Capturing the magic
How to get great travel photos

Story and photographs by Eric Lindberg


Geyser in Rotorua,
New Zealand


Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico


Monument Valley, Utah


Old car, Saskatchewan


Guadalajara rodeo

Travel photography can instantly transport us around the globe, evoking the essence of the familiar and unknown. Even if we never reach the destination, a well-crafted image delivers a tantalizing fragment of that place and awakens the explorer in us. Yet too often our own vacation pictures fail to capture the sense of wonder and discovery we felt the instant we pressed the shutter button. It’s easy to blame the camera, but just a few simple adjustments can bring our shots to life.

Great travel pictures aren’t reserved only for those with professional gear; today’s compact digital cameras are capable of remarkable images. While the photos here were taken using a digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera and quality lenses, it was a combination of good light, interesting subjects, and thoughtful composition that produced the final results.

At midday this geyser in Rotorua, New Zealand was interesting but the light was flat. I decided to return later in hopes of shooting the setting sun through the steam and spray of the erupting geyser. When I arrived the sky was overcast but I found my angle and waited. Just before sunset the sun broke through and for three glorious minutes golden light poured across the scene. For landscape shots, early morning and late afternoon into evening often produce the best light. Visualizing your shot beforehand and returning when the light is better can result in more dramatic photos.

During an early morning ferry ride across Mexico’s Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio Island, thick fog obscured the scenery. Close to the landing pier this small dock seemed to float above the lake. I decided to linger and see if the weather improved and an hour later the fog began lifting. After experimenting with horizontal and vertical shots from different angles with a wide angle lens I eventually found this one. It conveys the isolated, lonely mood I felt that foggy morning as the only tourist on the island.

While hiking in Monument Valley, Utah, I found this rippled dune with pinnacles in the distance, but an overcast sky made for dull lighting, so I kept walking. Two minutes later the clouds broke and I ran back to the scene just as sunlight hit the dune. Of the three frames I fired off before the cloud shadow returned, two were blurred due to camera shake but this one was a keeper. The animal tracks climbing up the dune add an element of surprise to the photo.

Rain had been falling all morning as I passed this old car along a Saskatchewan back road. The retreating storm created a foreboding sky and helped to saturate the grass and wet metal with rich colors. A wide-angle lens allowed me to move in close while including the abandoned farm building in the background, enhancing the overall sense of isolation. Don’t give up when the weather is bad. Dramatic weather can lead to dramatic photos.

At this nighttime rodeo in Guadalajara I set my camera’s ISO to 1000 for the low light conditions and began panning, following the horses and riders with my telephoto lens as I shot. A shutter speed of 1/15 blurred the background while keeping my subject relatively sharp, giving a sense of movement and speed to the photo. Panning takes practice and out of 30 shots, only a few were keepers. Try reviewing photos between shots and adjusting shutter speed as needed to change background blur and sharpen the subject.

7 secrets of great travel photos

  1. Be willing to leave a warm bed or skip sunset cocktails in pursuit of good light. Serious shooters know that the hours right after sunrise and before sunset often produce the warm, soft light that makes almost any subject look better. Try wandering with your camera during these times and immerse yourself in the kind of lighting that the pros spend entire careers chasing. You’ll avoid the harsh light of midday and likely find richer, more saturated colors to inspire your inner artist.
  2. Know your camera before you go. Start by reading the manual, then practice at home, downtown, or any place you can experiment with your camera’s capabilities. Use the instant feedback of your LCD screen to make minor adjustments on the spot and see the results. When you travel, you’ll be better prepared to create images that reflect your journey.
  3. Slow down and notice your surroundings. What elements catch your eye and convey the local culture or landscape? What feels different from home? Identify what’s visually interesting as you focus on subjects, shapes, colors and textures that intrigue you. Take the obvious shot, then look around for more.
  4. Experiment with different angles. Crouch down. Stand on a park bench. Circle the subject like a predator and hunt for interesting perspectives. Remember to try vertical shots as well as horizontal.
  5. Eliminate junk from your shot. Instead of snapping at random, take a few seconds and examine the scene. What’s the main subject of your picture? Find it, then use your camera’s zoom lens or your feet to move toward or away from it until you’ve framed only what you want and nothing more. With fewer distracting elements your photo will be more interesting.
  6. Those extra batteries and memory cards won’t do any good back in the hotel room. Carry them along so you’ll never run out of power or cards while shooting.
  7. Whether you shoot one frame or a hundred, the cost is the same. Shoot profusely, try new things, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s what the delete button is for.

About the author

Eric Lindberg is a freelance writer and photographer based in Lakewood, Colorado. He was the Society of American Travel Writers’ 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year.


AAA Connection

AAA’s travel agency can take you to the places you want to photograph. And your AAA member discount can be used at companies ranging from Dell (for the right computer, monitor and printer to support your digital photography habit) to Consumer Reports (for objective reviews of products including photo and video gear), and several companies selling prescription eyewear so you can get your focus back!

Back to Top





>>>Return to Table of Contents