Tips for taking better travel photos

Professional photographer Richard I'Anson says not getting close enough to the subject is a common mistake people make when taking pictures

March 19, 2001
Web posted at: 12:06 p.m. EST (1706 GMT)

Editor's note: CNN Travel Now's Greg Phillips interviewed photographer Richard I'Anson, author of "Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures"

Q: How important is preparation before you go on the trip?

A: In terms of coming back with the kind of pictures you want, it's extremely important. You can turn up in a village and learn that the day before, the weekly market was on and that market would've provided many fantastic photo opportunities, (but) you've got to wait another six or seven days for it to come around again. A simple bit of research in advance would've put you in the right place at the right time.

Q: Tell me about the equipment before you go. What do you need to keep in mind?

A: It very often always comes down to what the reasons are for taking the pictures and the goal that you have for your picture taking. So if the aim is to take color prints to put in an album simply as a record of a trip, a 35mm compact camera is fine. But if you're interested in taking pictures at a slightly higher level and having more control and spending more time taking the pictures, then the absolute ideal camera for travel photography is a 35mm SLR, a single lens reflex camera where you can change lenses and depending on the camera you buy, you can have control over the different technical aspects of picture taking.

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Q: What about other equipment? Tripod, batteries, film? Explain what you need to have so that you don't get in a bind once you get to your destination.

A: Well, I would always recommend that you take the film with you, rather than hope to buy it at the destination. Obviously it depends on where you're going. If you're going to modern Western cities, you can be pretty sure that you'll be able to buy the film you want. But if you do work with a specific film, which most professionals do, then you want to make sure you've got enough of it. Nothing worse than running out of film.

In terms of other equipment, absolutely you need to take spare batteries. All cameras run on batteries, and depending on the battery and depending on where you're going, there's a reasonably good chance that you won't be able to buy it. So depending on the length of the trip, one, two, three spares in the bag is very good insurance.

A tripod is one of those things you can't live without as a professional photographer. Many of my pictures could not have been taken without a tripod. But it does mean extra weight, extra burden. Tripods are hard to carry, you know, and if I could do it without a tripod I would, but I know I can't.

Q: Now the film speed and light are related of course, so tell me as a rule of thumb, what kind of film should I pack?

A: If you are taking color prints as a record for an album, then these days 400 ISO film is a good standard film. It lets you take pictures in available light for most of the day, and when the flash is turned on it extends the range of the flash, because the faster the film the more sensitive it is to light. However, if you've got plans to make big prints for the wall, say 20 by 30 inches, and if you have ambitions to exhibit, then you should use a finer grain film, say 100 ISO.

If you're using color slide film then definitely the 100 ISO should be the standard film. You shouldn't use 200 or 400 ISO film as a standard when you're using slide film.

Q: Let me ask you about when you're taking your film overseas. What about x-ray damage? How do I guard against that?

A: My policy is always to ask for a hand check, and I do that by keeping the film separate from the equipment and always take the film out of the camera. I have the film separate in some clear plastic boxes which are very easy to inspect. ... They can take the lid off and see them all.

Another option is just a clear plastic bag. The aim is to make it easy for the security inspectors because they're only doing their job. If you hand it over and say please hand inspect, very often they will cooperate. The other thing I would like to say about X-rays is you must never ever put film in your check-in luggage -- ever.

Q: Why is that?

A: Because in modern airports in the last two to three years they put in new scanning equipment and one exposure to that equipment will completely wipe out your film. So you must always carry it on the plane as hand luggage.

Q: For the traveler, what's the lesson when it comes to landmarks?

A: Well, the lesson is that they they create a fantastic photograph challenge -- to come up with images that haven't been seen before. For the traveler, I think they shouldn't just take everything at face value. Look at the postcards and look at what's already been published and that's a great guide. ... But I would use them as a resource to take another step to come up with my own unique view.

Q: When you're traveling, if you just spend just a few extra minutes in a location (might you be rewarded with a special shot)?

A: Absolutely. A few extra minutes can make all the difference. It might simply be that somebody moves into the scene, which adds interest, or moves out. If you're watching people ... you might be, for example, at a market and the person might hand over money for what they bought and that can just add that little bit of interest.

Q: Tell me about taking pictures horizontally versus vertical. Do most people keep the camera facing the same way, or do they forget to try it both ways?

A: People do forget. It's much more comfortable and more natural to hold a camera horizontally, but it can make quite a difference doing that simple thing of turning the camera vertically. If people want a starting point, why not think about photographing vertical subjects, such as people and signs. At least it will add some attitude to your picture collection.

Q: Tell me about the rule of thirds.

A: The rule of thirds is a good place to start if you like to think about composition, and improving composition. And the rule of thirds says that you should divide your frame into nine even rectangles. So you draw an imaginary line at thirds in the frame, horizontally and vertically, so you have nine grids. And then the rule says you put the point of focus or your main subject matter on one of the intersections of the grid. And if you do that, you automatically take your subject off center and that can lead to more dynamic pictures.

Say for example, the horizon would go along the top third line or the bottom third line. And if you have that in mind when you are taking landscapes or scenics, that will prevent you from putting the horizon right in the middle of the frame. Which is not ideal in most cases.

Q: Frequently, when people are taking pictures they'll put them in the center of the frame. Is putting someone in the center of the picture the best option?

A: No, it's not the best option. The best option, generally, would be to place them just off center, thinking of the rule of thirds again. Putting them on that line, the third line, one side or the other just to move them away. And you want to make sure they're not blocking the main point of interest. In that, they're in a position where you can see them and the subject.

I'Anson particularly enjoys capturing the spectacular scenery of the Himalayas

Q: Tell me about photographing people you don't know.

A: Well, ultimately it comes down to your personal feelings about it and professional photographers have their own methods getting the shots they need. I personally ask permission to take pictures when I am close. I do a lot of portraits where I like the people to make eye contact, and so I feel more comfortable asking for permission. If I get permission then I know they're OK, and it makes the whole situation comfortable, and it gives me the shots I want.

In a more crowded situation or where people are busy, I'm quite happy to to stand back or even get close and not ask permission. It really comes down to almost a situation by situation decision.

Q: What are some of the most common mistakes that people make when they take pictures?

A: The most common mistake is that people don't get close enough to their subject. They see something in the distance. ... The human eye tends to magnify what it is they're looking at but the camera doesn't do that, and when the prints come back or the slides come back, the subject matter is too small and people wonder why they're looking at this picture.

The other common one is that pictures are out of focus or they're blurry and there seems to be two reasons for that. One is that people don't focus on the subject. They miss the subject and it's very annoying because if the subject isn't in focus the picture is unsuccessful. The eye will tend to look at the the image and settle on the sharpest point and if it's not your subject then you've failed.

Q: You mentioned using the panorama setting on cameras. A lot of the compact cameras come with this panoramic feature. Is it a gimmick?

A: Yes, it's a gimmick. This is a classic case of where you might want to use it because it is a very long, thin, narrow picture. All the panoramic feature does is chop the top and the bottom off the negative and you can do that at a later date with or without panoramic anyway. It doesn't change the shape or the format. It just takes the top and the bottom. It's just in-camera cropping.

Q: Tell me about the developing process.

A: One of the big reasons for using color slides is that you create the slides in the camera ... so that when it is processed, it's a straightforward process. It does not affect what you did, which is why slides are a great way to learn about photography.

The problem occurs with color negatives, from which you make color prints, because the negative is interpreted by somebody else, that is, a printer, which interprets the negative ... so you are introducing a variable that you've got no control over, unless you go to a professional lab. But most people take them to the local minilab, and the minilabs printers are set up to print everything at average. So if you purposely try to take your photograph so that it came out a little dark or a little light, they don't know that, they just think 'oh it's too dark' and they print it to average, 'oh it's too light' and print it back to average. That's why all the pictures look the same. It is very frustrating, and on top of that you've got the operator who is setting up the machine. So there's a lot of variables, which is why so often prints look different, not from lab to lab, but day to day, in the same lab.

Q: How do you control that?

A: You can't really control that -- because you know it's being done cheaply and quickly and it's a great service. What you can do if you are disappointed with your pictures is ask them to be printed again, and you can say 'these look too light, could you please print them darker,' and they can do it. If for some reason the lab argues no, they've produced the best print for you, I would suggest taking one or two frames to another minilab and showing them the print you're disappointed in and having them reprint it, because very often a second printing can improve the shot at your direction.

Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures

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