Through the Lens: Travel Photography Explored

It’s nearing the end of June and like many this time of year, we’ve got travel on our minds. Photographers may not always be able to travel lightly but if there is new scenery in the forecast, most likely they are bringing along some gear to capture the sites. This month while we think about where we might be headed to next, we took some time to talk with some of the pros who are out there documenting their adventures and sharing them on Flickr for us all to enjoy. Whether they’re taking a quick weekend getaway to a nearby city or venturing out an epic once in a lifetime trip, here are some tips from well traveled photographers to help you out on your own journeys.

yeahbouyee

Tony aka yeahbouyee on Flickr is a Washington DC-based photographer who enjoys a variety of photographic genres. His travel photos caught our eye and we wanted to chat with him about his travel photography and some of his best practices.

What’s the most important piece of gear you never travel without, and why?

I never travel without my iPhone – believe it or not, when I traveled to the Iberian peninsula two years ago, I hardly used my full frame camera. As cell phone cameras are on par with mirrorless and DSLR cameras (resolution-wise), I find myself taking photos with my iPhone 12 Pro Max – it’s easier to carry and I can get the same results as I can with my mirrorless. For more complicated shooting, I need my Sony a7RII and my 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses. I still use my trusty Canon equipment too.

How do you research and prepare for photographing a new destination?

I use Flickr to do my initial research when scouting a new location to photograph. I find Flickr is an invaluable tool with its huge database of photos. I also use google earth and maps to virtually walk down streets and to scout terrain.

How do you balance showing the beauty of a place with its authentic reality?

I’ve learned that every place, whether it’s a bustling city center or a remote desert, has unique features and qualities about it that makes the location special. I aim to capture the unique characteristics about a place by showing its architecture, landscapes, or cultural activities.

Reinier Snijders

Based in the Netherlands but often on the move, photographer Reinier Snijders documents his travels and the quickly changing scenery around him. His travel photography covers a wide range of locations and perspectives and we wanted to see what we could learn from his travels.

What’s been your most rewarding travel photography experience?

For me, it was my first ever photography road trip in the USA in September 2017. A friend and colleague who was also into photography and I decided to fly to Salt Lake City in Utah. From there, we hired a car and drove north to Jackson, Wyoming. I still remember the saloon where you could sit on a horse saddle at the bar. Another thing I remember about this town is a great art gallery where I saw one of the most impressive close-ups of a grizzly bear. From Jackson, we planned our photo spots in Grand Teton National Park. I think it’s one of the best places I’ve been to in the USA.

One morning, we went to String Lake to take a photo at sunrise and everything was perfect! There were clouds in the sky and no wind at all, and the lake was covered with some fog. There were just us and two other photographers there, capturing this beautiful scene. In the background, we could hear some moose making noise. I still get a big smile on my face when I think about that moment!

A couple of days later, my friend flew back to the Netherlands and I continued my trip south of Salt Lake City. Bryce Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, the Upper Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Canyonlands and the Arches National Park were all on my itinerary. From that moment on, I fell in love with Utah! What an incredible state with landscapes that are a photographer’s dream! After taking in all these amazing sights, I went back to Salt Lake City and took a flight to New York City. I had a friend who was a photographer and lived in Manhattan, where I could stay for a few days. Having focused solely on landscapes, which I enjoy, it was time to awaken the urban photographer in me. I love New York: the skyline, the skyscrapers, and of course the streets, which offer so many photographic opportunities. It’s impossible to come home with boring photos of this city. From there, it was time to head home to the Netherlands. So yes, this was my first experience, and I think it was my most rewarding one.

What’s a location that completely changed your perspective as a photographer?

That’s a difficult question. Perhaps it’s not just one location, but rather similar situations in different places. When I’m in the US, for example, I wake up early because of the time difference. At 3 or 4 am, I go out onto the streets to take photographs of the city at night. It doesn’t matter where I am, Chicago, New York, Toronto, San Francisco or Vancouver, for example, but walking down the streets in the middle of the night is what I like to do. It’s much easier to capture atmosphere and mood in your shots in the dark, and there are far fewer people, which makes it easier to get shots without people. However, the people who are on the streets at that time of day are another matter. There are early workers, such as people who keep the city clean; party people on their way home; and people who are struggling with their lives, such as the homeless, drug addicts and the mentally disturbed. I see them in every major city around the world, but especially in the US and Canada. It’s sad to witness the reality of today’s world, but from a photographer’s perspective, it adds an extra dimension to my work. However, it also raises a question that keeps popping into my mind: ‘Do I want to take photos of other people’s misery?’ Or do you want to show viewers the dark side of their city? I still don’t have an answer to this question.

How do you handle challenging lighting conditions when you can’t return to a location?

Just make the best of it! If you’re talking about the weather, there’s nothing you can do about it. As I always say, ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose’ and ‘You can’t have it all’. When it comes to post-processing, there’s a lot you can do to spice things up. Changing from colour to black and white helps too. I always use only the available light, and with a good camera, mine is the Sony A7r5, it makes things easier if you’re struggling with the light. The dynamic range of this camera is amazing! Sometimes I use bracketing when the lighting conditions are difficult, especially for indoor architectural shots. When shooting on the streets at night, I simply increase my ISO and use my Sony Zeiss 55 1.8mm lens. With this combination, I can handle the most challenging light conditions.

How has your editing style evolved to complement your travel work?

I spend a lot of time on post-processing. I see it as an important part of photography. In my view, 50% of the work is done on location, capturing the perfect moment, while the other 50% is done at home, where I have a large screen, a Wacom tablet, some background music and a cup of coffee. My editing techniques have evolved since I started photography. It’s an ongoing journey, and improvements in software make my life easier and improve my editing. A few years ago, I realized that although my photos were good in terms of composition, if I wanted to improve, I also had to invest time in processing. My girlfriend gave me a year’s membership of Kelby One for my birthday, which was one of the best presents I received that year. I learnt a lot about processing techniques and lots of other useful stuff there. To speed up my editing, I created some Lightroom presets that I mostly use on my laptop when traveling.

Don’t miss our Travel themed Explore Takeover!

We want your summer travel plans to continue so we’re dedicating our June Explore Takeover all to travel photography. The Flickr community has been showing up to Flickr Social with some gorgeous shots and you’ll get to see our manually curated collection featuring some of those, this Thursday, June 26th! Stay tuned to the Explore page and make sure to check it out on Thursday for more adventures in travel photography.

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