5 Travel Photography Tips Even Smartphone Users Must Know

In this age of smartphone cameras and digital filters, practically anyone can profess to be a photographer. Travel photography, for instance, has become a hobby for many people.

To make your photos stand out from the usual Instagram shots, bank on a smartphone equipped with superior quality camera technology that can capture inspiring moments under any unexpected conditions.

One such smartphone is the Huawei P20 Pro, whose optics are built by luxury camera and lens manufacturer Leica. Known for outstanding German engineering and relied on by renowned photographers for a hundred years, Leica is repeated camera brand all over the world.

Such photographers have imparted valuable lessons on capturing once-in-a-lifetime images through their work. Imagine the kind of travel photos you can produce if you follow these photography principles and use precision quality Leica optics.  Whether you're a seasoned photographer or an average traveler with a smartphone, you can learn a thing or two from these master photographers who also happen to be Leica users. 

 

Wait for the right moment, and capture it.

Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, "There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment." The French photographer was known for taking spontaneous photographs, but for taking every winning shot at precisely the right time.

Rather than aimlessly shooting a series of images in the hope that one of them will turn out fine, study your subject, the scenario, and the background. Wait for magic to happen, and click! You’ve got your winning shot.

You don't always have to resort to Photoshop or filters to make your travel photos look good; sometimes, you only have to know how to work with the moments that come your way.

  

 

Get sexy with imagery.

There is beauty  all around us. We may even find something sensuous in the textures in our surroundings, and something provocative in the lines and slopes we see in landscapes.

Photographer Helmut Newton pushed the envelope with the  sexuality in his photos, which was often fleshed out by models in unconventional positions. You don't have to push the envelope that far, but you can certainly find a way to highlight sensuality and unique angles in your travel photos.

 

 

Meet people.

Falling in love with a place doesn't merely involve going to the most exotic or exquisite locations. Immersing in the local culture is also a huge part of it. There’s no better way to accomplish this than to get to know the people.Channel your inner Diane Arbus and take intimate portraits of the locals you meet.

 

 

Get closer—or take a step back.

When we travel, the most interesting places, people and objects fascinate us, but we hesitate to walk closer to take a photo because we’re in unfamiliar territory.

This was never an issue to Hungarian war photographer Robert Capa. Believe it or not, there’s a lot we can learn from a man who documented several battles in his lifetime, and one of them is to muster the courage to get closer to the subject and take that winning shot.

We’re not encouraging you to violate security protocol in another country or to give authorities enough reason to consider you for deportation, but if walking an inch or a feet towards or away from your subject will allow for better framing and a well-composed photo without compromising your safety, then do it, by all means.

 

 

Shoot for yourself.

In the age of social media where everybody has an opinion on everyone else, the tendency is for us to be utterly conscious of what people will see and say about our travel photos when in fact, we—first and foremost and of all people—should be pleased with the photos we have taken.

Even if you have a hundred thousand followers on Instagram who are all looking forward to photos from your last trip, you, not them, should be most satisfied with your pictures.  If you’re just taking pictures for the benefit of other people or to increase social media following, you will find it hard to develop your own personal style, which is very important in the work of a photographer.  

Take your cue from Vivian Maier, whose body of work remained undiscovered until her negatives and undeveloped film were auctioned off decades after. Maier worked as a nanny all her life and pursued photography on the side. She took both color and black-and-white images—about 150,000 of them—but never sought to have them published.

Also, you don't have to restrict your travel photos to places that are already tourist favorites. There are always nooks, crannies, and quiet corners that also capture the beauty of the places you visit.

Equip yourself with these principles and a handy, reliable device that you can use to take stunning photos the next time you travel.

The Huawei P20 Pro boasts of a  40MP triple-lens Leica camera and an impressive Kirin 970 AI-powered processor; two things that promise high-quality output for the discerning travel photo enthusiast. Its water and dust resistance feature allows users to adjust to different conditions, while the night mode provides better capability to capture late-night cityscapes. Landscapes are seen almost as if through the naked eye with the P20 Pro’s Huawei Full View Display 2.0.

The Huawei P20 Pro is available through Globe Platinum. Visit Globe Platinum’s website and for more info.