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Capturing Your Travels on Camera

By Steve Outram, Steve Outram Travel Photography

Remember that sinking feeling when you opened your camera after shooting an entire roll on vacation and found it empty? Believe it or not, this is not an uncommon mistake, and it’s even happened to me.

Aside from an empty camera, there are a few other relatively common mistakes that novice shutterbugs unwittingly make. One of them is shooting at the wrong part of the day. Be sure to take a break between 12 and 2:30 in the afternoon. The sun during that time is too high in the sky and the light is harsh. Lighting can also be a problem at night: There’s no way that the flash on your compact camera will be able to illuminate all of the Eiffel Tower when you’re 20 meters away!

Probably the hardest decision a traveler has to make is what type of camera to take? I’ve just shot a series of slides with a compact camera with a focal range of 38mm to 160mm, to show people what these amazing cameras can do. However, I think the ideal system is to have a compact on your waist belt, ready for any situation, plus one good 35mm system in your backpack-style camera bag.

What about the black and white vs. color film dilemma? Well, if you have two cameras, why limit yourself?  Shoot both. Some great black-and-white portraits may never work in color and the red bougainvillea against a blue wall in Santorini must be color!

While there is nothing wrong with taking “picture postcard” shots, I recommend looking for ways do it with more creativity. Dig a little deeper behind the facade for elements of color, graphic design and texture. The Coliseum at night. . . .the reflection of Harrods in the window of a London taxi. . . .Dubrovnik at dusk.

I think images that show where you’ve been should be graphic and simple. If you are diligent and use your imagination, pictures can be found anywhere. The hands of an old man with his worry beads says “Greece” in one shot. Close-ups of colorful Turkish slippers; the picture of pasta and wine outside on a restaurant table in Florence, with the Duomo reflected in the bottle or out of focus in the background.

Of course, getting that perfect shot can some times be dangerous, even for seasoned professionals. I was photographing some Arab men in the desert of Giza in Egypt, and while stepping back a few paces to frame the shot, I nearly fell into a small, but deep, burial chamber!  So, do be careful.

Some final advice to make sure your photographs turn out to be everything you dreamed – and more. I urge travelers to learn to use the creative tools of f-stops and shutter speeds. And use a tripod all the time. For example, if you want that Tuscan landscape to be sharp from front to back, use the tripod and set the lens to f22. With a 50 ASA film you’ll get about a one-second exposure – and perhaps an award-winning shot!