Traveling to travel somewhere cool? Come home with great memories.

Travel photography Tips For Great Photos

Phase 1: Before you Travel

Anytime of the year is a good time to travel. You'll always find a part of the world that has good weather and good deals. The key is to find the right time to visit a place when you can avoid crowds, take in a local festival, and get good deals on flights and hotels. But, of what use is a great experience if you don't bring back beautiful memories of your trip! The digital revolution in photography has put a camera and the ability to take great shots in every one's hands. Take advantage of it. With a little awareness and some planning you can have art for your walls, an entry to a competition, or your own personal illustrated coffee-table book.

There are three phases, in my view, to set up your equipment and yourself for making great memories.

1. The planning and research before you leave for your trip
2. The way you maximize light, your camera functions, and basic shooting techniques while you are traveling
3. The way you organize and compile your photos when you return to create meaningful memories to share and treasure

Here's a list of things to remember before you embark on your journey. 

Phase 1: Before you Travel

A few of my favorite things...

• Get Power: Charge batteries; keep extra ones. Carry them along, don't leave them in your hotel room.
• Get Set-up: A good sturdy camera strap, a camera case for point-and-shoot cameras with space for extra batteries, a lightweight tripod for ambitious photographers, and a lint cloth to clean your lens - there are some basic things you need to be carrying in your backpack. In my view, Lowepro makes the best camera backpacks while Caselogic has the cases for most gadgets.
• Get Memory: The same goes for memory cards. You should have at least one extra card with you that you don't carry along. I often switch between cards every other day and don't carry all my cards with me when I am sightseeing. If you lose a card, you lose all your lovely memories. So guard them well, don't fill them up all the way and format them completely BEFORE you start using them. This will give you a clean slate and no data clutter. If you travel with a laptop or an iPad, it's always a good idea to download all your photos at the end of the day to you computer as a back up.
• Get Research: Find out what the weather is like, sunrise and sunset times, if there are any festivals or special things going on and be ready to take advantage of the colorful backdrop these things can provide for your photos.
• Get Inspired: Look at photographs of the places you will visit on Flikr.com or galleries of popular photographers. The National Geographic Traveler website is always a topper on my list of inspiring sites to see.
• Get A Story: Is there something that has pulled you to the place you are visiting? It may be the food, the architecture, or simply the beaches and good weather. Whatever it is, find your story and make a theme for your photos. Shoot pictures of your co-travelers, kids, and friends who are with you in the theme you choose. Having a story makes the experience a worthwhile memory.
• Get to know your camera well: Spend time with your camera and understand all the buttons and menu items. You don't have to be a pro photographer to take awesome photos. A lot of it is understanding what you camera can do for you and putting it to use at the right time. Take note of the automatic functions your camera offers you - landscapes, macro for flowers and bugs, portraits, etc. Learn to turn the flash on and off manually. The manual is a good place to start. Canon and Nikon have great online learning centers and you can find tips online for most camera models. Read up and experiment around the house. Have a complete command over your gadget. You rule your camera - not the other way around.
• Get around and shoot: If you are enthusiastic about bringing back good photos, it’s not a bad idea to take a morning off and go out and experiment. Go to a local historic area, an outdoor space, shoot pictures of your family members, shoot inside and outside your home to get comfortable with your camera, it’s settings and exposure quality.

You are set to go. Now it’s time to familiarize yourself with composition, exposures, and a few techniques for your winner shots. Stay tuned for phases 2 and 3 and more on making your own photo books.