10 Travel Photography Tips
Who’s Behind The Camera?
In case this is your first visit to our blog a quick introduction is in order. We are a couple in our mid-fifties and in early 2020 we reached a bucket list goal and wrapped up travels to 50 countries in the span of 50 months.
Fortunately, we made the finish line just in time before the pandemic changed the world and travel scene entirely.
As travel finally is getting easier again, we want to share some of our travel photography tips in this article so that you can set yourself up for a good adventure with your camera.
Camera Size For Travel
The choice of camera size comes down to an individual preference and at times smaller compact cameras which normally would be recommended for travel will not be up to the task.
For instance, if you are a wildlife photographer or plan to cover fast-paced action photography during your travels you may not worry too much about weight or bulk.
Or if you are a dedicated landscape photographer you will be paying attention to your choice of a proper tripod more so than worrying if a camera will fit in your pocket.
If, however, you are looking for a camera to cover travel photography in general I find less is often more. Consider the weight of the camera and lens combination for a day-long long sightseeing walk in the city or a hike in the mountains.
In my experience, every ounce counts, and packing too much gear will be cumbersome in the long run.
For travel, pick a camera size you are comfortable carrying around all day.
After years of shooting with Canon digital SLRs and heavy high-end lenses, I made a decision early in our travel project to sell it all and switch to the Fujifilm X Series. Lower cost and weight along with easier editing/post-processing were the main factors in this decision.
I decided on the Fujifilm X-Pro2 as my do-it-all travel camera. I cannot complain about the image quality produced by this camera and it is a midsize mirrorless option, not too big, not too small, and very reliable/durable.
Fujifilm has since released a Fujifilm X-Pro3 which may top my list if I was doing our travel project all over again.
If you want to travel even lighter I may suggest taking a look at the Fujifilm X-E4. For a heavier jack of all trades option, I would suggest the Fujifilm X-T4. If you can live with a one-focal-length camera, the Fujifilm X100V is hard to resist.
Lenses for Travel
I had various lens setups during our 50 months of travel but for the majority of our travels, I settled on four prime lenses. An ultra-wide-angle Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R, moderate wide-angle Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R, a standard Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R, and telephoto Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.
Other than in transit or for road trips I rarely carry them all at the same time. I often set out for a hike or sightseeing in the city with just one or two lenses.
My favorite lens has been the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R, a lens that produces wonderful, magical photos, in any given situation. It would be a good fit no matter which Fujifilm camera you pick as it will not add much bulk or weight to your setup.
Update:
Look out also for a new Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR which was announced in September of 2021.
My setup for our 5050 Travel project. Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF 35mm f/1.4 R mounted. From left to right; XF 14mm f/2.8 R, XF 23mm f/1.4 R, XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR
I have chosen to travel with prime lenses as I find they offer a little bit of extra punch in color and sharpness across the frame but zoom lenses may also be on your radar if you want to cut back on bulk and the quality is remarkably close to prime lenses. I suggest you take a look at a lens such as the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR.
Fujifilm has an excellent line of f/2 prime lenses which should be near or at the top of any travel photographer’s list. Lenses such as the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR, Fujifilm XF 23mm /f2 R WR, Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR, and Fujifilm XF 50mm f/2 R WR are compact, weather-resistant, of high build quality, and will not break the bank.
These lenses have near-silent autofocus and will take up very little space in your pack or pocket for a day hike.
The Hong Kong skyline and Victoria Harbour captured from the Peak. The photo is made with a Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera and XF 35mm f/1.4 R lens, mounted on a travel-friendly Manfrotto Befree tripod.
Batteries
I have been shooting with film cameras lately and have enjoyed leaving the house without having to check battery levels and without one or two batteries in my pocket.
Batteries unfortunately are a necessary evil of digital photography and I travel with four in total.
My first tip is to get a dual battery charger. I found one on Amazon, Newmowa Dual USB Charger for Fujifilm NP-W126 and NP-W126S batteries.
I have a set routine while traveling. As soon as we come back to our hostel, hotel, or Airbnb from a day of exploring I will charge two batteries and then before bedtime switch to the other two. This way, I am always ready for the next day of exploring.
An aerial photo flying over a Glacier in Eastern Greenland en route to Iceland. This photo was captured with a Fujifilm X-H1 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R It was easy to keep my batteries warm from the comfort of my seat on a commercial flight :)
Consider as your batteries get older they will become less efficient in holding a charge. I have my newest batteries ready and shoot these first to cut back on how many times I need to switch.
Only once did I run out of power during our travels and luckily it was at the very end of a long day at Inle Lake in Myanmar.
In cold weather climates, I never leave my batteries in my backpack as it reduces the capacity when they get cold. Keep them in your pockets or an inner jacket pocket where they stay nice and warm.
If a battery dies in the cold, put it in your pocket to warm it up and you should be able to squeeze a few more frames out of it later on.
Back-Up During Travel
I think everyone has a horrible story about failed backups. I will lead this segment with a story of what not to do. I was on an assignment in Northern Alberta, Canada taking photos in the woodlands for a company in the forest manufacturing industry.
Upon my return, one of my photo backpacks was covered in mud and I emptied it, or thought I had emptied it, and put it through the laundry.
Afterward, I hung it to dry and discovered that I had put one of my portable drives through the washer. Perhaps needless to say, it died!
Bagsmart large travel case cable organizer with backup drives, cords, mini tripod, filter, SD cards, card reader, dual battery charge, and filters.
The story has a good ending due to my travel backup routine, which includes backing everything up to two portable Western Digital 2TB portable drives.
After the back up I always place the drives in two different bags in case one is lost, a bag is stolen, or I decide to launder my data.
The portable drives for RAW files are a must during travel as cloud-based backups almost always are challenging on the road. Slow upload speeds in most parts of the world basically make it impossible.
Whenever we stay with friends or family during travel, or if we have accommodation with a solid internet connection I upload my high-resolution edited JPEG files to my Smugmug site. This way I am sure to always have my photos come what may.
The Hungarian Parliament Buildings on the Danube River in Budapest. The photo was made with a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.
The newer Fujifilm cameras allow for instant transfer/backup of your photos to your mobile phone or tablet via Bluetooth. Mind you it will be JPEGs but at least you will have something to show in case you lose your camera or it is stolen.
I lost one camera and had another one stolen during our travel project and this backup feature would have been handy. I lost all my photos from a day trip to Macau and unfortunately, you will never see any photos in the blog from our second day in Rome.
I am not sure this is a feature I would use permanently as it is bound to reduce battery life on your camera but if you find yourself in a once-in-a-lifetime destination it may be worth considering covering all bases.
You can take this one step further and have your mobile phone upload automatically to cloud-based storage if you happen to have a data plan wherever you travel.
A couple of fishing boats float along between the limestone rocks on Lan Ha Bay in Vietnam. This photo was made with Fujifilm X-Pro2 and XF 35mm f/1.4 R.
Editing Photos During Travel
It can be tricky to find time to edit your photos while on the road but it is one of the tasks I am quite diligent about. Because I take so many photos I do not allow myself to get too far behind.
I also find that I am more motivated when the experience is fresh in my mind and I will most often edit the same day as photos are captured.
The trick is to not let a mountain of photos daunt you into neglecting the process of selecting photos and editing them.
For travel photography, I have been using Capture One Express for Fujifilm. Capture One gets me great results without spending several minutes editing each frame.
Often I get by with levels, exposure, and white balance adjustments and If I want to spice things up further I will apply one of Fujifilm’s excellent film simulations.
Check this article: Fujifilm Film Simulation Samples
At the Louvre in Paris, France. This photo was captured with a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R lens. I have used the Fujifilm Acros film simulation.
Photos are then exported as full-size JPEGs with minimal compression. If an image needs further editing I will do this in Photoshop.
Editing options on mobile phones are becoming quite powerful and I frequently use my iPhone for travel photography as well.
I suggest VSCO for editing your mobile phone photos. VSCO’s filters or effects are often based on old film stock and I can usually find one that pleases my eye.
Tbilisi St. Trinity Cathedral in Georgia. This photo was made with a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and XF 14mm f/2.8 R lens.
Sharing Your Travel Photos
Picking which travel photos to share can be like choosing photos for a portfolio and you usually end up selecting too many.
I go through my photos several times before I cull them to a few favorites, which typically amounts to 10-20% of photos captured on any given day.
Later I will pick how many of these will end up here in our travel blog. Even fewer images will go on Instagram. Some photos are uploaded to a stock photography site and some are shared with friends and family via Messenger.
Sharing photos, however, is different for everyone. You may not share your work online and will instead have a folder with photos reserved for a nice frame and a spot on your wall for when you return home.
A happy travel photographer in the desert outside Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. In this photo, I was using a Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.
Finding Your Style
The majority of the content in our travel blog is either street or landscape photography. As a rule, I try not to go overboard with the post-processing and I want the photos to be true to what I saw. You will also find a few posts with black and white photography on our blog.
Whatever your style is, I recommend you do not second guess it. If you are a hardcore landscape photographer and pride yourself on immaculately captured images, processed to perfection and captured with high-end gear, stick with it.
If you are a die-hard black-and-white street photographer, stick with it. Whatever brings you joy, stick with it. To quote the old Ricky Nelson song; “You can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.
You can also gather inspiration from other photographers, books, photography forums, social media, or even movies to help you find your style. I have also heard of photographers creating their own style. How about that for a concept? :)
Onboard the Poseidon sailing around Symi Island in Greece. The photo was captured using the Fujifilm X-Pro2 with an XF 14mm f/2.8 R and the Acros film simulation.
Composition
I took a design class years ago and as part of the curriculum, we read the book “Design Basics” by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak. The book came with a CD-ROM which should give you an indication of how long ago it was.
But here is the thing; Design basics have no expiry date and studying the basic composition types can help tremendously with any genre of photography, not only travel photography.
In the book, I flagged sections on Unity, Focal Point, Balance, and Rhythm as particularly helpful for photography.
You may have heard about the “Rule of Thirds” as one of the more popular composition tricks. I use it all the time while also keeping the other composition types in mind.
Using the “Rule-of-Thirds” in this photo from Mont Saint-Michel in France by placing the tower in the left third of the frame. The photo was made with a Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 14mm f/2.8 R.
Respect
There is a fine line when it comes to street photography in how far I am willing to go to get a photo. I try my best to strike a balance of respecting my fellow citizens while still attempting to get a meaningful photo.
It is important to me that a street photography scene is unforced. If things do not play out in a natural way the image is lost to me. It demands that I am inconspicuous in my approach and hopefully go completely unnoticed.
If I encounter a scene where people appear upset with the fact that a photo has been taken or is about to be taken, I feel that I have crossed a line, the moment is gone, and the photo will never see the light of day.
A street scene from Marrakech, Morocco. The photo was made with the Fujifilm X-Pro2, XF 35mm f/1.4 R using the Acros film simulation.
If I see an opportunity for a photo that requires me to get closer to people, I will ask for consent. At other times I will just move on depending on how brave I feel or what mood I am in. As much as possible I try to respect my surroundings in capturing street photography images.
The same can be said about photos of my family and friends. During travel, you may capture many images of your friends and family but they may not share your enthusiasm for photography and do not want photos posted online. I usually ask if they would mind me posting photos before I do so.
Last but not least we have witnessed some horribly polluted places in the world. Respect and take care of our planet while you are out there with the camera. Never litter, recycle, and travel responsibly.
FOMO - The Fear of Missing Out
With the above nine points, how can you possibly relax when traveling with your camera? And what if you do not capture it all with the right gear? I am certainly guilty of over-analyzing travel photography. I run a travel blog with a camera review section. I am pretty much doomed.
The fact is, we often end up snapping so many pictures and scouting out scenes that we forget to stop and smell the roses in the process. At what point are we really missing out on the real experience?
In Phuket, Thailand, I actually left my camera in the hotel safe for almost a week. I will admit that does not happen very often.
As much as I love photography and my life revolves around it, when traveling I always stop and marvel at the beauty that surrounds us.
I actually stop, put the camera down, take a deep breath and sometimes physically pinch myself to remind us how lucky we are.
Diana and Morten Byskov, travel bloggers at 5050 Travelog, in the desert of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.
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