Tips for the Traveling Photographer

Everybody is a photographer these days. With mobile phones integrating decent cameras up to 5MP, it’s become a common hobby. And so, I often see hordes of people clicking away at random. It’s funny, because they all end up making the same mistakes. So be different! Ever wondered how a good picture looks good? It’s simple – a little planning and some knowledge is all you need to produce great photographs, even with a point-and-shoot camera.

Foreword
Before I begin, I would like to make it clear that the tips mentioned here are for those with inexpensive digicams, so technical aspects have been kept out. No, you don’t need an SLR to shoot good pictures. The idea is to get more out of your pictures, while making shooting fun.

Composing the picture is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Always use the right scene mode, than the auto mode. Carry multiple cards rather than buy only one with a huge memory. This way, if your card goes bad you will still have the remaining snaps in the other cards. So let’s begin!

Keep it Straight
Someone famously said, "A good photograph is knowing where to stand!" I can’t explain it any better. Everyone likes to click landscapes. In fact, if you're traveling, the one thing you would want to capture is where you've been. The first thing is to find a special spot. Don’t throng the regular spots; try and get personal with your surroundings.

Next try to keep the horizon straight. Ideally, this can be achieved with a tripod that has a spirit level. This may not be something amateur photographers with their inexpensive cameras can manage, so here's how to do it if you don’t have a tripod at your disposal: look at the farthest point and simply use your eyes to level the horizon on the top or the bottom of the viewfinder.

Of course, you can always rectify any problem with Photoshop. Also remember not to shoot with the camera facing the sun. This will not only darken the subject, but may also damage the lens.