A TO Z OF TRAVEL PHOTO GRAPHY

Wherever your travels take you, Aperture Priority mode gives full control of the depth of field, while the camera works out the shutter speed.

Ais for Aperture

Aperture Priority is the king of exposure modes for travel shots. It’s a semi-automatic mode where you choose the aperture value to control how deep the zone of sharp focus is within the shot, and the camera sets the shutter speed to give a good exposure.

Large apertures like f/2.8 or f/4 will give a shallow zone of sharpness around the point of focus, whereas small apertures like f/16 or f/22 will give a deep band of sharp focus that extends right through the frame. By setting A or Av on your main mode dial, you’ll enable Aperture Priority mode, and will be all set to control the depth of field in your shots.

The beauty of Aperture Priority is that the exposure settings will always allow you to take a well-exposed shot. In bright conditions, you’ll be able to use large or small apertures at will; but take care when light levels are dim, as smaller apertures require longer shutter speeds to capture a well-exposed scene. This means you’ll need extra support to stop your camera from moving, such as a solid object to rest it on – or, even better, a tripod.

B is for Backpack

Carrying your photo kit and any other essentials you need through the day is an art in itself. A backpack spreads the weight over both shoulders to make heavier loads more comfortable, and it allows you to organise your photo and non-photo gear into different compartments so everything is easy to find. Many backpacks are designed to stay within cabin baggage dimensions, so you can keep your essentials with you.

While packing, assume your hold baggage could get lost, and carry the stuff you really need in your backpack. That’s your camera kit, travel docs, toiletries, spare underwear and a waterproof jacket. You can survive on that for a week!

C is for Complementary colours

The colour wheel is well-known to designers, but is seldom something photographers consider. But the knowledge of which colours oppose each other is of tremendous value when composing images, as it tells you which hues will provide maximum contrast in colour terms.

In essence, there are three primary colours (red, green and blue) and three secondary colours (cyan, magenta and yellow) that do not contain a primary colour in their make-up. Red and cyan are complementary colours as