Photo Tip #2: Vacation Travel Photos

Travel and photography are natural friends, and part of the vacation joy is reliving the experience with every photograph we take during our journey. Vacation photos bring memories to life - the travel, the adventure, the misadventure, the food, the weather, the people, the stories and the stories and the stories. A photo that tells one story that leads to another story that leads to another photo that leads to another story that leads to .... you get it.

So here are a few tips to spice up your vacation photo album with pictures that are more than postcard reproductions.

1) Do a little Research If 'travel photography' is an important part of your vacation, do some research about the places you will visit -- any events, when it's crowded (or not crowded), quick side tours, local customs you might need to know about, nearby locations of interest. Go online and see what you what can find.

2) People Photograph people - the locals, other tourists, your travel companions. Add the human touch - like a busy outdoor market or plaza. Be aware - you might encounter unusual and interesting street people who will ask for money in exchange for being photographed. And always be friendly and respectful.

3) Along the Way Think photos as you travel to and from your destinations. Take pictures of your kids asleep in the airport terminal (probably not a good idea these days to photograph strangers at the airport), get a bird's-eye view from the airplane window, blurred-motion from the car window, the bus or the train. Sights along the highway. These can be good transition pictures to tell the story of your travels.

4) Go where most tourists don't go If time permits, break away from the crowd and see what catches your eye. Perhaps a trail that takes you above town for a nice 'cityscape.'

5) Don't be Oblivious to the Obvious Look for details - of daily life, in the architecture, out your hotel window. Shoot small - photograph the 'little things' that tell stories about where you are - items on the beach in the foreground of a sunset, the cat that sleeps in the flower pot outside your inn, interesting flowers that don't grow at home.

6) Food Who doesn't love food? Food, for me, is an important part of the travel experience, whether it's Indian fry bread in New Mexico or grilled octupus on a Greek island. I love beautiful food, and I love to photograph food. And I love to photograph my friends enjoying their food.

7) Don't let inclement weather shut you down If you're caught in a rainstorm on the inside looking out, what a natural, moody photo this could make. Beach fog won't get you much of a tan, but it can make for a peaceful, lovely scene.

8) Self portraits Hold the camera out at arm's length and put yourself and your friends in the scene. It's a fun and different angle compared to the pictures that a stranger takes of you while standing 20 feet away.

9) Shoot the landmarks They're famous for a reason - just use your imagination. Take the postcard shot, then change your framing as you look through the camera: shoot low, shoot from above, fill the frame with a detail, create a scene with your subjects' surroundings, fill it with people (then without people), return to shoot at different times of the day (and night) if possible.

10) Et cetera Pointers that always make for different and interesting pictures: Shoot early in the day and at dusk - it's often beautiful light (quick note here - in low sunlight, watch for your shadow and where it creeps into your frame). Shoot odd angles: the view walking down the stairs; look straight up and tilt the camera a bit; sit on the ground, set the camera on the ground, tilt it up a bit and see what you get (don't look through the viewfinder) - go for the perspective of a small child; hold the camera up high, tilt it down a bit, and see what you get - go for the perspective of Shaquille O'Neal.

P.S. Happy travels, and have fun!

Welcome to Picture Columbus

Greetings, and thanks for visiting "Picture Columbus," a semi-regular photo offering of ... well ... of people and places and things and moments and whatever randomness catches my eye as I walk through my day, camera in hand. I shoot hundreds of fun, funny, odd, cool, interesting, or not so interesting, outtakes (unpublished photos) while on assignment for the Ledger-Enquirer, and these images need to find a home. I'd like to share them with you. I'd like to share the shots that make me stop the car or hang a quick u-turn. The pictures from walks in the neighborhood, crowds at ball games and, yes, vacations and my cats.

I'd also like to offer regular photo tips. If you have a photo question, are curious how we take some of the images you see in the pages of the Ledger, how we catch the moments or make a good picture out of a not-so-good situation, write in and ask. Ask me, Robin Trimarchi, or my fellow photo staffers Mike Haskey or Shannon Szwarc. I just volunteered them. We can discuss artistic ideas, what makes a good picture (other than your subject), address technical questions about camera settings and computer darkroom software. And if we don't have an answer, we'll look for the answer - or direct you to good resources for answers. And Ideas. Photography is always an experiment. It is a continuous learning curve - like golf --- it's that one good shot that keeps you coming back for more.

So - Photo Tip of the Week #1 is: TAKE YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU EVERYWHERE. THE MORE YOU SHOOT, THE BETTER YOU GET.

How often do you find yourself in a situation where you wish you had your camera? Me, too. All of the time. And I take pictures for a living. So I've bought a nice little "point and shoot" to slip into my pocket and have with me always, for just those moments. It doesn't always make a great photo, but it's better than no photo. It doesn't need to be an expensive model - digital cameras have come a long way. And there is nothing wrong with film. Dust off that old 35mm film camera and put it in your bag. Just don't leave it in your hot car on these broiling summer days.

Okay - shoot anything and everything - flowers, buildings, the river, the trees in your backyard at different times of the day as the light changes, strange stuff laying on the sidewalk, sailboats on the backwaters, your lovely breakfast table in the sunroom, your friends and neighbors relaxing on the porch. Notice what you would like to photograph as you go about your day, even if you don't have a camera with you. What catches your attention.

Frame the image in your mind. What do you want in the frame, and what do you not want in the frame. Notice the light and the shadows and think about how they work together to create the composition, the mood or the "feel" of your photograph. Take more than one picture and vary the variables - move closer and closer, or further and further. Fill the frame, then take a broader view. Take something out of the scene, then put it back in. Vary the exposure if your camera allows you to - under or overexpose the scene just a little. (More about these ideas in future photo tips).

Now study your photos, and be as 'judgment free' as possible. Regardless how accomplished a photographer you are, or are not, remember, every photo is an experiment. Let your pictures teach you. Do you like your photo? Why? Do you not like your photo? Why not? You know, it's not easy to photograph what you see in front of you ("why does this sunset picture not look like the sunset?"). It really isn't. And as painful as it is to miss the photo of that fleeting moment that will never happen again ... there will be more fleeting moments to photograph. Stay with it.

Cheers,
RT