Travelers routinely find themselves making the most of limited photo equipment, often carrying a point-and-shoot and little else. TWP asked professional photographer Will Godfrey for his top five tips for the minimally equipped.
1. Get creative with composition
“Finding a visually interesting angle can be as simple as kneeling down to compose the shot differently or as complicated as climbing onto a rooftop for an aerial view,” says Godfrey. “Even hiking up a nearby hill can completely overhaul an otherwise boring shot.”
“Low-light shooting is one of the most challenging shooting situations for photographers, especially when you’re using a point-and-shoot,” says Godfrey. “The camera has to slow down the shutter to pull in more light, which leads to blurry images caused by the photographer’s movement.” To counter this, mount your camera on a small tabletop tripod, which will allow slow shutter speeds without distortion. No tripod? A car hood, fence post or sturdy piece of furniture could work just as well.
3. Fight harsh light with more light
Though it may seem counter-intuitive, using your point-and-shoot’s built-in flash can eliminate shadows caused by the sun’s rays. “You’re not adding ‘extra’ light,” says Godfrey. “You’re simply adding light from a different angle, creating a much better photo by balancing the harshness of the sun.”
4. Window light: your portable portrait studio
Need to shoot a portrait or a still life photo without a studio lighting setup? Use a window, says Godfrey. “Place the subject just inside a window or a doorway that’s not in direct sun- you’ll get a soft, warm light that’s particularly great for portraits.” Since no two windows have the same quality of light, your impromptu studio is guaranteed to yield unique photos.
5. Read the manual, then shoot on manual
“Learning the technical capabilities of your camera will make you a more proficient and confident photographer,” says Godfrey. Your point-and-shoot may not have a fully manual option, but you’ll want to shoot in whatever mode allows the most control over the exposure. But those “scene modes” aren’t all bad, Godfrey says. “Shoot with them, then try to shoot a better photo manually; you’ll have a better understanding of how your camera captures an image.”
About our expert: Atlanta-based photographer Will Godfrey shoots wedding, commercial and editorial photography. He and a partner recently formed Live And Breathing, a multimedia company that offers photo, audio and video content for the music industry.
Do you have any travel photography tips? Share ‘em!
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Never knew about #3. Will play around with it next time I’m out taking pictures.
#3 is good advice but don’t just put your camera’s flash on auto, play around with dialing the power up and down. also taping a small piece of tissue paper over the flash to diffuse it a bit too.
Me either, Anil… But it makes sense. Let me know how it works out for you.
Thanks Mike. I knew you couldn’t offer a photo tip that didn’t mention gaffer’s tape.
(BTW, you should all read Mike’s tips for taking non-touristy photos: Beware the Tourist Photo Trap)