Looking for some travel photography examples to find inspiration for your next trip? You are in the right place! Keep reading and discover the best travel photography ideas!
What better way to capture the essence of your favorite destinations than by taking amazing photos on your trip? Honestly, I can’t think of any… And if you are looking for some travel photography examples, you are in the right place!
After years of traveling and learning photography, I am beyond excited to share my favorite travel photography ideas with you.
Whether you are looking for couple travel photos ideas or just want to see some travel photography examples, you are in for a treat with this article. So keep reading and find new inspiration!
This blog post is all about 50+ breathtaking travel photography examples you need to see!
MY FAVORITE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES AND IDEAS!
If you love traveling and photography, then you are probably an enthusiast of travel photography—the art of capturing experiences, scenery, cultures, and special moments during your travels.
Contrary to what one might think, travel photography isn’t just about capturing landscapes. Of course, landscapes are a part of it, but traveling is much more than just seeing pretty places. For a complete experience and to capture the best of your trips, here are a few styles of photography that you should start including in your process: portrait, architecture, food and restaurants, accommodations and hotels, street photography, fauna and flora… In short, everything that you see and experience during your travels!
To learn more about all of this, keep reading and discover my favorite travel photography examples and ideas!
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Travel Photography Examples FOR LANDSCAPES
As previously mentioned, landscape photography is a major component of travel photography, allowing you to capture the natural beauty and unique features of your destinations. If you do it well, viewers will be able to feel the atmosphere and grandeur of each place. Whether you’re photographing mountains, beaches, deserts, or lush forests, each image should tell a distinctive story about the destination.
Here are a few tips on settings and techniques for landscape photography:
- Aperture (f/8 to f/16): Use a smaller aperture to achieve a wide depth of field in order to keep the entire scene neat and detailed.
- Slow shutter speed: For capturing movement such as water or clouds, a slow shutter speed is essential to create a sense of motion and fluidity.
- Low ISO: Maintain a low ISO setting to preserve image quality and minimize noise, especially in well-lit outdoor settings.
- Tripod: A tripod is indispensable for stabilizing your camera, and especially when using slower shutter speeds. Believe me, your hands will never be steady enough!
- Golden and blue hours: The best natural light happens during sunrise and sunset. These “golden” and “blue” hours offer the perfect condition and will change everything when it comes to the mood and texture of your photos.
- ND and polarizing filters: These filters are a game-changer for managing light and reducing unwanted reflections.
- Photo composition: To make your photo more appealing, remember the elements of photo composition and try to get creative using them!
MY FAVORITE LANDSCAPE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
Travel Photography IDEAS FOR PORTRAITS
Whether you want to take photos of yourself, your friends, or locals to capture the local culture through the inhabitants’ faces, portraits can be really powerful in travel photography.
When capturing locals, try to tell a story through your photo and highlight the cultural differences and specificities: traditions, customs, clothes—there are many aspects that can be shown through a portrait.
Remember to be respectful and not invasive. If you see that the person you are photographing is feeling uncomfortable, leave them alone. It’s as simple as that.
Here are my best tips for excelling in portrait travel photography:
- Wide aperture (f/1.8 to f/2.8): Using a wider aperture will create a blurred background, helping the viewer to focus on the main subject.
- Fast shutter speed: Make sure you capture your subject as clearly as possible by using a fast shutter speed.
- Low ISO: The lower, the better. A low ISO reduces noise in your photos.
- Natural lighting: Soft light, such as early morning or late afternoon light, will flatter your subject’s features.
- Interact with your subject: Whether you are photographing a friend or a stranger, try to interact with them. This can be through eye contact or conversation to direct them for the best result.
- Photography composition: A basic rule for portrait photography is to place the subject’s eyes on the top line of your tic-tac-toe grid. Remember, photography is an art, and rules are subjective. Explore your creativity!
- Simple backgrounds: The simpler the background, the more the viewer will focus on your subject. After all, portraits are meant to capture people!
MY FAVORITE portrait TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
FAUNA AND FLORA Photography
In my opinion, the fauna and flora of a country or place you are visiting are among the most important components of travel. Biodiversity is what makes our world unique and beautiful. So don’t overlook the fauna and flora of your destination—you might be surprised by what you see!
Here are a few travel photography tips for capturing fauna and flora:
- Wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/5.6): Using a wide aperture will create a blurred background, making your principal subject stand out.
- Fast shutter speed: This is especially important when photographing animals. They can be quick and may move once they spot you, so use a fast shutter speed to capture them as sharply and quickly as possible.
- Low ISO: As always, the lower the ISO, the better the quality of your photos.
- Lenses: A telephoto lens is perfect for capturing animals from a distance without disturbing them. For closer subjects and capturing details, a macro lens—or the macro mode on your camera—will be your best ally.
- Be patient: When trying to capture local fauna, patience is essential. We can’t control nature, and animals will appear when they choose to.
- Composition: Except for macro photography, try to include natural elements in your composition to create context and enhance the storytelling of your photo.
- Autofocus mode: If you’re photographing moving animals, don’t forget to turn on your camera’s autofocus mode. It will help keep the subject in focus, even when moving quickly.
MY FAVORITE fauna and flora TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES: ARCHITECTURE
To be honest with you, I don’t know much about architecture—at least not more than what I have seen during my travels. But one thing I love is trying to capture the beauty of monuments. They are often huge, majestic, and real pieces of art and history.
When it comes to architecture, there are many ways of capturing it. You can photograph the whole structure, take close-ups of the details, capture the interior—just let your creativity roam free!
To help you improve your architecture photography game, here are a few tips:
- Aperture (f/8 to f/16): To capture the entire structure sharply, a mid-range aperture is your best option. If you’re focusing on details, use the macro mode on your camera and shoot away!
- Shutter speed: If the lighting is good, you can opt for a fast shutter speed. However, if you are trying to capture the inside of a church, for example, you might want to bring a tripod so you can lower the shutter speed and let more light in.
- ISO: Adjust the ISO based on the lighting conditions, but remember, the lower the ISO, the clearer the photos.
- Wide-angle lenses: To capture the entire structure from a closer point, consider using a wide-angle lens.
- Tripod: As previously mentioned, a tripod is useful for architecture photography, especially in low light. With a tripod, you can also experiment with night photography. Play around and see how it turns out!
- Composition: To make your photos more interesting, remember basic principles of photo composition such as leading lines, filling the frame, or the rule of thirds.
MY FAVORITE architecture TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
IDEAS TO SHOOT hotel AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Whether you want to do it professionally or just for fun, shooting hotels and accommodations can be a really cool experience and push you out of your comfort zone.
How can you reflect the atmosphere of the hotel in your photos? How can you display the facilities in the best possible way while still showing the client experience? There are many stories you can tell while shooting for the hospitality sector.
Here are a few tips to help you get started in this branch of travel photography:
- Mid-aperture (f/8 to f/11): Depending on what you’re shooting, a mid-aperture generally works best for capturing a room.
- Shutter speed: As with all indoor photography, the shutter speed you need depends on the quality of the lighting.
- Low ISO: As always, the lower, the better!
- Natural light: Natural light will always give you a better result than artificial light, so open the curtains and wait for the hours when the light is softest. If needed, add a few LED lamps to avoid harsh shadows.
- Think of the details: Focusing on details like the texture of the sheets, the paintings on the walls, or the view from the room will give viewers the best sense of what they can expect. To make the place look even nicer, tidy up and add some flowers, books, and accessories. Adding props will make the place look more lively.
MY FAVORITE accommodation TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
FOOD AND RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY
Just like with hotels and accommodations photography, food photography can be a hobby or a real way to make money while traveling.
When done right, food photography will make your mouth water just by looking at the pictures. If you’re anything like me, food plays an important role in your travels, so that’s a good reason to learn more about this aspect of travel photography.
Here are a few tips to help you start taking food and restaurant photos like a pro:
- Large aperture (f/2.8 to f/5.6): A large aperture will create a blurred background around your main subject—aka the dish you’re about to eat!
- Fast shutter speed: A fast shutter speed is essential for capturing the sharpest photos.
- ISO: It’s worth repeating—keep it as low as possible for the best quality!
- Natural light: Natural light will help you avoid harsh shadows, but artificial light can be added if the shooting location is dark.
- Composition: Experiment with different composition techniques and change the angle of view to get different results. It’s all about trying new things!
- Details: A neutral or textured background is great for making the dish stand out. Also, focus on the dish’s details to showcase the different flavors and ingredients through your photography.
For restaurant photography, the most important aspect is to capture the atmosphere of the place. Two things make a good place to eat: great food and great vibes!
MY FAVORITE food and restaurant TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES
More Travel Photography EXAMPLES
Looking for more travel photography examples? Here are some of my favorite shots over the years! I hope they inspire you to travel more and take more photos of your trips.
Photos of my travels are honestly my favorite memories to look back on, and I am sure you will love it too.
My last tip for you? Think about storytelling every time you take a photograph, especially when traveling! Tell your story and the story of your trip!