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Tips for Taking Great Travel Photos

Rule of Thirds
One of the most useful composition
techniques 
in photography, the rule of
thirds, involves mentally dividing up
your image using two horizontal lines
and two vertical lines, as shown to the
right. You then position the important
elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet.
Rule of Thirds
An off-center composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than
one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame.
 
Leading lines lead to the main subject in a photo.
Leading Lines
Another great composition
technique is leading lines, which draw
the viewer's attention to lines in the
photo that lead to the main subject of
the image. Look at the image of the
woman in red on the left. The line of
red lanterns lead your eye to the main subject. A leading line paves an easy
path for the eye to follow through different elements of a photo.
Extra Tip! The easiest place to find a leading line is on a road. Roadways are natural leading lines because they go someplace, giving us a feeling of motion, and the
lines often reach a vanishing point - the place where two or more lines converge
into theoretical infinity.
 
Cultural Images of People
Something you may not think to take
photos of is the people who live in the
place you're visiting. Photographing
people in a foreign country may bring
up challenges - like language barriers,
shyness, or unfamiliar customs - but
when you're abroad, it's most
important that you gain the trust of
your subject(s). Before you travel, try to
learn a handful of words like
"beautiful" or "wonderful" so you can
encourage your subject with positive
words. Always emit a positive vibe and
approach your subject as a person, not
a camera. Always, always, always be sure to ask permission before you snap your shot!
Woman in Thailand
 
Frame your photo with other objects
Framing
This technique draws attention to the
subject of an image by blocking other
parts of the image with something in
the scene. Framing also helps give a
photo more context, like the Tibetan
flags in the photo to the left. Depth,
layers, and leading the viewer's eye to
the main focal point are also some
benefits of framing within a photo! A
good rule of thumb when considering
framing is to ask the question, "will this add to or take away from the image?"
 
Patterns & Repetition
While repetition in daily life can be a
little boring at times, capturing it in
your photography can create impactful images. The root word of repetition is
"repeat." If you repeat something many
times it becomes a pattern and takes
on a life of its own. Patterns give us order in an otherwise chaotic world,
and there's something fundamentally
pleasing about seeing order in such a
way that we know what to expect.
Patterns and repetition can be found
all around us: a row of trees, a field of flowers, or the rings of a tree.
Using patterns and repetitive shapes enhances photos
 
One last tip before you go! Be as still as possible when taking photos. One thing
that always helps is exhaling right before you snap your shot. Another thing you
can try is using objects around you as a tripod, or to lean against to keep you steady. 

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