.

The photos I’ve taken abroad are priceless to me because they remind me that the bubble I exist in is not all that’s out there. There is so much culture to be shared and so many stories to be told.

A man playing a flute while a snake slithers nearby — *A snake charmer in Morocco*

Two women dressed in vibrant sarees — *and two saree designers in India*

Gravitate to the parts of a culture that attract you most, then capture those elements through your photos. You may not get exactly what you’re looking for every time. But with plenty of practice, you’ll learn how to convey your perception of culture with your lens.

3. Characters

A woman in pink fur coat and black hat strolling down the street on a chilly day — *A fashionista in* ***Tokyo***

Group of kids smiling while riding on a motorbike — *and a group of smiling kids in Casablanca*

Characters are the most important factor of travel photography, in my opinion. Each and every person you meet abroad has a lifetime of stories. Can you capture a fraction of this truth with your camera? This is always my goal when photographing people.

Faces and expressions are huge. Look for unique individuals with personality and expressive features. These subjects tend to instantly pull in a viewer. After all, we see ourselves reflected in others, so an emotional image will incite an emotional reaction from whoever sees it.

An elderly woman sitting on the floor inside the Shwedagon Pagoda — *A woman praying at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar*

This emotion is what brings a photo to life, whether it’s the emotion you capture in the image or the feelings the photo evokes in the viewer. My favorite photos I’ve ever taken were of people with an inexplicable draw, like the one above. Capture characters in their natural environment and you just might have an award-winning photograph on your hands.

4. Confidence

The author Betty Hurd smiling for a photo while holding a camera — *The switch from Canon to Sony threw me off for a few months*

For me, the greatest source of confidence behind the lens is my knowledge of my equipment. Get to know your camera before you travel so that you can quickly adapt to your settings, wherever you may go. This includes your accessories like tripods, filters, etc.

I once photographed an entire trip in China on automatic mode because I had no idea how to work my new camera. I had always shot with Canon but had just upgraded to a Sony a7iii. Auto mode is a cardinal sin in the photography world, and I’ll always regret not having known how to capture what I wanted that trip.

The author Betty Hurd smiling for a photo with an Indian family — *Me posing with a family I photographed at a fort in Hyderabad, India*

Another part of confidence is having the bravery to talk to people. Street photography is my absolute favorite category of travel photography, but it didn’t come easy to me. I felt embarrassed taking people’s photos, especially without asking, and I struggled to get permission from strangers.

It took a lot of practice for me to nail my introduction to skeptical subjects, but I’ve finally figured out how to approach people in a way that works for me. Be open to rejection, and keep trying when things don’t go your way. Your dedication to growing will lead you to success.

A woman admiring the breath taking view of Grand Teton National Park — *Views of* ***Grand Teton National Park*** *in Wyoming*

The beauty of travel photography is the ability to go back in time to the most impactful moments and places in your life. The four C’s will amplify your ability to share these moments with the world. This rubric has helped me grow exponentially as a photographer abroad. I hope these tips contribute to your growth behind the lens as well!

Listen to My Podcast Episode About Travel Photography

In Episode 3 of the Travel Lemming Podcast, I chat with Nate about all the photography tips laid out in this article. You can watch that segment in the YouTube video below, or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

If you like the podcast, please subscribe and give us 5 stars. The Travel Lemming Podcast is new and we’d love your support!

YouTube video — *Our travel photography segment starts at 44:49*

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What are your favorite travel photography secrets? I’d love for you to share your best tips in the comments! Then check out my article on solo traveling through Europe.