With the numerous channels available to share one’s photos, it’s no surprise that almost everyone became hooked in capturing and sharing pictures online. Although not all of us take photos of our daily life, we usually always do when we’re going on a trip abroad or even in just a nearby town in Singapore. So the next time you’re going on a vacation, do use the following tips to help improve your travel photos.

1. Approach Your Subject Differently

One of the best things you can do when visiting a new place is to forget what other people have done and focus on your experiences. Capturing a photo from your own perspective trains you to see things differently. Taking photos off the beaten path or shooting from a low vantage point makes all the difference. Keep in mind that you’re taking photos of what you saw and not what other people experienced. Don’t let the shots of other people confine you to take photos in a certain way.

2. Focus on the Details

Pay extra attention to anything that stands out in your surroundings during your trip. Not only will this teach you to be mindful of the uniqueness of a certain place, it’ll also allow you to appreciate even the tiniest detail that you usually miss. To be more attuned with the details of your destination, start by looking for common colours, patterns and design elements. It may sound simple, but this will definitely tell you a lot about a place.

3. Avoid Blindly Taking Photos

Stop feeling like you must take photos of everything that you see. Once you do, you’ll be more likely to capture photos that you love. If you’re travelling with an extra camera other than the one on your phone, practise this trick by leaving your additional camera at the hotel and just taking your phone along. You’ll be surprised to see at how much more you’re able to experience.

4. Know the Basic Operations of Your Camera

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not taking some time to learn about your camera before leaving for your trip. Understand that even a smartphone camera offers setting options like aperture, and learning these things will surely help in improving your travel photos. It’d also be a good idea to choose filters or editing techniques beforehand, so as to avoid wasting time figuring these things out during the trip itself.

5. Tell a Story

What separates an editorial spread on a travel magazine from ordinary travel photos is it tells a story of a particular place. You often see photos of landscapes, the food a region is known for, hotel details and shots of locals in one spread. With this, other people are able to see a complete and beautiful story.

Capturing a good travel photo isn’t as difficult as you think. All you need is the right equipment and a good inspiration, and you’ll definitely be able to capture some good and interesting travel photos.