Summer Travel Photography: Part 3

Travel & Photography: Capturing the Essence of a Place

Have you ever seen a photograph that instantly transports you to another place and time? Photos have the power to make us feel as if we’re there. They show us how a place looks, and if we’re lucky, how a place feels. How can you create images that will move your audience and convey the essence of a place you’ve been?

What is the “Essence” of a Place?

By definition, “essence” is the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character. The essence of a location is what it is at its very core, and how you perceive it.  If we want our travel photographs to last and continually remind us of our experience, they need to capture the feeling of a place in addition to the way it looks at face value.

Why Did You Come Here?

Before you can capture the essence of a place, you have to understand that essence in depth. It’s often abstract, but a good starting point on the journey towards discovery is asking yourself why you chose this place to travel to, over every other place in the world. What is it about this city, town, country, forest, mountain, or museum that called to you?

In fact, the reason you came here may be that you wanted to photograph something in particular. Maybe you’d like to capture the huge sequoias in California or the Colosseum in Rome. Yet, there may be much more than meets the eye, so it’s important to do your research as well. Read travel brochures and books, watch documentaries, and talk to locals to find out the best kept secrets of your destination.

For example, I was drawn to Phnom Penh because, to me, it is old and mysterious. I don’t quite understand it as a place, and this ignorance intrigued me to walk the streets, enter the temples during sunset prayers, and talk with monks who are willing to speak to their connection to their home. It is a shy city, with many secrets, unwilling to share because it’s been so hurt in the past, and I sought to capture that through my photographs.

The First Impression is the Truth

One of the best times to get a glimpse into the essence of a place is the first time you step out of the airport or off of the bus. First impressions are a personal experience, and they’re usually intensely accurate to how you’ll come to feel about a place. 

Pause to take it all in - the sights, smells, sounds, and feel of a new place. Have a notebook with you to jot some notes about it in case the moment passes before you can get your camera out. The way the light hits the cobblestone streets or the ambience of live music by street musicians can be incredibly inspiring when you’re trying to capture the core of a place. 

What Will You Long to Remember?

When you’re sitting at a sidewalk cafe or lounging by the sea, think about the things you’ll long to remember years down the road. What has moved you in this place and how can you bring that to those who will view your photographs?

It could be anything, concrete or abstract; perhaps a patch of flowers, a boat on a river, or ancient architecture reflected in the puddle from an afternoon rain shower. Photographs are just memories on paper, so capture what sticks out in your mind the most.

Walk Early, Walk Late, Walk Often.

Getting out and walking on the street is the best way to learn the rhythm of a place and to discover how the locals live their lives. When you walk early in the morning or later in the evening, you’ll escape the influx of tourists on walking (or heaven forbid - Segway) tours. 

Walking also gives you a constant panorama of everything around you. You can miss all kinds of treasures on a bus or in a car.

There is a coffee shop called La Casa Del Caffe Tazza D’oro near the Pantheon in Rome. Early in the morning, it’s packed with locals drinking their daily cappuccinos with a single sugar packet each. Down the road, the Pantheon is quiet, like the temple that it was meant to be. There is no line outside, and the birds play in the fountain out front. This is the real Rome, before the tourists are out, and it’s so worth walking for a while to capture.

Spontaneity is Key

Knowing what you want to capture when you travel to a place is essential. However, some of the best photographs come from completely unanticipated, spontaneous adventures. Don’t be afraid to go with the flow of a place. Carry your camera with you always and keep your eyes open for that perfect moment with the perfect light. 

PART 2 OF OUR 3-PART SERIES: SUMMER TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Travel Photography: 5 Essential Shots for Every Destination

When you travel, it’s easy to go photo-crazy and take hundreds (let’s be honest, thousands) of shots to make sure you capture your trip in its entirety. However, if you’re strapped for time or forget to pack extra memory cards, there are six shots you must take to document any adventure:

1. The Essence Shot

I could go on and on about the essence shot, but here it is in a nutshell: This is the photograph that captures the core, the feeling, or the rhythm of life of the place you’re visiting. It can be of anything, but it should move your audience and transport them to wherever you are. For example, an essence shot might capture daily life in the Hutongs, the poorest neighborhoods in Beijing. 

2. The Big-Picture Shot

The big-picture shot shows your destination and leaves no doubt to exactly where you are. This easily-identifiable shot may be of the New York skyline, the blue Caribbean Sea, or the Roman Colosseum. At a glance, your viewer will know immediately what place they’re looking at. 

3. The Tourist Attraction Shot

As professional photographers, we seem to try to avoid the typical tourist attraction shot. It’s important to take in the landmarks of any given place, but that doesn’t mean your shot has to be run-of-the-mill. Try taking your photo from a different perspective, waiting for a unique lighting situation, or including local people in it. A picture of the Eiffel Tower is much more interesting when distorted with a fisheye lens, or when captured as a long exposure. 

4. The Local Shot

This shot is a micro-capture of something unique about a place that you won’t see in a tourism book or brochure. It could be the cobblestones outside of your hotel room in Italy or the bunting on an Alabama plantation on Memorial Day weekend. It should be something simple that reminds you of a specific memory from your travels.

5. The Food Shot

Okay, I know the typical Instagram-worthy food shot is something pro photographers shy away from, but it’s important to capture the local flavor of a place when you’re traveling. Meals are a big part of the culture of any place you’re visiting, and having a photograph of your favorite meals will help you remember more fully what you experienced on your trip.

Watch for the 3rd & final part in this series on Wednesday, June 22nd.

Part 1 of 3: Summer Travel Photography

Preparing for Your Summer Photography Trip: 5 Tips For Success

Summer is finally here, and there’s no more perfect time to travel. Seeing the world around you is one of the greatest joys in life, and it’s a blessing to be able to capture it on film, or - for those of you on a more modern page - on a memory card. Preparing for your photography trip is as important as the shots you’ll take when you get there; Here are 5 things you should keep in mind: 

Pick and Choose, Then Document

I know this sounds difficult, but trust me - it’s worth it. When you’re traveling with your camera gear, it’s important to pick and choose bodies and lenses suited to what you’ll be shooting. You don’t want to spend your entire trip weighed down under your whole photographic arsenal. If you’re afraid you won’t have the perfect lens at the perfect moment, challenge yourself to take an even more amazing shot with one you’ve got with you. Forcing yourself to use a 50mm prime lens on a subject you’d usually shoot with a wide angle can open your eyes and improve your craft. 

After you’ve narrowed down what you’re bringing, make a list of everything. It’ll save you a lot of stress to be sure you’ve got it all, and should you lose or misplace anything, you’ll know what you’ll need to replace. 

Pack Important Extras

A few years ago, I spent about 4 hours going in and out of every shop in Venice looking for a memory card, as all of mine were full. Later on, my camera battery died at the top of the incredible rice terraces of a small village in the Chinese Himalayas. In both cases, I hadn’t packed any extras, and I paid for it. 

Though it’s necessary to be picky with the equipment you travel with, extra memory cards, film, and batteries rank among the essentials. Don’t assume camera accessories will be as readily available where you’re going as they are where you live!  

Don’t forget plastic Ziploc bags and your circular polarizer. Weather is difficult to predict and it’s best to be safe. Plastic bags are really helpful if you want to take photos while it’s raining and to protect your camera from the elements at a place like the beach.

Choose a Practical Bag

You’ll thank yourself later if you choose a bag that protects your gear and is comfortable to wear. Bags that can multi-task - hold your wallet, travel documents, and a book or tablet - are quite efficient and will make traveling a breeze. You want your bag to be small enough to be easy to carry and to carry on (and PLEASE, carry it on), but high quality enough to protect its contents.

Protect Your Gear (& Yourself)

Keeping your gear and yourself safe while traveling requires a level head and common sense. Remember, don’t put your camera bag down at the airport (or any other public location for that matter). For some destinations, it may even be necessary to use gaffers tape to cover the labels on your camera gear to keep from attracting too much attention. 

Make Local Friends

It’s simple: The locals know all the good spots. If you ask around and talk to the people who live where you are, you’re likely to find out all of the best places to take stunning photographs. You’ll also probably find out the best places to eat, sleep, and get a coffee, and there’s nothing bad about that. 

Keep in mind that some cultures still emphasize privacy and even view the camera as a device to capture the soul. Always ask before you take a picture of a person.

Step Away from the Lens

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but there are some moments that just can’t be done justice in a photograph. Sometimes, you have to let go and step away from the lens to take in the full beauty of the foreign place around you. Don’t forget to actually experience the place you’ve traveled to; Memories are just as important as photographs!

Watch for Part 2 in this series on Friday, June 17th.

MEDIUM FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHY: MORE THAN JUST PIXELS

Lately, we’ve noticed a welcome shift in the way photographers are thinking about how they do their work. Instead of relying solely on the newest, easiest technology to produce large, attractive photographs, they’re throwing a nod to the ways of the past, developing images on paper in a darkroom, instead of pointing, shooting, and downloading digitally.

Using a medium format camera is one of the greatest and most effective ways to produce beautiful images on film. It’s well known that medium format images have the potential for flawless resolution and huge print size; However, there are several other reasons photographers should add it to their repertoire.

What is Medium Format Photography?

“Medium Format” typically refers to a film size larger than 24x36 mm but smaller than 4”x5” large format film. The term is typically used to refer to cameras that shoot film. Medium format film comes in two sizes: “120,” which produces 12 square images, and “220,” which produces 24.

What’s the Deal with Pixels?

The more pixels you have, the higher quality image you’ll produce and the larger you’ll be able to produce it. Medium format photographs have 4 times the pixels than those on 35mm film. The images are incredibly detailed and clear, and they make nearly perfect large prints. Because these photographs can be enlarged significantly without sacrificing quality, many photographers use medium format film to produce images for gallery shows or to give as gifts.

It Won’t Break the Bank.

We know what you’re thinking: How can shooting medium format possibly be cost effective? Film tends to be expensive, and you may not even have a medium format camera. Well known versions such as the Hasselblad can cost up to $3,000.

But fear not, you can become a medium format photographer for $300 or less. There are many new and used medium format cameras out there that work just as well but cost less because they don’t have the Leica or Hasselblad label. Medium format twin reflex cameras and folding cameras can be found online or at antique stores, and 120 film can be ordered from just about any major photography equipment company. You’ll also need a film scanner to get the film images onto your computer for editing and enlargement, but a good scanner costs only $100­$200.

The Difference is Clear.

Over the past few decades, medium format has emerged as the leading method for producing large exhibition prints. The work of artists such as An­My Lê, Thomas Struth, and young photographers like Rob Hornstra demonstrates the power of this format.

If you’re looking for sharp, detailed, larger­than­life photo prints, you should be shooting medium format. The cost to start is small and the results are worth it.

Understand Your Brand’s Positioning

For a business to run successfully it is required that the products are sold. Products from your brand would be sold only when the customers would have the brand in mind when they purchase products for their needs. Hence it is very important that the    brand is being positioned well in the minds of the customers. This process of implanting the brand in the customer’s mind is termed as brand positioning. To understand whether your brand’s positioning is done well or not there are certain things that you would need to check. 

It differentiates your brand from others
Many people believe that if the product is of top quality, brand positioning is not required as the product would have carved its image in the customer’s mind owing to its high quality. The fact is that even though the product may be of top quality, brand positioning is still important as that would differentiate your brand from others and would get the winning edge over other brands. 

Tips to understand the effectiveness of a brand positioning strategy
You may want to want to understand the effectiveness of your brand positioning strategy by trying to find answers to the following points. The first question that you should ask yourself is that whether the brand positioning has been able to differentiate your brand from the competition. Ideally, while positioning a brand in a prospect’s mind it has to be taken care of that the brand is not getting mixed with the overcrowded market which has similar products to offer. Brand positioning has to play a catalytic role in helping the customers understand the unique values of your brand that they will not find in the competitive brands. 

Another thing that you should be checking is that whether the brand positioning strategy is difficult to copy or not. It should not be an easy strategy that your competitors will emulate and share equal benefits as like you. While the brand positioning should be difficult to copy for competitors, at the same time it should be easy to understand for the customer. 

If your customer is not able to receive the message that you are trying to convey him through your brand positioning initiatives, the whole purpose of the initiative would go down the drains as if the customer does not understand what your brand is all about they would not be interested in investing on products from that brand ever.