TIps on taking interesting travel photos, with many examples, in a humorous presentation.

1. Travel Photography Tips
Dave Shafer

2. Travel photos can
be taken almost
anywhere.

3. As you travel more, you lose some of your original naivete

4. With time the traveler will lose
an awe of famous foreign places
“Not so loud, sweetie.
We’re in Europe.”

5. You may travel by bike

6. Or by off-road vehicles

7. By plane

8. Or your favorite 3-wheeler

9. You might take a cruise

10. You may witness camel pick-up attempts in Arabia

11. Or learn how to go swimming in Australia

12. If your idea of fun is
just hanging out at
home you are missing
some of life’s great
experiences.

13. Got milk?
If you travel far from
home, be sure to bring
some key supplies, like
extra camera batteries.

14. Wherever you go and whatever you do it is good
to think first about how to get the best travel photos.

15. There are several aspects of your travel
photos that should be considered.
• Perspective
• Context
• Street life
• People
• Water reflections
• Unusual or quirky sights
• Time of day and night photos

16. Perspective
In travel photography, as well as close up, the taking angle can add interest to a shot

17. An unusual perspective can enhance the interest of a
scene. A view from above is often effective.

18. You can
climb up to
high levels in
a church for
a good view.
This is
Nordlingen,
Germany.

19. Roof tops in slanting sunlight can be interesting.

20. Heidelberg bridge
taken from opposite
hilltop.
Note the diagonal
composition, which
is always a good
idea.
You need to make
some effort for the
best photos. This
one required a steep
climb up a hill to get
a good view.

21. A ground level photo of a building like this one …….

22. … is not as interesting as a picture from a different elevation,
Schwangau, Germany.

23. Landscape detail almost requires a shot from above in
many situations. Edinburgh, Scotland

24. Edinburgh, Scotland – elevated view of park

25. Prague garden –
it would have been
better if I could
have gotten up a
little higher for
this shot.

26. Lucerne, (Luzern in
German) Switzerland,
taken from opposite
high-up hotel room.

27. Elevated perspective adds a lot of interest. Czech Republic

28. Elevated perspective adds interest. Czech Republic

29. Elevated perspective can show patterns that can’t be
easily fit into a ground level photo. Czech Republic

30. Elevated view of town square, Meersberg, Germany

31. Ground level view of Linderhof castle, Germany

32. Elevated view of Linderhof castle, Germany

33. Edinburgh, Scotland - National Art Gallery, looking down

34. Perspective leads you into the picture - Mainau, Germany

35. More perspective –
night café scene, winter
in Paris.

36. Unusual
perspective
adds interest.
New York City

37. Context – shows the larger setting of a scene.
Take pairs of photos to show context. Bridge closeup
makes a nice pair with more distant shot.

38. Terrifying (was to me)
bridge at Neuschwanstien
Castle, Germany

39. Photo pairs give close up
detail plus larger context.
Lucerne, Switzerland.
Note sheer drop off from
church.

40. Photo on right shows hotel better but photo on left shows context - the
very steep and long tram track shows how high up the hotel is. Use both
pictures to make a pair, for a slide show. Lucerne, Switzerland

41. More context - in a slide show, like this one, it is a good
idea to include some maps to show how you went from A to
B to C and where they are relative to each other.

42. I went from Prague to Karlovy Vary to Cesky Krumlov to Telc and
then back to Prague

43. Street life - serendipitous random sights while walking in a city.
Prague, Czech Republic. This is car is easy to find in a parking lot.

44. Beer delivery truck, Prague

45. Weird street life
photo from the
internet, unknown
location.

46. Street life photo
from the internet,
unknown location.

47. Odd but charming street scene, Nuremberg, Germany

48. Puzzling holiday ritual – Nuremburg, Germany

49. Street life scenes include what you see while driving.

50. Music critic,
Nuremberg
Germany

51. In some countries, like Germany, people do not want their picture
taken by strangers. But there are always performers, where it is OK.
Top of Mt. Pilatus, Switzerland.

52. Prague, Czech Republic.

53. A scene with people in it is more interesting, even if they
are not the main subject. Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

54. People in foreground
can lead you into a
picture – Czech
Republic.

55. People in foreground can lead you into a picture – Zurich, Switzerland.

56. Flower bridge - Lucerne, Switzerland. Boy in front pulls us in.

57. People in background add life to an otherwise static picture

58. People show the scale
of a statue. Seoul, Korea

59. People show the scale of Linderhof castle grounds, Germany

60. A picture from
the internet.
Without the
person in it, this
photo would
give no idea of
the size of the
pyramid.

61. A photo from the internet. People in a picture can add
humor, like this couple studying the art in the Louvre.

62. Or this view of
the Eiffel Tower
in Paris.

63. Taliban warriors
goofing off.

64. Candid people
photos can make
for memorable
photos. This has
to be one of the
100 best photos
of all time.

65. Water reflections can add interest to a scene. Telc,
Czech Republic.

66. Amsterdam canal

67. The diagonal line adds interest, Fairfield beach, Connecticut.

68. Fairfield beach, Connecticut

69. “Ghost Armada” – water reflection photo

70. Foreign
objects,
like this
German
mailbox,
show
unusual
design
and color
ideas.

71. Another German mailbox.

72. Czech
fire
hydrant

73. Playhouse, Dinklesbuhl, Germany

74. Gazebo - Bayreuth, Germany

75. Playhouse - Telc, Czech Republic

76. Czech doorway

77. Prague window,
Czech Republic

78. Unusual color
combinations on ice
cream sign. Telc, Czech
Republic

79. “Mr. and Mrs.” - German houses

80. Roof top closeup - Germany

81. Rooftop closeup – Munich, Germany

82. Artistic design, Amsterdam

83. Artistic design, Amsterdam

84. Door handle, with
reflection in glass,
Brussels, Belgium

85. English as a
second
language

86. Czech bus schedule

87. Time of day photos/ night photos
As the lighting or temperature of a scene
changes, during the day, the interest in the scene
may change dramatically. Very early morning
lighting or early mists or fog are gone by mid-
morning. Night photos are a whole separate genre
of images – often much more charming than the
same scene in daylight.

88. 6:00 A.M. early morning mists on lake at Lakeville, Connecticut

89. 6:00 A.M. early morning
mists and fog, Lakeville,
Connecticut.

90. Night photos are a
special category.
Lighting at night can
add a lot of interest
to a scene.
Munich, Germany
near dusk.

91. Prague in day,
same scene at night

92. Prague, early evening

93. Prague, Charles Bridge, early evening

94. Charles Bridge, Prague, is usually thronged with tourists. Here it is
about 6:00 AM, when the only people you see are other photographers.

95. Prague scene with water
reflections, early evening

96. Lucerne, Switzerland
Mid-day photo

97. Lucerne, early evening photo

98. Lucerne, late evening photo

99. Lucerne, middle of night photo
Moon above is paired
with window light

100. Lucerne night scene, with water reflections

101. Opposite hotel window at night, Munich

102. Munich, Germany – wet pavement reflections

103. Basel, Switzerland - Christmas scene

104. Basel, Switzerland –
Christmas scene

105. Paris, Christmas scene

106. Paris – Christmas scene
with Eiffel Tower

107. Notre Dame at night,
Christmas in Paris

108. Paris at night, Christmas season

109. Heidelberg, Germany – castle at night

110. Heidelberg, Germany at night

111. Frankfurt, Germany – trees in photo frame the castle

112. Frankfurt, Germany – dramatic trees at night

113. Cologne Hotel, since year 1234 – evening photo

114. Same scene, late at night

115. Cologne, Germany – bridge scene

116. Cologne, Germany – night train whizzes by

117. “Night Birds” – camera motion in Cologne, Germany

118. Cologne Philharmonic roofs in front of Cologne Cathedral

119. Candles at Munich Christmas Fair

120. Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic – daytime scene

121. Color negative of same scene = faux “night” scene

122. “Swiss Miss” – at sweet shop, Basel, Switzerland