Travel photography

A good portion of my photography over the last few years has been dedicated to the field of travel photography. I simply can't get enough of capturing images of iconic landmarks and places that everyone has dreamt about for their whole lives.

Of course, most times this means also having large crowds of tourists standing in front of the subject in question. How do you get around that? Simple, get an early start!! Check out the sunrise and sunset tables prior to departure and your all set. A hotel wake-up call at 4:00 or 5:00 AM and your on your way.

While this is a hard thing to do for most people on vacation for a photographer it is a necessity. You will simply not get a better quality of natural light than at dawn and the majority of tourists (99.9%) will think your nuts for even attempting to do so.

That's fine with me as it allows me to capture images that are of post card quality with nary a person in site never mind in shot. In fact, as I roam the empty streets for the first hour or so I am usually the only one that seems to be awake. On occassion I do run into a fellow photographer with the same mindset and a nod and smile always follows no matter what language is spoken as we both know the images we are capturing will make us extremely proud of our work and is the driving force behind what we do.

I always try to do this for at least 1 or 2 days for each major location I travel to. I use the daytime to scout out the best photo locations for each landmark/site so when I'm off and running in the wee hours I have a schedule in my mind that allows me to arrive and capture the images I desire most. Who needs sleep, for most of these destinations it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and you have to make the most of it.

Of course, you don't always want an image devoid of humanity. Just take a look at the shot of Venice at left taken from my hotel room balcony. It simply wouldn't have the same impact if the gondalier wasn't in the foreground and the hectic busy life on the Grand Canal wasn't on display.

Travel photography is extremely fulfilling to me and even pays benefits financially. An example is an upcoming trip to Egypt I have booked for January 2012. After contacting an agency and forwarding some of my work I have bartered a 33% discount for my trip in exchange for images they will utilize in future print and web advertisements! A great deal for me as I would be taking the requested images anyway and now reap the benefits financially as well as having my photographic skills on display by a well known travel agency for potential future clients to see.