Travel Portraits
© Russ Burden
Getting hooked on travel photography is kind of like the chicken or egg debate. Which comes first – the desire to travel which leads you to record what your experience or were you already involved in photography which encouraged you to travel to get images of certain locations? For whatever the reason, the two go hand in hand.
A favorite subject of many photographers when they travel is people. Whether it’s a family member, travel companion, or the native people of the area, capturing a good image allows you to relive your experiences in a positive way. Many options await the eager travel photographer with regards to photographing people. Tightly cropped portraits, wide angle environmental shots, small or large groups, candids, posed formal shots, you get the idea. Use these options to create diversity in the images you bring home to create a memorable album or slide show.
Tight head shots of faces with strong character lines and personality should appear in every travel photographer’s shows. If you’re trying to capture candids, a long lens is beneficial as it allows you to shoot from a distance. But I encourage you to interact with your subjects and to not rely on candid grab shots. If you’re in a foreign country and don’t speak the language, gesturing to people you’d like to photograph can go a long way to getting “the shot.”
