The Best Piece Of Advice I Got Given About Travel Photography
It's simpler to do that you think.
When I was 16, I came across this unforgettable piece of advice.
I was just starting to get interested in travel photography, and had been consuming everything there is to know about become a better photographer. Maybe even becoming a travel photographer one day.
But, like most beginners, I was making a lot of mistakes:
Focusing on the gear.
Reading up on photography techniques.
Buying video course to learn about editing photos.
Until one day, I came across this quote from Jim Richardson:
"If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.”
That day, my perspective on how to become a better photographer changed.
The fastest way to take better photos is simple.
Get out there and shoot more.
As a teenager with little money, heading off to far away interesting places was clearly not in the budget. Instead, I made a point to bring my little Sony point and shoot camera with me everywhere I went in my home town.
Family gatherings.
Going on a roadtrip.
Outings with friends.
They were all opportunities to stand in front of something interesting and practice what I’ve been learning.
In fact, the camera in hand helped me see my own mundane home town through a different eyes—the eyes of a travel photographer.
If you enjoy taking photos, curious to hear, how did you learn how to take better photos?
One of the best things that I did (long ago, before anyone even knew how to spell 'digital') was to buy a totally manual film camera - a Zenith B (Russian camera, I think), which had no light meter, no automatic anything! It taught me the science of photography - understanding how light works on film, depth of field, shutter speed and so on. From that, I could then learn the art of photography.
I then discovered that I loved photographing landscapes and nature. So I just got out there!
Enjoy your travel photography journey! It's a wonderful thing to do 😊