The Fundamentals of Travel Photography

224 Pages·2017·171.699 MB·English

by  Bob Krist

Topic Subtopic
Better Living Arts & Leisure
The Fundamentals
of Travel Photography
Course Guidebook
Bob Krist
National Geographic Photographer
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i
Bob Krist
National Geographic Photographer
ob Krist is an award-winning photographer who works regularly
B
on assignment for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler,
Smithsonian, and Islands. His assignments have taken him to
all seven continents. Mr. Krist’s work has won awards in the Pictures
of the Year International, Communication Arts, and World Press Photo
competitions. He won the title of Photographer of the Year from the
Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008, and he holds
a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Springfield College.
ii P rofessor Biography
Mr. Krist’s books include In Tuscany, which features 270 pages of his
photographs of the region and is a collaboration with author Frances Mayes.
In Tuscany appeared on the New York Times best seller list. Mr. Krist is also
the author of Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer, and he
provided photography for the books Caribbean; Portrait of the Caribbean;
Lowcountry: From Charleston to Savannah; A Photo Tour of New York; and
Impressions of Bucks County.
Mr. Krist is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and an avid filmmaker who shoots
and produces short travel films for a variety of clients, including National
Geographic. His movie about Iceland, A Thousand Autumns, won awards
at the Johns Hopkins Film Festival, the Reykjavík International Film
Festival, and the Trento Film Festival. ■
iii
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Professor Biography ......................................i
Course Scope ..........................................1
LESSON GUIDES
LESSON 1 | The Travel Photographer’s Mission ...............2
LESSON 2 | Photographing for Story .......................10
LESSON 3 | Three Keys: Light, Composition, Moment .........16
LESSON 4 | Natural Light on Landscapes ...................24
LESSON 5 | Natural Light on People .......................36
LESSON 6 | Composition and the Power of Lenses ............44
LESSON 7 | On Location in San Miguel de Allende ...........56
LESSON 8 | Gear, Packing, and Security ....................66
LESSON 9 | Five Obstacles to a Great Photo .................72
LESSON 10 | Capturing the Spirit of People .................82
LESSON 11 | People in Performance .......................92
iv Table of Contents
LESSON 12 | Using Flash on the Road .....................100
LESSON 13 | Capturing the Spirit of Landscapes ............108
LESSON 14 | Special Techniques for Creative Photos .........116
LESSON 15 | Capturing the Spirit of Wildlife ...............124
LESSON 16 | Animals in Action .........................132
LESSON 17 | Architecture and Skylines ...................142
LESSON 18 | Festivals, Parades, and Special Events ..........152
LESSON 19 | Street Scenes and Neighborhoods .............160
LESSON 20 | Workflow on the Road ......................168
LESSON 21 | Photographing a City: Philadelphia ............174
LESSON 22 | Photographing a Region: Tuscany .............186
LESSON 23 | Working with Video .......................194
LESSON 24 | Sharing Your Stories .......................200
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Image Credits .......................................205
Travel Photography Topic Checklist ......................207
1
Scope
The Fundamentals of Travel
Photography
ore people than ever are documenting their travels through
M
photographs, but creating images that capture the spirit of a
place and its people can be challenging. This course, led by a
National Geographic travel photographer, guides photographers through
the challenges of creating rich, storytelling images while providing them
with a wealth of technical knowledge and practical tips.
These 24 lessons offer viewers already familiar with the general mechanics
of their cameras the skills needed to take their travel photography to the
next level. The course begins with the importance of creating visual stories
instead of individual images, and the profound effect that giving oneself
a mission can have on how a photographer sees and interacts with the
world. Many course-takers will already be familiar with the fundamentals
of image composition, but this course provides an in-depth analysis of how
light, composition, and moment can be captured visually to create striking
images that avoid the clichés of selfies and sunsets.
Unlike many photography genres, travel photography requires the ability
to function across many photographic specialties: portraits, landscapes, art
and entertainment, wildlife, architecture, and street life, to name a few. In
lessons devoted to each of these specialties, the instructor offers concrete
advice on how to tailor your approach to your subject, from breaking
the ice with strangers to create intimate portraits to using telephoto and
wide-angle lenses to compose striking landscapes. The course also offers a
wealth of information on equipment, how to keep gear and images safe on
the road, and how to use current technology to edit and share your travel
images when you return. ■
2
Lesson 1
The Travel
Photographer’s Mission
3
his course is a comprehensive
T
look at the techniques
and philosophies that
photographers use to create
compelling, storytelling pictures
of their travels. Whether you
harbor a dream of doing this
work professionally or you’d just
like to learn how to make more
striking, engaging pictures of your
journeys, you’ll find a lot of useful
information in the upcoming
lessons. This lesson kicks the
course off by showing how travel
photography can be a tool that
immerses you in your journeys.
4 Lesson 1 • The Travel Photographer’s Mission

Traveling versus Sightseeing
One of the oldest and most prevalent questions about travel photography
is: How can you appreciate your travels if your face is always glued to the
camera? National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson likes to make
the distinction between being a traveler and a sightseer.
A traveler seeks engagement with the local people and culture, while a
sightseer just checks off sights in the guidebook. A sightseeing photographer
stands apart from the culture, snapping pictures at a distance. A travel
photographer becomes involved with his or her surroundings and the
people; the resulting pictures become more intimate.