i really enjoy traveling and my husband will tell you that i am not one to bring home any souvenirs, as i think they are plain clutter, but instead i bring home plenty of pictures.  it could be said that my photos are my souvenirs.  travel photography is really fun because it allows you to be inspired in a new place.  it allows you to take your camera to a completely different setting than your everyday and, as you are enjoying your travels, you can get creative with how you document your experience.  as you prepare for your next travel adventure make sure you take these 5 essential photos.

will your travel include street photography?  if so, check out the best lens for street photography.

this post contains affiliate links.  thank you in advance for supporting bethadilly photography.

Travel Photography : 5 Essential Photos To Take

when packing my gear for travel, i don’t like to take a lot with me.  there is nothing worse than bringing too much gear and having to carry around a heavy camera bag.  i really like to bring my small shutterbag when i travel because it is light to carry and, because of it’s smaller size, it doesn’t encourage me to overpack.  for me, whenever i bring multiple lenses, i never end up using them so i have learned my lesson and travel light.  also, i find that stopping to change out lenses interrupts creativity and can ruin the moment, so i like to bring just one lens so i am always ready to photograph and i am not wasting time fiddling with lenses.  normally, my favorite lens for travel photography is my sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens, however this particular trip to cade’s cove in tennessee was before i had acquired my 24mm, so i believe i was using my sigma 50mm f/1.4 on my nikon d600.

1.  How You Get There

i think it is always fun to get a photo of how you are traveling, whether it is by car, plain or train (trains are the best!).  if you are photographing roads, there are so many fun opportunities for leading lines and ways for you to get creative with your composition.  if you can, roll down your window so you don’t photograph through glass and ruin the clarity of your photo.  as always, wear a camera strap should you position your camera outside of the vehicle for a photo, and keep yourself safe.  for this photo, i believe we were on a really slow road with no cars around, so my hubby was able to slow down and allow me to photograph this by rolling down my window and positioning my camera on top of the side mirror to get this photo.  should you have to photograph through a car window, carefully rest your lens flat against the window so you minimize glass reflections in your photo.

sometimes when traveling, you need to get where you are going quickly.  but, if time allows, be sure to pull over on the side of the road (being mindful of traffic, of course) to get some fun photos.  my hubby is great in understanding that i really enjoy the photo taking part of travel, so we build time in for stops.

2. Little Details

when we think about travel photography, we often think about pullback shots that tell the story of where we are.  while that is important, and we will get there, it is also important to photograph all the little things that make up your surroundings.  as you travel, look to the small things that are unique to the area you are in and have fun photographing them.  whether it is beautiful flowers alongside the road or fun locks on cabin doors, do a little exploring.  travel is about exploring, so it’s okay to incorporate your camera while you explore your new surroundings.

3.  Set the Scene

while it is great to get close up photos of the small details that make up your travel, be sure you take some pullbacks of where you are to set up your scene.  this is important so that you can have a cohesive collection of travel images that tell an entire story.  while travel photography should be for you, keep your viewer in mind as well and consider taking some pullback shots to show your viewer the setting you are in.  it will make your viewer more interested in all of your other photos, if they can accurately image where you are.  take the time to set the story, pullback shots are great keepsakes because they will help you remember your travel too.

4.  Who You Are With

it’s always a great idea to get in photos too!  not only does it document you being there, but it places a little time stamp on your photos.  the surroundings may stay the same year after year, but the people in the photos will certainly change.  i love getting in photos during travel because, when i look back on my photos, it helps me to remember the time, in terms of year.  when including my family in photos, i can quickly determine a lot of things about our travel.  by looking at our clothes, i can tell the time of year we traveled (winter).  and by looking at us, i can tell it was before kids (we were babies!).  see what i mean?  pictures of yourself really do help to put time stamps on your photos, as well as document who was traveling…which is always a good idea.

Photography Tip

i love looking for leading lines, and lines in general, while doing travel photography.  if lines are present, be sure to decide how you will incorporate them within the frame.  sometimes you will want the lines to lead your viewer into the frame.  in the photo on the left, the lines on the road are taking the viewer’s eye from the camera left side of the frame and leading them along the road to the center of the frame, pulling them further into the picture.  in the photo on the right, the lines are thoughtfully aligned with the edges of the frame to create balance that is pleasing to the viewer.

5.  Memorable Moment

there is always going to be a memorable moment that makes up your trip, so be sure to photograph it.  for us, we had just started our passport to the national parks book and we were having fun getting our stamp for the area we were traveling in.  by the way, if you love to travel, the passport to the national parks stamp book is amazing and a wonderful activity for the entire family!  travel photography should not only include your surroundings, but it should also include the special moments that make up the trip.

travel photography is so much fun and it can be a great confidence booster if you are feeling uninspired with your photography.  there is nothing more inspiring than exploring a new place with your camera.  as you prepare to travel, be sure you pack light, think through your lens choice, and be sure to take these 5 essential photos, plus many more.

be sure to join my exclusive email list to receive my latest photography tips and tutorials.  it’s free!

need some photography tips + inspiration?  check out what posts are trending below!