How to shoot… Your best-ever travel shots!
Photographing the Indian Holi Festival in March 2020, Covid seemed like a distant concern. The UK had just had its first cases of the virus and news reports were full of toilet roll shortages, but life in India was continuing as normal.
While crowded events were being cancelled in the UK, in the ancient city of Mathura, thousands of pilgrims seemed intent on slathering me with brightly coloured paint. I flew home with some trepidation, a bottle of Old Monk rum and two bottles of super-strength Indian hand sanitizer. Naively, I hoped it would all be over in a few weeks: it wasn’t!
I don’t think anyone imagined at that time that, two years on, we would only now be looking at some of the most photogenic parts of the world opening to travellers. The UK has finally dropped all Covid travel restrictions, and whilst a number of short-haul holiday destinations have allowed tourists for some time, the great long haul destinations of India, Australia, and countries in Asia and Africa are only just re-opening their borders.
It feels like a brave new world of travel is finally emerging, but travel will most likely be different for some time to come. Warm welcomes are not assured, and there may well be difficult times ahead. However, until tourist numbers build again, places like Angkor Wat or the Taj Mahal should have fewer crowds, making it the perfect time to hit the road again. After such a long break from travel, it has never has it been more important to make the most of every opportunity. If, like me, your skills are a little rusty, I have set out a few tips to help you to make the most of those long-awaited trips!
Taming landscapes
Documenting the varied landscapes that you come across when travelling can add a sense of place to larger collections of images – and be stunning in their own right…
1 GET ALL GOLDEN
Many photographers are attracted to photographing sunrises and sunsets, but in the so-called golden hours, a little after sunrise and before sunset, your subject can be bathed in atmospheric warm light. Sunset light can be atmospheric, but there is something special about sunrise light. The air is often crisper and, depending on the season, you can get a photogenic smattering of mist. This can involve an early start though: Dartmoor has been my happy place during lockdown, but is an hour’s drive away. A
