When you’re out on an adventure, you’ll probably witness some truly amazing sights. But if you want to keep those memories forever, it’s important that you know how to take the best pictures possible. That way, you’ll be able to revisit them time and time again and recall every detail, no matter how small it is.

Taking amazing travel photographs may sound like a challenge, but anyone can manage to collect beautiful imagery of the places they’ve explored. These days, with modern cameras and smartphones, you can capture breathtaking photos that will speak volumes about your travels.

Today, let’s look at some tips and tricks for improving the images you capture during your next expedition!

1. Watch the Clock

One of the most important aspects of photography is lighting. That’s why many photographers wake up before the sun rises to take their best pictures. Morning light is softer and warmer than lighting at other times of the day, while evening images create beautiful contrasts and deep shadows.

Plus, timing your photographs can help you navigate around tourists’ schedules and find locations that are relatively unpopulated. That way, you can position yourself and your camera just right to maximize the potential of your pictures.

2. Find the Best Locations

When you’re traveling, you may not know all the best spots to take the perfect photographs. That’s why you should try scouting out the best locations ahead of time (while keeping conscious of timing and lighting).

Fortunately, it’s easy to figure out the best possible locations for your photographs thanks to the Internet. Check out resources like Google Images, Pinterest, Instagram, and even Twitter or YouTube to see where others have taken their best pictures. You might even stumble across a unique photo opportunity while trying to reach a completely different location!

3. Be Mindful of Angles and Contrast

Professional photographers rarely take pictures from straight on. Most of the time, they are crouching, crawling, climbing, or hanging in midair to snap the perfect photo.

Sure, you may look a little wild while you’re doing it, but photography is for the brave! Get up there and find a perspective that others may have overlooked or ignored – you may just take a photograph that perfectly represents the place you’re in or an object you’ve found.

It’s also key to remember contrast for the composition of your pictures. Remember the Rule of Thirds while you play with colors, perspectives, objects, and scenery and your photos will end up more eye-catching than ever.

4. Find the Unique, Special, or Strange

The ultimate goal of any would-be photographer is to take pictures that are different. Always be searching for what’s interesting, out-of-the-ordinary, extra colorful or quirky, and what encapsulates all elements of your adventures while you travel.

After all, you don’t want your photos to look boring, do you?

And when you’re back home and ready to relive those memories, PhotoBook Press is here to help you get them professionally printed into a custom printed photo book. For more information on our travel photography printing services, contact us today!

 The Best Winter Photography Tips & Tricks

The year is flying by and depending on where you live, you may soon be knee-deep in snow! That means that both the professional and aspiring photographers out there are eager to capture some truly special images that only the coldest months of the year make possible.

But being a photographer in winter requires a distinctly different set of skills and equipment to be successful. Even if you just want to take some great photos of the family, it’s still important to know these excellent winter photography tips and tricks!

Stay Warm!

First and foremost, you have to survive your winter photography attempts!

When you set out to take a slurry of great winter pictures, remember to bring these items along with you:

• Handwarmers, both for your own hands and to warm your equipment if needed.
• Gloves, because you can’t take a good picture with frostbitten fingers!
• An air blower to remove snow from objects you want to capture (as well as yourself and your equipment).
• A camera bag for when you aren’t using your device – don’t let it fall in the snow!
• Spare batteries for all your equipment. You never know what could happen out there.
• Warmer clothes than you think you need. As the old saying goes, you can always add more layers.

Utilize a Tripod

Any photographer worth mentioning has used a tripod to capture the perfect photos. Being able to steady your camera or smart phone in warm weather is important, but in the winter months it’s even more critical to taking the best picture possible.

Think about the snow, both compacted and melting. Imagine the ground beneath you – it’s going to be slippery and unstable at the best of times. That’s where a tripod can make all the difference and help you take winter photographs that are worthy of a custom printed winter photo book.

Be Mindful of Glare and Exposure

Snow can do some serious damage to the images your camera takes if you aren’t set up properly. While this is a more technical tip, it’s important to learn more about your camera’s exposure meter and the best possible settings for it in every condition. Otherwise, you might end up with the perfect photo opportunity ruined by a poorly exposed picture.

The reason why winter in particular is so difficult to capture properly is because of glare. Your camera believes the lighting of the scene is actually much brighter because the snow creates an absolute mountain of glare on your camera’s inner workings. With the right settings, though, you can take a picture that truly shines.

Take Advantage of Color

Many winter landscapes are just… white. Snowy fields, snowy trees, snowy houses, and the only color to be found is that which peeks out from underneath its blanket of white.

That’s why if you want to take a truly striking series of winter photographs, it’s important to incorporate color. Whether it’s someone in a bright red sweater against a white background, a roaring fire, or even a party balloon floating across a field, that color will always draw the eye and make for a more dynamic image.

However, that white in the image should be seen as another opportunity. Because it functions as empty space, any subject you include in the foreground can add serious depth to your image. This winter season should be dedicated to exploring all the best ways to maximize your photography potential!

Did you learn anything useful from this winter photography guide? Remember to check the PhotoBook Press blog each week for more helpful tips and tricks on photography, custom photo book printing, and more!