Are you heading out on a trip with your new DSLR camera and seeking some advice on capturing travel photos? Here’s a glimpse from my last journey, where my husband, 8-year-old son, and I traveled around Thailand for nearly 4 weeks – with a DSLR camera.
Since I’ve mostly relied on my phone for travel photos in the past, I faced different challenges this time around compared to what my phone offered on previous trips. For this journey, I brought along my DSLR camera (Nikon D5600) and my macro lens (Nikon 60mm/f2.8G).
Phones are convenient, quick, and lightweight, but unfortunately, their image quality often reflects these traits. I frequently felt that I lacked color depth, depth of field, and sufficient data in the images to post-process them in Lightroom (image editing software).
It’s important to me that the photos I take capture my travel experiences as vividly as possible. Therefore, I was more than willing to tackle the challenges of a DSLR camera, despite it being heavier, bulkier, having numerous settings, and a steep learning curve. The images from a DSLR camera come to life more, and I find it much more enjoyable to play with them when I return from the trip.
So, I’m practicing.
Here are some of the insights I gained about taking travel photos with a DSLR camera.
7 travel photo tips that bring your best travel experiences home
1. Let go of the camera bag
You’re probably familiar with it. The feeling of taking your new camera on an adventure. It might be exploring a new and exciting city, hiking in the wilderness, sailing… or whatever you enjoy doing on your trip. The camera can feel so exposed and fragile in new environments and situations that you quickly stash it away in the camera bag, where it lies safe and sound – sheltered from the wind and weather, bumps and drops.
And yes, it’s valuable cargo you’re carrying around, and yes, it’s sensitive to both water, shocks, and drops. And of course, you should take precautions and make sure the camera isn’t subjected to anything that could damage it and its delicate mechanics.
But, it’s your journey you’re photographing, and it doesn’t happen in a shock-absorbing, dark enclosed bag.
The camera needs to be out. And it needs to be used.
Hang it around your neck or carry it in your hand. And turn it on when you realize you’re in an exciting environment with good shots to be had. You can always turn it off in less photo-worthy areas and stash it back in the camera bag.
The photo below: I had my camera ready when I saw these women chatting by the pier in Essaouira, Morocco
2. Bring a tripod
I wasn’t entirely aware of it before I set off, but now I know: It makes sense to use a tripod when capturing the best travel experiences with a DSLR camera. This could be when taking photos of evening and nighttime scenes, nature experiences, food situations, and portraits.
I chose to leave my tripod at home. I wanted to travel light, and I thought I could always buy a “gorilla tripod” along the way if I needed one.
However, here’s what I found out:
- I needed the tripod before 3 days had passed.
- It took me a long time to find a gorilla tripod I could buy.
- When I finally bought one (2 weeks into the journey), its quality was so poor that it was almost unusable.
Next time, I’ll buy a lightweight tripod or a new “gorilla tripod” and take it with me.
3. Bring more than one battery
I was prepared. We had already invested in an extra battery for the camera, so we brought two. One was in the camera, and the other was in the camera bag. When one battery ran out, we replaced it with the charged one and immediately recharged the first one. We never compromised.
Time and time again, we found that it was a good investment and habit because there’s nothing worse than being ready to take the best travel photos and then discovering that the battery has run out. On the other hand, the relief is immense when the freshly charged battery is retrieved, inserted, and the camera springs back to life.
The photo below: It was lucky that we encountered this orangutan in Borneo – I had 3 batteries in my bag just in case.
4. Leave the group for a while
If you’re traveling with others, it can be a bit challenging to take the photos you want to take. The need to share the experiences you have can be significant, especially if you’re traveling as a family, like us.
I often found myself lagging behind because I just had to capture something exciting I had seen. And I also encountered some minor stress because I wanted to experience everything together with my family while also having a strong desire to take photos at the same time.
Instead of constantly lagging behind and stressing because I wanted to do it all at once, I started skipping some of the photos that I felt I could come back and take alone. These were photos of flowers, landscapes, architecture, and similar subjects.
By going on these small photo excursions alone, I was able to take the photos I wanted while still not compromising on the experiences with my family.
5. Ask and show respect
I don’t mind walking around with my camera and taking pictures. But I do mind intruding on others’ territories and “capturing” their everyday lives and personal activities without first obtaining their consent for my photos.
Asking every time, of course, imposes some limitations, but I am a guest in their country, and they should have the opportunity to consent to being photographed.
Finding the boundary of when I should ask can be a difficult balancing act. But I usually ask myself how I would feel, and that tends to be a fairly good indicator. And then I ask.
The photo below: We also politely asked the woman cooking street food on the Bangkok street. She said yes.
6. Remember to enable and disable “Flight Mode”
If, like me, you have a DSLR camera that can transfer images from the camera to your mobile phone via Wi-Fi, it’s a good idea to check if you can enable and disable “Flight Mode.”
Remember to enable Flight Mode before your flight takes off, and remember to disable it again when you have landed.
7. Bring the camera!
I’m quite attached to our camera. It’s not an exaggeration when my family teases me about having the camera glued to my head – or calls me “macro-Lise.” But even I can get tired from always bringing the camera along.
It’s funny because every time I say, “I’m not bringing the camera this time,” and Peter still decides to bring it, that’s when the funniest, weirdest, most exciting, and surprising situations occur.
And yes, it weighs a little extra because I rarely let go of my macro lens – what if the opportunity arises?
Take the camera with you, don’t leave it behind just because… it pays off, and you’ll be glad for it the day you come home from your trip and sit in your living room.
