Travel Photography for Beginners: Places, People, and Stories

1. Introduction: Travel photography isn't just about taking a pretty picture. We've all seen the postcards. But how do you actually capture the feeling of your trip? So that way, all your friends go, Wait, I want to be there. My name is Finn Badgley. I'm a fashion and commercial photographer, and anywhere I go, I have my camera with me, but I like to document my travels in a very particular way. As a photographer, I've gone to many places, but as I do, I want to show it off in the best way possible, and in a way that only I know my experience of that trip. I'm going to teach you how to capture your experience in a way that feels authentic and wants to take you back the moment you see your photos. We're going to look at how to capture your journey. This is travel photography for beginners, places, people, and stories. Travel photography isn't about having the best camera, a drone, any of that. It's about learning to see. Learning to find the little pockets in your environment and how to capture them effectively. I don't just look to capture the iconic shots that have been taken 1 million times. I look for things that are unique to that place, little things that will make me remember that trip, make me remember that place and take me back there. And that's what you're going to learn here. The composition rules that I use to find little pockets that some people might just overlook. The wider landscapes of how to actually capture the grandness of an amazing place. And not to mention how to capture better photos of your loved ones, that they will remember forever. So if you're looking to capture better stories of your travels, ones that you want to keep looking at and go back to, this is the class for you. 2. Project: Get into the project aspect of this. You're going to deliver a three shot mini travel story. Now, you don't actually have to travel. If you're not on an adventure at the moment, you can become a tourist in your own city. This is something that I've learned to do to see my own environment a little differently. So go out there, whether you're on vacation, whether you're in your hometown, wherever you are. Look for the unique moments. Use the techniques that you're going to learn in this class to create three shots that fit together to tell a story. Use the wides, use the tights. Use the unexpected. Look for light and shadow and find your three best photos that tell the story of that place. And I can't wait to see what all of you create. I'm actually traveling right now. So I'm going to be sharing my own three shot mini story so you guys can see what I did and then how you can take inspiration to find your own shots, take some ideas from this class and develop them into your own photographic style. 3. Framing New Places: Alright, let's jump right in. Also from different hotel and different country this time. Last time I was in Greece, now I'm in Sicily in Italy. And I've been documenting my travels the entire way. So, the first thing is my approach to landmarks, views, the things that you want to see, the sight. When you're out traveling. Now, some of these places can be quite congested by tourists, by other people trying to get their shot. I'm also not looking to have the same shot as somebody else. So here's a few things that I look for when taking these photos. First things first, I find most of the time, you're almost too far away. You're almost too wide. So I like to find I like to zoom in and find a unique spot about something. I find often if you're looking at a fantastic panoramic view, it's hard to single out one particular thing. But what I do is I look for something to be my subject, and I zoom in just on that. Now, here's the same photo, but taken wider and taken just a little closer. Zoomed in a little bit. This is the same if you're using your phone, if you're using a camera with a lens that you can zoom in on, same thing applies. I try to just zoom in a little bit further than you would initially think and also move around. Don't just take the same shot everybody else as they see the view. You take the photo, look around and see what makes it interesting, find your own spin on it. Look for what jumps out at you and how you can frame that accordingly. Something that I really like to do is have something in the foreground. So there's something in front of the photo. There's your main subject here, and there's something that helps draw your eye in to that. The other benefit of zooming in for your shot is you often avoid other tourists in your photo that either take away from it or you would have to remove after the fact anyways. So that's one way I look for these specific subjects, whether it's a mountain in the background or if it's part of an architectural building, something that I can punch in on and make my subject. Even if it's a larger view, maybe I'll focus in if there's a sailboat at the bottom. You make that my focus. And I'm using compositional rules here. So a lot of times you'll notice I try to place these within one of the thirds of the frame. On a lot of your cameras, you'll have a grid. It's six grid lines. And I try to place my subject on those grid lines because it makes it more impactful. That's why it's a compositional rule. And you start combining some of these compositional rules. You use that. You use framing. So you're using a frame within a frame. Maybe there's a cutout of an old building, and then there's something in front of that, and you use that archway to frame your subject below. Something like that can give you a really unique perspective and add some more interest to the photo. I also don't try to take them from eye level because if you just take it, you're getting the same shot as everybody else, and it's almost too commonplace because that's what our eye naturally sees and that's what it's used to. So something I look for to change this up is I'll either get lower in a frame or I'll get higher and look down. Higher is really good for a view. If you're up high, you kind of tilt down a little, and you see more of what's below, and it kind of guides your eye up the frame. Or if you're in a monument or something, maybe get a little lower and it'll capture the grandeur of the place that you're in. It's just one little way to add some more character, spice up your photos, make it a little different and help tell that story better because if you're in a grand monument, getting that lower angle is going to add to it. If you're punching in on something that's going to do. What it tells your eye is, Hey, this is important. Look at this, and it makes a more impactful photo versus having a bunch of clutter and a wide shot that just doesn't really work. It's just the first base covered. That's your places. And this can be anywhere. And I'm always keeping my eye out for these interesting spots. Is there a symmetrical view here? Is there a different side of things that I can see? Am I always try to keep my eyes open for what could be an interesting photo and tell a great story of where you are. And the main thing to remember throughout all of this is you're not just documenting the place. You're documenting your journey there, the stories of that. Doesn't stop there. In fact, it just starts there. That's just the places, but there's so much more to travel photography than just that. We still have elements of how you can tell a compelling story, and we got to get into the people aspect. 4. Building The Story Details: Now you have your places down, but something I really like to do is find a detail shot somewhere, something that's a little abstract, something that's a little more interesting. So I was just in Greece, and a lot of the architecture is super interesting. There's a lot of curves and flow to how all these buildings are made. And I wanted to find a unique way to capture that. And I noticed when it was really sunny, the shadows really help play with that so you get the dark and the light. So what I would start doing is punch in on these areas, zoom in really close. So you maybe don't even know it's a building. You're not really sure what it is, but you see the light, the dark, the shadows, and it tells and it helps tell the story without giving too much away, just a little detail. Now, they don't have to be just these little details of buildings, per se. It can be something unique about your food or the people you're with capturing just a close up detail shot of something. And when I'm using my phone, I like to zoom in a little bit more. Darken that image down just a little bit, because I find sometimes, especially if you're using an iPhone, it tends to have the brightness almost a little too high sometimes. So that's when I tap the screen and I just lower that sun down. It helps your photo be a little moodier. But also, if you know camera mechanics, it ups your shutter speed a little and you'll get less motion blur. About it. As you're looking around, what's a cool detail shot? It could be the floor where you are, capturing it slightly on a canted angle. That's like a bit of a Dutch angle where instead of having lalines perfect, maybe they're a little off and zooming in capturing that detail, or it could be something in a shop that you really like. Or, again, your food or something you're drinking, and it doesn't have to be perfect. Sometimes the messiness of something is part of that story. This isn't about perfection. It's not about technical anything. This is about capturing stories that are unique to you. What's a detail that you can look at and be like, Oh, this is a unique thing to me. And if you're into posting a bunch of photos in a carousel on Instagram, this is a great way to add a little touch to it. It's something a little less expected, but it's unique to you and your travels. And it also shows what your eye sees, what do you gravitate toward? A great example of this is when I was in Greece in Milos, were all these swirls in Syracinco Beach, and they're on the rocks, just the way the light bends through them and the little hints of light and dark that you get in there. I'm always looking for light and shadow and interesting patterns. That's exactly what this is. And I thought, You know what? I might not think it is what it is. But then if you're posting a carousel of a bunch of photos with Sara kineco Beach, this ties in perfectly. So I'm looking at that. I'm looking for textures. I'm looking for what's cool. And then I just go top down, zoom in on just these swirls and the rocks, and it makes for a fantastic photo. It's something that I would even actually have printed because I like it that much. It's just so interesting to the eye. This is where before, when you're trying to define your subject, you can zoom in and try to find a particular aspect of these swirls or say, if you're photographing tile on a floor or a ceiling. If you're going to Europe, sometimes they have really interesting ceiling. So going up, zooming in or even having a wider shot and capturing that, it's not necessarily just about close ups for details, but how can you capture a detail of something? How can you capture something unexpected that adds a certain level to your story? That's what we're looking for here, the unexpected shot, something that adds to the narrative that tells more about it. That tells your hotel experience or if something happened while you were on a train or just a funny moment that Oh, this photo encapsulates that, but maybe not everybody gets it, but you and the people that were there get it. And when you see it, it takes you back to that place. It takes you back to the swirls at the beach and the warmth and how we woke up early to catch the sunrise. Those moments take you back there, and it makes you want to go back. It tells another layer of the story that you're not just seeing if you have a wide shot like you'd see on a postcard, right? So this is what we're looking for. Now, before we go any further, I have a quick assignment for you. Look around the room you're in right now. Find a detail. It can be a close upshot of the knob on a wardrobe and capturing that. It can be if you have a unique pattern on your duvet or on your chair, I'm literally looking around the room right now to see what I can find. And I'm going to add some shots because I'm going to do the same thing. Look around your room right now. Zoom in, find a detail, and then add it to your project because I want to see what your eye thinks of just in the room around you. You don't have to go to anywhere spectacular to capture interesting photos. This is how I'm training you to see interesting things in the environment you're already in and how to frame them differently. With the places and the detail shot taken care of, there is one more thing and arguably the most important thing we have to cover, and that's photographing people. 5. Capturing Your People: Most important part, how to better capture photos of the people in your life, the people you're traveling with because they're going to want their photo taken, you're going to want your photo taken. And here's how to do it best. Both of us are picky when it comes to our photos, and these are the things that we've learned to do to get the best shots possible and to tell a better story. We've all had you're standing in front of a place smiling photo. Now, that's great. This is how you can take it better. The first thing you can do is frame them with it. So, are they close to it, and is it really large in the background? Then I'm going to need to go wider to capture that. And I'm keeping in mind my composition of roof. I'm trying to make sure all the lines are straight. I'm ideally keeping the monument and the people in a third of the frame somewhere. So maybe the people are down at the bottom. Let's say that monument or that mountain, volcano, whatever is further away. A step back and then zoom in because when you do that, it brings what's far away and what's close closer together. So if you're on a wider lens, if you're at a wider angle, it's going to actually separate them more. So it looks like there's more distance between them, but you take a step back and you zoom in, it's actually going to bring them closer together, creating a more impactful shot. That's just a quick example for smiling photos. What I like to do personally is I like something a little more candid. So something I'm going to do a lot of times, if there's a railing, I might put my arm on it, and I'll just look out in a way that makes it so you can still see my face, but maybe I'm just looking out to the side. Almost like I'm taking in the environment I'm in. It gives a more candid feel. I like to have a good amount of my full body in the shot where my head is in that top right third. And you can still see the vista or the monument or whatever is behind me. Something my girlfriend is really great at is she'll line up a frame and then hand me the photo. I'll usually put her in the bottom right third or have her take up both the bottom and the top right third. So her head is at the top right third or top left third depends on the angle, and it's going to be a more candid shot. So maybe she's sipping a coffee, but she's not looking towards the camera. She's looking just off a little bit. You might have people be a little awkward in front of the camera sometimes and they might not be as used to doing this. Something I love to do if you like smiling photos is push out a laugh or make the people you're there with laugh and it'll make for a better shot. Or maybe you're walking down the street and just slowly walk, maybe laugh a little bit, taking in the moment, and somebody's capturing that, right? That's what I'm doing. I'm capturing somebody just in that moment. I want to make sure I'm eliminating distractions. Sometimes that means doing that same thing when you're taking landscape shot, zooming in a little bit more. It can also mean taking different angles of somebody. Maybe I'll take a full body shot. Then maybe I'll come in closer and I'll do this in a matter of seconds on a phone because I'm taking a bunch of photos. I'm that guy that my thumb is just going on that button. So I'm taking a bunch of wider shots. I'm coming in closer. I'm coming in for the detail, and I'm getting all these shots in the same time. Well, essentially the same. The same breath, almost. The age role question, how do I stand? Where do I put my hands? How do I pose for things? If you're a woman, this is going to be the easiest pose I can give you. You're going to stand slightly at an angle. You're going to bend one leg and kind of have your hand just on you're on your thigh. So there's a slight bend to your elbow, and then you can look off one direction. You can look at the camera. You can look down is a good candid angle. If you're looking at your shoulder, you're looking towards your feet, can even let out a little laugh. It makes for a really good looking, candid moment. Now, if you're a guy, I do want to keep the one shoulder closer to the camera, I'll put my weight back on my one leg, and then from there, I'm able to look different directions. And this helps give a bit more interest, and you're not just flat onto the camera like it's a mugshot. I'm looking for angles and different ways to add some visual interests that make for a better looking photo. As for hands, if you're a guy, sometimes I'll put one hand in the pocket. I can have an elbow leaning on a railing. But honestly, sometimes I'll just have my hands at my sides. And provided you're not too stiff, it actually makes for a decent photo. Just keep your shoulders back. You're still relaxed and same thing goes. You can push out a laugh, and that gives for a better smile. Basically, all we're trying to do here is create a little more shape, a little more angle. It's more flattering for you. And it just creates a more pleasing photo. So you're not just, like, standing straight on, like, the full body version of a mugshot. These are your vacation photos. So we tell aunt mugshots out of them. That's how you can take those and how you can take of the people in your life. I'm making sure that their heads, their bodies aren't covering major landmarks or anything I may want to point out. I'm also getting different angles. I'm moving my feet. I'm zooming in. I'm zooming out, trying to find what works best. Sometimes I want the focus to be on the person themselves and less so the place. So maybe if they're up on a cliff, I'm looking for more water, less sky, something like that, keeping it a little simpler, or sometimes I like what's in the background and want to position that person so there's more of that. If there's a cliff, if there's a building or something interesting in the background, maybe I want to work with that. But I assess the situation and go, Okay, what looks interesting here? What works for this? A good way to practice this is you can take a photo of a friend of yours or even just set your phone up on a self timer, and you can sit at, say, your kitchen table and just enjoy a cup of coffee. Something I like to do is you just sat off to one side, and you can look out. You can look this way. But I'm not face onto the camera looking in, drinking that coffee. That doesn't quite work. So that's what we're trying to do. We're not just standing in front of a place. Maybe push out a laugh, add a little smile in there, or you can be the cool guy, look out over the edge. This is how you create different looking photos that your mom, when you send her will love. Also, if you're taking a selfie, hold it up high to get that background in the view. Plus, you can hit the expanded view and you can see more of what's behind you. Or if there's something really cool up high behind you, then lower it down so you can see more of that. 6. Final Thoughts: First off, thank you for watching till the end of this class. I hope you're able to really capture your travels in a way that is unique to you. The next time you go out, experiment, try different things. And I can't wait to see the photos that you take from your travels, the stories that you're able to capture down in the projects. If you enjoyed this class, follow me along on Skillshare. As I'm always posting more classes. Let me know in the discussions what you guys want to see from me, as I'm always looking to deliver the best information to you. If you're not tired of me talking yet, you can follow me along on these different platforms, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, all of them to see what I've got going on and to see some photos from the trip that I'm currently on. I'm going to continue on with my travels and document the entire thing. Thank you for spending your time with me and remember as always to work hard, rest often, and have a super creative day.