The world is ready to reopen after a devastating year with almost no travel and so many Covid-19 related issues. And as most of us are planning our next trip, here are a few tips and tricks for good travel photos.

Don’t rush it! Maybe the most important advice I can give you. People are often in a rush, so they quickly jump out of a vehicle, snap a few pictures, and carry on. Good photos are not just waiting to be taken, they need time and a bit of effort. Slow down, observe and take your time when photographing. It will pay off!

Keep your camera handy!

Make a habit of bringing your camera everywhere, because the day you don’t is the day that you miss a wonderful photo opportunity. And when you go taking photos outside, don’t just hang the camera on your neck – this will make you always take photos from the same height and angle as everyone else. Keep your camera in your hands, where it belongs 😉

Travel light! In the beginning of my photography journey I used to travel with a huge backpack and about 10 lenses. On top of that I had a tripod, filters, cards, batteries an countless other “important” gadgets. As you can imagine I never used all of that. Why? it takes too much time and effort to constantly change lenses, put filters and so on. Time that I would much rather spend actually taking photos 🙂

These days my travel bag holds 2 small mirrorless cameras and 2 lenses. I don’t even bring a tripod most of the times. My bag is small and light and photographing is a breeze! Read more here: Don’t invest in camera gear, invest in your skills!

Get off the beaten track! Photographing the same views from the same place like everyone else will make your photos exactly like the rest. And since you are here I am pretty sure you don’t want that. Explore roads less traveled, go on your own, wander down maze-like alleyways in ancient cities, visit far-flung rural areas, and meet as many locals as possible. These kind of scenarios are where the magic really happens.

It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission! This is a bit of a controversial advise, but I truly believe it is good!

Imagine a situation: you are walking around a suddenly you see a very interesting situation about to unfold in front of you. Do you ask the people involved for permission to photograph them, potentially killing the moment and the mood, or just take a photo? Worst case scenario? They might ask you to delete it and you have to say: I am sorry.

I hope these tips and tricks for good travel photos will come in handy in the summer months ahead of us. Would you like to know more? Consider taking part in a photography workshop in Brussels with me. I promise it will be fun 🙂