the wander project dispatches from over there

Tips from a Pro: Get the Most From Your Point-and-Shoot

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.”
2. Stabilize in low light
“Low-light shooting is one of the most [...]

Stranded in Africa by Iceland’s Volcano, a Photographer Goes to Work

When Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano blew its top, thousands of travelers were stranded as the ash cloud formed a 3000-mile no-fly zone over western Europe. Photographer Austin Mann found himself without a ride home from Ethiopia, so he did what any enterprising freelancer would: he went to work.  TWP caught up with him via email from Addis Ababa.

TWP: What are you up to in Ethiopia?
AM: I came over on March 24th to help a couple of mission groups develop media to raise money and awareness about new projects. One of the organizations is comprised of volunteer [...]

Beware the Tourist [photo] Trap

Sometimes the difference between fantastic travel photos and mediocre snapshots is what you don’t do.  TWP asked editorial and documentary photographer Michael Friberg to clue us in on six rookie photography blunders— and tell us how to fix them.

1) Shooting on auto
While your camera’s automatic setting will yield usable shots, you’ll end up with much better photographs by switching to a manual mode, or a similar setting that allows greater control over the settings. “You are smarter than your camera’s computer” says Friberg.”It has no clue that you’re exposing for the [...]

TWP Gear Review: The Canon Powershot G11

A small pack and serious photography are usually mutually exclusive. Sure, you can lug a Pro DSLR and a bag full of lenses or pocket a point and shoot, but you’ll be making concessions with extra baggage or sub-par photos.
When on the hunt for the perfect travel camera, I was initially drawn to compact DSLRs. They’ve recently become truly compact, (relatively) inexpensive and capable of  great photos, so I figured I’d pair that with a single versatile lens and be on my way. But every knowledgeable friend I talked to — several of whom are professional photographers or photo editors [...]