tip travel bureau fotos

• Student Successes
• My Learning

How to Take Travel Photos: A Complete Guide

You can also select your interests for free access to our premium training:

Who doesn’t love visiting gorgeous places? When we travel, it is natural to want to capture those special moments. So why not explore this niche?

With the right skills and some practice, you could make your travel photography hobby into a full-time job. In this article, we have organised our knowledge base on travel photography.

Read on to find out how to become a travel photographer.

What Is Travel Photography?

Travel photography is the act of photographing while travelling. The goal is to capture the locations you visit and the adventures you experience.

It is a combination of different genres. It includes landscape , street , portrait , environmental portrait and even architecture photography.

You can take landscape images of the places you visit, portraits of the people you meet or architecture photos of the buildings you see.

You can even master your self-photography skills by taking selfies everywhere you go.

How to Start Travel Photography

Getting started with travel photography: beginner’s guide.

Travel photography is a genre that requires a lot of pre-photoshoot preparation.

You need to be able to find suitable locations, handle different weather conditions, and choose the best equipment for each trip.

Practising and learning how you like travelling the basis of the whole process. You should also find out which type of travel photography suits you the most.

Read our beginner’s guide to learn more about how to get started with travel photography.

How to Plan for Road Trip Photography

Everyone’s idea of travel is different. Some go away for the weekend, and others plan a whirlwind trip covering dozens of countries in a concise period of time.

If you are the road trip kind, this article is for you.

Firstly, you’ll need to figure out how to get around. Will it be your car, a rental or even hitch-hiking? Next is the route.

You need to take care of how you can stay connected to the internet. Or how you’ll have access to electricity, and how you’ll back up your photos .

The Travel Photographer’s Packing Checklist

Travelling requires a few more items than your keys, wallet, and passport. It requires planning and making sure you have every necessary item with you.

The easiest way to remember everything is by writing a list.

Think about where you are going and if the location has the things you might need to buy? Don’t forget to update your list after each trip.

Prepare for bad weather, hot summer days and everything you can predict. Take a look at our list so you surely won’t miss anything!

Photographing With Minimal Gear: Why You Don’t Need as Much as You Think

As a travel photographer, you’ll constantly be moving around. A heavy backpack full of equipment gets tiring very fast.

Learning how to capture travel photography with minimal equipment is a blessing. That way, you’ll enjoy your journey much more.

Think about your lenses. Perhaps one or two zoom lenses are much better than five fixed (prime) alternatives. And don’t take anything you might not use. It is a waste of space.

The Best Packing Hacks for the Travel Photographer

As a travel photographer, you need to organise both your camera gear and your clothes. It can be a hard task. All you need to find is balance.

Start by creating a photography shot list in advance. Lay out your gear and then cut it all down.

Choosing the right bags is also essential. With our space-saving packing hacks, you are going to be able to organise everything cleverly.

An important thing to keep in mind is that you will need to reach your gear easily. If you don’t have comfortable access to them, you will get frustrated soon.

How to Make the Most of Your Travel Photography With a Shot List

The best travel photos are the results of hours of planning and research.

A shot list is a helpful reminder to ensure you get a wide range of images. No matter where you go, you will have the same or a similar list.

You won’t miss anything if you need what kind of shots you need. Also, a list can guide your attention and make you spot the scenes worth photographing.

How to Choose the Best Travel Tripod

A tripod helps you capture long exposures and stops movement in low light conditions. It also allows your arms a little rest while keeping your camera safe.

I know they can be heavy and a burden when you don’t need them. Yet, there are lightweight carry-on choices that can fit in your bag.

You have to use a tripod that matches your camera. Heavier gadgets will need sturdy and stable ones. Also, windy weather requires more robust tripods.

Read here for more information on tripod choices for all your travel photography needs.

The Most Useful Travel Photography Accessories

As a travel photographer, you will encounter a lot of different situations. Not only do you have to be ready for them, but your gear has to as well.

There are some basic accessories you should always carry with you. A lens pen is the perfect pocket-tool for cleaning your lenses on the go. But others, like a drone,  are for more creative photography.

Start with the basics. Choose a comfortable neck strap or buy memory card holders . Extra batteries and power banks are also practical and necessary items, based on how long and where you are shooting.

Travel Photography Settings for Every Scenario: From Portraits to Landscapes

Travel photographers have to deal with changing lights and scenes. Also, it’s a mixture of genres, so even the type of photography determines the settings.

Pay attention to white balance, focus, and the pillars of the exposure triangle .

You can find basic settings for portraits, environmental portraits, landscapes, sunsets, or buildings in our article above. Food, wildlife, action or night photography are not missing from the list either.

Start with these settings and tweak them if needed.

Photography Style: What Is It and How Can You Find Your Own

Your photography style separates you from every other travel photographer. Believe me. There are thousands in this category.

Finding your style will take time and practice. It isn’t something you can develop overnight.

Keep experimenting. You can focus on a particular mood or atmosphere. Or concentrate on the same colour range. Or even take stunning portraits .

Famous photographers have recognizable styles. If someone recognizes your images without seeing your name on them, you’re on the right path.

Top 12 Rules For Amazing Travel Photography

Travel photography is not about your camera. It isn’t even about where you are.

It is about the stories you tell with your captured images. The way you take these stunning images is through research and observation.

Researching your location will let you know what is available to photograph. And the best time to capture it.

Preparing your gear and writing travel notes are also something you should do.

Read our article for all the 12 rules of travel photography.

How to Avoid These 15 Common Travel Photography Mistakes 

You can first ruin your travel photography but not planning it enough. Not having a shot list is a part of this mistake.

Also, make sure to have enough time for what you would like to reach. This is important when you would like to have blue hour shots of a certain place, and you are still far from there at sunset.

Don’t pack too much gear, and try not to be too shy. Telling stories with your images is always a great idea.

Follow our tips to avoid the most common mistakes!

Best Ways to Backup Your Photos While Travelling

Utilizing an external hard drive is the most important way to safely store your images once they are out of your camera.

Backing up in the field means that you need to find a solution to keep your images safe without a computer.

Having a system that will copy your images from your memory cards means not buying more of them.

Check our article above to find the best solution.

Tips For Travelling Safely With Your Camera

Travelling safely with your camera leys you enjoy yourself and keep photographing.

Having an item or camera stolen can dent your experience and budget. Travel insurance is a smart investment to make.

By covering up your cameras’ brand and model, you can really deter thieves looking to take your gear. This is best done using black tape.

Use padded cases so that your camera and lenses are protected against all knocks they will encounter.

This is a great way to keep your lenses in and out of your bag for extra protection. You can also use them separately on a strap or belt.

Travel Safety Tips Every Photographer Should Know

Staying safe while travelling should be the most important priority of your photography.

This is how you ensure that you enjoy the place you’re in for the time that you are.

Start with taking your camera on board if you are flying. Also, respect local customs to avoid conflict. Knowing your surroundings and not leaving your gear unattended are the very basics of staying safe as a travel photographer.

Read our article here for the most important travel tips to keep you safe.

Tips for Better Vacation and Holiday Photography

You can, of course, be a travel photographer without fancy locations and a huge kit bag. It’s a well deserved holiday where you decide to capture a few shots.

Even then, your photography could use a few tips. Choosing the right spot to photograph first is the number one tip.

You might also find it a game-changer to wake up and shoot before the crowd gathers.

Try avoiding clichés and find a balance between portrait and landscapes. Include your family in your images, but also make sure to capture the local culture.

Tips for Breathtaking Cityscape Photography

If you’re headed toward the city, then this article is for you. You’ll find great tips for short trips or extended stays.

Find the right location and check the forecast to check the available light. Take images from a distance and also zoom in to capture details.

Preparing your gear and thinking about your settings in advance are also essential here. Blue and golden hours might be the best time for these images. Experiment a lot, and go back if you are not satisfied and you have time. To dig deep, check out our tips on cityscape photography.

Where To Find Travel Photography Inspiration

Best travel photography blogs to follow.

Travel photography blogs serve as great inspiration for us photographers out there.

You can get great tips and ideas by looking at other photographers’ images. Also, reading their stories and descriptions help you prepare for the shooting sessions.

You can find the best locations and events by reading quality blogs.

Take a look at the 16 best travel photography blogs to follow!

Top 10 Travel Photography Destinations

You can go anywhere in the world and take photographs. And if you use a few basic compositional rules , you are halfway there.

Our article offers different places you should visit, from all around the globe. From Thailand to the USA and even to New Zealand, you can find popular photography destinations!

It’s always a good idea to get information before you start planning your travel.

The Most Iconic Places in the World to Photograph

There are some places in the world that everyone recognises. These are usually historical sites or buildings, but some of them are the wonders of nature.

If you visit these places, you must take photos of them. But try to be unique! Get creative, and bring a new perspective.

Take a look at our list and plan to visit one of them on your next trip. It can be the Eiffel Tower or Central Park, and you have great opportunities.

The Best Architecture Photography Locations in the World

Some places are known for their architecture . You can find unique buildings everywhere, sometimes even stories that blow your mind.

While you are travelling, make sure to do a bit of research, and don’t miss any interesting spot!

For the ten best locations, read our article, then start packing!

The Most Beautiful Cities in Europe to Photograph

In Europe, there are so many diverse landscapes and architecture at such small distances.

The same can be said about nature. Without these venues, cities wouldn’t be the same. Natural landscapes also play a vital role in shaping the atmosphere.

Read our list, and if you have the chance, try visiting more of them during one trip!

How to take Unique Photos of Famous Places

People travel from all around the world to see and photograph these delights. Because they are so famous, it’s hard to capture them in a unique way.

If you follow our 9 tips, you can get closer to this goal.

Start with doing research and plan what you would like to see in your images. Arriving early is a great idea to avoid the crowd. If the place is already crowded, you can even use this to show the atmosphere.

Top 20 Places to Take Pictures in LA

There’s the old and classic Los Angeles. And, there are the newer, more happening spots that offer you brand new photo ideas.

Take a tour around LA with our list of the best 20 places!

The Best Places to Take Pictures in NYC

New York is an ever-changing city, with a rich history and cityscape.

Go through our 10 recommendations and imagine how you will photograph them in your own unique way.

You can include New Yorkers in your images as the crowd belongs to the atmosphere.

Beautiful Pictures of Japan to Inspire Your Travel Photography

Japan has a lot of historical, cultural and natural wonders you can capture.

For some travel photographers, Japan sits on a pedestal because of it’s natural and built heritage. It is also full of interesting food and neon-lit streets.

Our 20 images of Japan give enough inspiration to book a flight to Japan!

The Best Photography Locations in Tokyo

The capital of Japan is an incredible place to photograph. Whatever style of photography  you enjoy, Tokyo will have you covered.

You should visit the most popular places and buildings. The architecture is amazing, and you can also find quirky settings like cosplay events.

Guide To Photography Etiquette in Japan

Like anywhere else on the planet, Japan has a photography etiquette that should be followed when capturing images.

Some of them are common sense, such as asking for permission if photographing people up-close. Others are specific to locations. In Japan, some areas have banned selfie sticks, for example.

Read through our list to make sure you are doing everything you can to stick to these guidelines.

The Best Spots For Photography in London

London is a crowded place, and not only because of people. By walking on the streets, you bump into landmark buildings or parks on every corner.

Take a look at our list and make sure to include everything when you are planning your route.

The 10 Best Photography Locations in Paris

When someone says Paris, the Eiffel Tower appears in everyone’s mind. In reality, the opportunities for photography in the many arrondissements are endless. And Parisians light up every frame.

We collected 10 of the most famous ones. Make sure to visit them if you have the chance.

Best Tips and Locations for Taking Great Pictures in Venice

Venice has a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere. Due to its unique location and breathtaking canals, everyone can immediately recognise photos taken here.

This article not only summarises the best locations, but it gives tips on when to visit them. A lot depends on the lighting. You can spice up the most basic images if you are there at the right time.

The Best Photography Spots in Rome

All roads lead to Rome; who can deny that? This city is full of history, culture, architecture, and food.

We collected our favourite photo spots and added some tips on how and when to photograph there. Plan your visit in advance to make sure you don’t miss anything!

The Best Photography Spots in Barcelona

Barcelona is full of tourists due to its stunning sights. You can find famous, one of a kind buildings from Gaudí, beautiful parks and streets.

Our lA Barcelona-based photographer wrote our list of 10 photography spots you will find under-the-radar nooks only the locals know!

The Best Amsterdam Photography Locations

Amsterdam is a compact, pedestrian-friendly, and cultural city. The streets themselves are worth photographing, but obviously, you can find famous venues.

Our list is going to guide you through Amsterdam and show you the places you must visit.

The Best Photography Spots in Budapest

Budapest is a photogenic city where you can bump into different subjects that worth capturing. From famous streets to buildings and thermal baths aplenty, there’s so much to photograph.

It has a beautiful river, the Danube, which allows you to take breathtaking images and offers many opportunities. Let us guide you, and see why you should visit this city.

Best Spots for New Zealand Landscape Photography

New Zealand has beautiful places to visit. It’s like you were standing in a painting or in a scene out of a famous trilogy.

Follow our ideas to find the best spots, and take surreally beautiful images. You should include cities, lakes, waterfalls and the countryside in your collection.

Best Iceland Photography Spots and Tips

Iceland is becoming more and more popular among tourists. It’s no wonder this place offers venues that are beyond comparison.

Get to know the locals, and travel to more isolated and secret places. Besides giving you useful advice, we collected the best spots you should visit!

Best Photography Spots in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is one of California’s most beautiful places. It’s full of ancient redwoods, so this is the perfect destination for wildlife photographers.

It’s hard to say which spot is the best, but we tried to collect 10 of them. Explore Yosemite and get beautiful memories printed and framed on your walls!

Casey Kiernan’s Iceland Photography Workshop Review

Casey Kiernan is an award-winning photographer and cinematographer. He is best known for his stunning time-lapse and images that can be seen all over the place.

In this review, we run through his Iceland Photography workshop. Unlike traditional photography workshops, this one took place with the use of campervans.

For all the ins and outs of why this workshop is highly recommended, read our review above.

Creative Travel Photography Ideas

Tips for carnival photography.

From Brazil and Mexico to Venice and Thailand, street carnivals are a fiasco of colour and costumes.

Each one is slightly different in size, magnitude or duration. They also have different concepts.

Read our tips to arrive prepared. Practise taking what you need, scout the location, and try isolating your subject. These and our other ideas will hopefully help you a lot.

How to Take Great Travel Photos of Yourself

There will be times where you want to record yourself while travelling. Either for memories or social media proof.

What to do if you were on your own? How do you manage to capture yourself in a scene?

Luckily there are a few ways you can do this. You can ask other tourists or locals to take your picture. Another way would be to use a tripod and a 10-second delay.

For other tips and techniques, read our article here!

Creative Photography Composition Techniques to Improve Your Travel Photos

Compositional rules exist to help create interest in your images.

These can be layered for maximum effect, turning a somewhat dull image into something awe-inspiring. Using reflections is a great place to start.

These repetitive images are great for the viewer as they add depth and dimension to your subject.

Black and White Travel Photography: How to Make the Most of It

Shooting in black and white eliminates the distractions caused by colours. By using black and white, you look at your subject and scene in a different way.

Here, your focus is on the contrast of a scene. The textures and shapes are more prominent.

Read our article on why you should look at the city or nature in black and white.

Street Photography: How to Take Pictures of Strangers

Photographing people on your travels adds story elements to a scene. It also adds a sense of scale to large or difficult to gauge subjects.

Having people in a scene can change the atmosphere of the scene easily. But for this, you need to prepare and learn how to stay invisible. Or how to communicate with your subjects.

Our article runs through how you can capture pictures of strangers.

Documenting Places and People: What You Need to Know

As a travel photographer, you are documenting the people and places you visit. Each new location brings forth new moods, feelings, light, people and visual elements.

With most areas of photography, research is key. This lets you know what you can expect in each new area.

Knowing what to expect means you can change your camera and personal gear accordingly. This gets you one step ahead of other photographers.

Try telling stories, photograph strangers and spot the unique scenes.

How to Crop Your Travel Photos for Better Results

Knowing a little about cropping can really help to boost your travel photography. What you leave in is just as important as what you leave out.

It’s better to concentrate on your subjects than missing great moments while you are trying to reach the best composition. You can crop the image later.

In our article above, we have summarised the basics of cropping and rotating your travel photos.

How to Use an ND Filter to Remove People from Long Exposure Shots

An ND filter is an essential piece of equipment. It allows you to capture long exposure shots in the harshest sun.

Not only is it easy to assemble, but they are quick and easy to use. They can incorporate well into time-lapse projects too.

The biggest benefit is their ability to make people disappear. This can be especially helpful in very tourist-heavy locations and sites.

Documentary Photography – Tips For Starting Out

If you are into travel photography, why not try a small documentary project? It could boost your creativity.

Documentary projects are typically long-term projects rather than one-time photo sessions. Photograph what you see. Visualise the atmosphere, the people and the locations around you.

You are going to learn about our world, and about your creativity too.

How to Photograph the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights attract a lot of tourists and travel photographers from all around the world.

However, they are not so easy to photograph. You have to be prepared, have a tripod and a proper camera for it.

Also, you have to be patient because they are not always visible and their intensity changes too.

Set your camera and take delight in this beautiful phenomena!

How to Take Stunning Panoramic Pictures

Panoramic images are a great way to show the landscapes you encounter. The advantage is that you are not restricted to one single perspective or view.

After capturing many images on a horizontal plane, they are then stitched together. Our article covers everything you need to know about stunning panoramic pictures.

Tips for Beautiful Beach Photography

On your travels, you are likely to come across beaches, strands, and banks. They are great areas to show sunsets, sunrises, and possibly, stories in your work.

Beach photography needs a little consideration to capture perfectly. Our list here will give you all the tips you’ll need.

After a little research, you will capture them with interesting compositions, perspectives, and exposures. Try avoiding crowds, but sometimes you can include people in your images. Details, golden hours, and silhouettes are also great ideas to capture.

Ethical Travel Photography

Travel photography ethics: when you shouldn’t take that picture.

A camera is a powerful tool. It’s a device you can use to record the world around you.

Sometimes you have to consider whether you should photograph someone or something or not. Poverty, self-promotion or stereotyping are controversial topics.

Ask permission first, to avoid questionable situations. Don’t invade anyone’s personal space.

Tipping for Photos: Should You Do It?

Tipping is the act of giving someone money in exchange for a photograph of them. Usually, it is a local person in the native environment who adds something to the image.

It makes the image possible. But you might find these locals will ask for something, usually money, to be in your image.

This is something that many travel photographs will face numerous times.

Find a Fixer: Using a Local to Improve Your Travel Photography

A fixer is basically a local person who can help with many tasks.

They speak the language, know the contacts and can show off the hidden highlights of a place.

They can be expensive, based on their experience and the lack of competition, but are incredibly useful.

How to Start a Travel Photography Business

How to get paid for travel photography.

There is a lot of money in the travel industry, which means the demand for anything tourism-related is strong.

Of course, you have to make sure if travel photography is right for you. Make a website, a blog, be active on social media and have the proper gear.

Get Paid to Travel – 10 Hot Tips From Paid Travel Photographers

A travel photographer provides imagery for the global tourism industry.

This might be for magazines, newspapers, and books aimed at marketing, information or documenting cultures and events.

Being a professional travel photographer means making money from your images. There are multiple avenues to do this.

One way is to sell your prints. Be present on social media, sell your images on stock sites and enter competitions. And these are only a few of our tips!

How To Sell Your Travel Photography

Of course, you have to start with having great photos. Then you have a lot of options, like selling them on stock sites or as prints.

You can even sell the images directly to clients, not as stock photos. You can even sell your stories, accompanying your photos.

How do you promote yourself efficiently? Read our article above for smart tips.

How to Post-Process Travel Images

How to optimise your travel photography editing workflow.

Travel photography can result in a lot of images. Sometimes it seems to be impossible to go through them.

You should back up everything and organise your images. One way to keep track of your photographs is to create a different Lightroom catalogue for each journey.

For other great workflow tips, read our article above.

Post-Processing Tips for Better Travel Images

Travel photography can require post-processing. You should start by choosing the best editing software.

Then go through the different stages of editing, from cropping to sharpening, noise reduction and adjusting contrast, highlights and shadows. You can even remove unwanted elements.

For the 10 best post-processing tips, take a look at our article here.

Simple Lightroom Tips for a Better Travel Photography Workflow

Lightroom is a popular software for post-processing. It hosts a great library system for effective image storing.

After importing your images, you can make use of the built-in map. It makes it easier to find the shots you are looking for.

Lightroom presets are also going to make your workflow faster. And you can even use Lightroom on your smartphone, to edit images on the go.

Photo Editing Tips for Travel Photography

Photographing in RAW will make editing your images more efficient and you’ll have better quality.

In the editing stage, adjust the colour temperature, the exposure, and add a bit of contrast. Adjust whites and blacks as well. Cropping and strengthening are also important.

The last step can be the removal of unwanted elements.

Best Free Lightroom Presets to Use

Adobe Lightroom presets are a great way to edit your photographs fast. You upload them to your Lightroom preset folder, and then use them as you wish.

They adjust your image at the click of a button. Exposure values, shadows, and highlights are a few modifications that could change due to the preset.

Others are more extensive, changing the tone and colours of an image to have a certain atmosphere.

Here are a few free presets for you to work with to get more from your images. If you need some help installing these presets, read our article above.

We are confident that this article provides you with all the education you need to become a professional travel photographer!

As you can see, travel photography is a versatile genre. It needs planning, research, organising skills, patience and knowing the ethics. Be aware of your surroundings and capture everything, but also make sure to enjoy your travels!

It may start as a hobby but you can make a lucrative career out of it. So, keep travelling and clicking!

Want to reach the world with your stunning travel photographs? Get organised. Check our ebook Organic Marketing for Photographers for time-tested smart tips on building a website, SEO, lead generation, pricing, sales, etc.

Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

How to Take Professional Travel Photos

Travel photography is not something I’ve very good at. I take all my pictures on an iPhone, and if they aren’t used on the blog, they mostly just sit on my hard drive. I’ve never taken the time to really improve my skills. Like learning a language, improving your photography takes time.

Luckily, just like learning a language, anyone can do it!

Travel photographs are memories. You look at a picture, and it conjures up thoughts, feelings, and smells that take you back to a long-forgotten place. I think it’s important we all spend a little time improving our photography.

Today, professional photographer Laurence Norah of Finding the Universe begins a five-part series on how to take better travel photos and become a better photographer in general. He’s going to share his top tips to help you improve your skills and take awesome photos.

Enter Laurence…

In 2009, I gave up my job in IT and set off to travel the world. My first destination was Australia , a stunning country where I desperately wanted to capture my adventures. I’d been taking photos since I was 13, but it was only on this trip that I started to focus on learning the art of photography and realized that this was something I could be truly passionate about.

I quickly learned the reality that photography is a skill that takes time, effort, and practice to master.

It’s also not a question of gear — great travel photography is very much about the photographer.

In this post, I’ll give you the eight simple travel photography tips you need to take better pictures right away. If you follow these rules, you won’t go wrong!

Table of Contents

• Composition
• The Rule of Thirds
• Leading Lines
• Foreground, Midground, and Background
• Focal Points
• Use of Color
• Storytelling

1. Composition: Taking Pictures People REALLY Want

Patterns — the human brain is a sucker for them. We’re always looking for patterns, be they shapes in the clouds, symmetry in buildings, or colors that compliment each other. There’s just something about a pattern that our brains love.

Understanding these patterns and what pleases the human brain is a nifty shortcut to taking better photos. And that’s what composition in photography is all about. Learn and apply the rules below, and you’ll start taking more photos that people will enjoy.

Before launching into them, though, some important basics. First, ensure that your camera is level. You don’t want wonky horizons. Your brain generally doesn’t like them; they’re the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.

Next — stop moving. You want to be as still as possible when shooting to avoid blurry images. Hold your camera with both hands and be steady, or use a tripod.  

2. The Rule of Thirds

One of the most important rules of composition is known as the rule of thirds.

I learned recently that this is based on how babies learn to identify their mothers’ faces, which can be split up into three parts: the eyes, nose, and mouth.

The rule of thirds requires you to break an image into three equal parts either vertically, horizontally, or both. The goal is to place key compositional elements into those thirds.

On your device, find the setting to enable a grid over the preview screen. Four lines will appear, two vertical and two horizontal.

Take a look at my shot above of a surreal sculpture park deep in the Australian outback , over which I have overlaid a grid to demonstrate the horizontal and vertical thirds.

With the grid, you can see how I have composed the image: one-third land and two-thirds sky, while the plane on the left is on the left-hand grid line, close to the intersection of two lines.

Placing subjects on the intersecting points will naturally draw the viewer’s eye to them, as these points are usually where we focus first in an image, and doing so is a great starting point for a good composition.

Another of my favorite subjects to shoot is a sunset. I love how they are always different and how wonderful the light is at that time of day.

To get a great sunset shot, you can easily apply the rule of thirds — composing the shot with two-thirds sky, and one-third land or sea. You want to avoid splitting the image half and half, as it won’t look as good. The shot below of a sunset in Santa Cruz illustrates this and also has an interesting subject in the left third of the image.

3. Leading Lines

When composing a photograph, you want to make it as easy as possible for the person looking at it to figure out the subject and focus of the image.

One way to do this is with leading lines — the use of natural geography or other features that the viewer will naturally look at first and that will lead their eyes to the main subject.

Roads are excellent as leading lines, particularly in big landscape shots. When I was traveling in New Zealand , I wanted to create a photographic story of the hike up Mount Taranaki, one of my favorite New Zealand hikes . Near the start, the walking trail itself gave me a perfect leading line to illustrate the journey ahead, drawing the viewer’s eye into the frame and up to the mountain.

Another good illustration of a leading line is this shot of me walking on railway tracks in Italy. (Obviously, it’s only advisable on either disused or somewhat infrequently used tracks!)

The goal for this image was a self-portrait that evoked my life of travel. The parallel tracks, which appear to converge, were perfect for leading the viewer’s eye to the subject — me. I felt I captured the image of wanderlust that I was looking for by using them.  

4. Foreground, Midground, and Background

Have you ever taken a picture of a mountain or city skyline and then looked at it later and wondered why it doesn’t manage to convey the majesty of what you were looking at?

This is likely because your photograph is a two-dimensional image, and you have lost the sense of scale that is apparent when you are present and in the moment.

When composing a shot — and this is particularly true for landscape photography — think about the different elements in the foreground, midground, and background of the shot.

For example, here’s an example of a sunset in Glencoe, Scotland , easily the most stunning place I’ve photographed in 2015.

I used the rock in this frozen lake to provide something interesting in the foreground, helping to provide scale and balance to the overall image. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the rock, and then likely to the mountain and sunset, before heading into the distance of the valley.

When you are out and about in the world, think about everything around you. If you see a far-off mountain you want to shoot, look around and see if you can find something interesting in the foreground or midground to incorporate into the shot. If you’re near a river, maybe that could be a canoe. Elsewhere it could be a house. Or a group of sheep. Or a car starting to scale a winding road.

If you’re shooting a city scene, look at what is happening all around you. Street vendors, different modes of transport, and signs and storefronts can all be incorporated as foreground to provide context and scale for your city skyline or that interestingly shaped building.

If you can’t find something, be creative. Find someone to stand in your shot to provide that scale. If you’re traveling with a tripod, do what I did in that railway shot and use yourself as the subject.

Thinking beyond the big background parts of the image and focusing on the smaller elements will help you create more balanced, pleasing images.

Just remember not to confuse your viewer too much with too many compositional elements, and keep it clear what the photo is of.

Here’s another shot from Glencoe. Here the house provides that midground scale, while the river works both as an interesting foreground subject and as a leading line to draw you into the photograph.  

This compositional technique isn’t about hanging a picture in a frame; it’s about using what’s around you to “frame” the subject you are trying to capture, illustrating to the viewer what the shot is of and drawing their eyes into the scene.

In this shot of the bridge into the medieval town of Besalú in Spain , I used the old bridge and its reflection as a natural frame for the newer bridge.

When you have found your subject, look around to see if there’s a way you can frame it creatively. Some good options for framing include vegetation, like tree branches and trees, as well as doors and windows.

Take a look at this shot of a temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand , to see what I mean. I wanted to capture the beauty of this temple scene while drawing the viewer into the wat in the center.

The frame in this case is much larger than the subject, but it is never unclear what the shot is of. This is a really easy photography technique, but it might require you to scout around, or step back from your subject, to find a good way to frame it. Don’t be afraid to stand further away and use the zoom on your lens to get the frame you want.

As another example, using trees to frame a waterfall, here’s a shot of Lower Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park.

I felt that the trees added much more to the shot with the waterfall between them. There was a pleasing symmetry to the shot, given the two parallel trees.

There are many more options for framing. Experiment and see what works!  

6. Focal Points

One way to be sure that people look at the part of the image you want them to look at is to have only that part sharp and in focus and the rest blurry.

This is particularly effective for isolating people or animals in shots — take a look at wedding or sports photos of people, and you’ll see how often the subject of the shot is the only thing in focus.

I love shooting events with friends and family, and I find that this technique works really well at isolating the subject from a crowd and making it obvious who the photo is of.

To start with, you can achieve this effect with the “portrait” or “people” mode on your camera.  

7. Use of Color

Color is really important in photography, particularly how different colors work well together. For example, blue works well with yellow (sunflowers in a field), and red works well with green (Christmas!).

To figure out which colors work well together, take a look at this color wheel .

Generally, colors opposite each other on the wheel will complement each other. These colors don’t need to be evenly balanced in a shot — often images work best with a small percentage of one and a greater percentage of another.

Take a look at the shot above, from the gorgeous Nyhavn Harbor in Copenhagen . You can see all sorts of colors, but in particular, the blue of the sky and water is the predominant color, with the houses’ reds and yellows (yellow is opposite blue on the color wheel) offering a counterpoint.

When you are on your travels, keep an eye out for contrasting and complementary colors that you can incorporate into your shots. Spice markets, old European cities , rural meadows, and old colorful barns in green fields are a great place to start.  

8. Storytelling

Remember that when you are taking a picture, you have all the background and surrounding knowledge of your trip in your mind. When you look at the image later, all of that will come back to you.

No one else has that advantage. To them, that shot of a waterfall is just that — a shot of a waterfall. The story of the five-hour hike there through a leech-infested jungle? Lost. The feeling of how refreshing it was on your skin when you took the plunge to cool off? Also gone. It’s just a two-dimensional image on a screen, likely quickly flicked by to be replaced by the next image in the stream.

It’s your job to bring all that lost context to life.

We’re often told that a photograph is worth a thousand words. As a photographer, it’s your job to convey those words. Figure out how to tell that story with your image. Get the shots that pull your viewers into your stories. Use emotion, find and freeze moments, and incorporate the human element so your shots resonate with your viewers.

Take this monkey in Rio de Janeiro . These guys were being really cheeky with tourists, trying to get food from them and generally playing around as much as possible. I wanted to try and capture some of that, and I managed to get this monkey sticking its tongue out at me.

I’d advise spending time thinking about the shot you are trying to create, the moment you are trying to capture, and the story you are trying to tell your viewer. Put yourself into their shoes, imagine you are going to be looking at the shot with no other context, and try to build the shot from there.

This is probably one of the harder parts of photography, and — like the shot of the monkeys above — will likely require some time, patience, and luck. You will make errors. But with research and practice, you will be able to master it!

Practice makes perfect – and travel photography is no different in this regard! The more photos you take, the more you will learn how to compose and capture great shots. While reading some travel photography tips will definitely help, the key is to actually go out in the world and practice them. The more you practice, the faster this will all become second nature. It won’t happen overnight, but over time your skills will improve — I promise!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start taking some photos!

Laurence started his journey in June 2009 after quitting the corporate life and looking for a change of scenery. His blog,  Finding the Universe , catalogs his experiences and is a wonderful resource for photography advice! You can also find him on  Facebook ,  Instagram , and Twitter .  

Travel Photography: Continue the Series

For more helpful travel photography tips, be sure to check out the rest of Laurence’s series:

• Part 1 – How to Take Professional Travel Photos
• Part 2 – How to Shoot the Perfect Travel Photograph
• Part 3 – The Best Camera Gear to Get
• Part 4 – How to Take the Perfect Photo: Advanced Techniques
• Part 5 – 7 Editing Tips to Improve Your Travel Photographs

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

Related Posts

Get my best stuff sent straight to you!

Pin it on pinterest.

The Complete Guide to Travel Photography

By Megan Spurrell

As travelers, our cameras can feel like a fifth limb—an essential tool with which to move through the world and absorb new experiences. They make it possible to document the people we meet. They provide tangible memories of the remarkable beauty we travel so far to see. Ultimately, they help us communicate what words cannot.

In the digital era, the tie between travel and photography feels more innate than ever. Photography has become more accessible and affordable to dabble in (who even needs a real camera with phones these days? ). On the flip side, it can feel as if documenting and sharing our travel experiences has become half of the seeing itself. In her essay on pushing herself to take a photo-free trip , Allie Jones asks a question we can all relate to: “If you visit a trendy upstate New York museum and don’t take any photos, were you ever really there?”

As the routine of snapping and sharing becomes as habitual as rinse and repeat, others urge us to become more thoughtful with our travel photography. Just because we can photograph and share everything, in a matter of seconds, doesn’t mean we need to. In his feature, Tyler Moss explores the #nogeotag movement , and looks at just how our photo sharing can drastically alter a destination—and decide who gets to experience it. For professional photographers Gray Malin and Alex Strohl , the “how” of nailing their iconic travel photographs has relied more on patience, and analog techniques like driving massive props cross-country, or waiting for the perfect shot in sub-zero temps, than on any new developments.

And, just in case you were starting to let your Instagram feed convince you that you’ve seen it all, we’ve pulled in photo studies from photographers whose work we can’t help but ogle. Jessica Sarkodie shares a refreshing look at the unspoiled beaches of her native Ghana. Cedric Angeles flew to Mongolia for a peek inside the lives of the country’s famous eagle hunters (and yes, there are photos of the eagles in their hunting caps ahead). For Sandy Noto , photographing harvest season in the Dolomites while off-duty yielded gorgeous slices of life.

Of course, if you’re ready to step up your own game, we’ve also got the gear you need—from underwater cameras to camera bags that don’t look like camera bags. And, we’ve rounded up our favorite photographers to follow right now, because as much as we want to cut the social media umbilical cord, there is so much to admire there. You just need to know where to look.

Through the lens

Think before you shoot

Behind the scenes

The gear you need

Everything else you need to know

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Traveller. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

21 EASY Travel Photography Tips (Make Better Pictures with Little Effort)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: December 8, 2022

Are you looking for simple travel photography tips to help you take better pictures? You came to the right place! In this guide, we share some easy, actionable tips and tricks that will help to improve your travel photos with very little effort. No photography course or fancy equipment needed – find out!

Travel photography has become an essential part of any trip and any vacation. We all want to capture those special moments of our travels, keep them for later, and share them with our family and friends…

But how often do you find yourself in a situation where you feel that your travel pictures just don’t do justice to all the amazing things you saw and experienced?

With ever-improving technology, it’s now easier to take good travel photos without much effort than ever before. However, by preparing well and applying a few simple tricks, you can easily transform your travel photography from good to great! And no, you don’t need a professional camera or any special knowledge for that.

So if you looking for travel photography tips to improve your vacation pictures, this guide should help you do just that. In this article, we share some simple photography tips, but also some important travel tricks.

These tips will not only take your travel photography to the next level but will also help you have a more unique travel experience. Find out!

How this article is structured. First, you’ll find general tips for travel photography, followed by simple photography tips that will help you take better pictures without much effort. Further, you’ll find some useful practical tips and things to consider when preparing for your trip (with photography in mind).

Take a look!

These are our best travel photography tips:

1. Get to Know Your Camera

First, let me make one thing clear. You do not necessarily need expensive camera gear in order to take really nice pictures. Smartphones and entry-level point-and-shoot digital cameras like this one offer excellent quality. Quality that’s more than good enough for a family album, social media stories, or a print to hang on the wall.

However, no matter what kind of camera or smartphone you use for travel photography, it’s always useful to take some time and familiarize yourself with it. After all, you don’t want to miss some unique photo opportunities because of the time it takes you to set up your camera.

Each device has somewhat different settings and a big range of possibilities. Even if you use just a few of those settings once in a while, you’ll improve your photography skills and get better pictures.

Here you can find our hand-picked selection of some really good cameras for travel for all budgets sold on Amazon .

2. Do Some Research for Trip-Specific Photography Tips

Now that I told you that you don’t need any special gear, I also have to add that some types of travel photography might indeed require some special equipment or knowledge.

For example, if you are visiting Nordic countries in winter, you’ll probably want to learn the basics of the Northern Lights photography . You may want to research if there are any special aurora photography apps for your phone. However – if you want some decent pictures – you’ll definitely need a good tripod and a somewhat better camera with manual settings for this type of travel photography.

This is also the case for a trip where you are planning to take pictures of wildlife. Often, your smartphone and cheaper cameras will just not be sufficient for really good pictures. So if you are planning a safari in Africa, you may want to research what kind of cameras and lenses you need for wildlife photography .

3. Experiment with Camera Settings

Don’t be afraid to exit the ‘auto’ mode of your camera and experiment with the settings. Even something as simple as switching off or forcing the flash, can make a huge difference already.

If you are using a smartphone, you probably just use the standard photo and video settings. But if you look a bit deeper, you’ll see that there are other options as well.

Most smartphones also have panorama mode (great for wide panoramas in the mountains or cityscapes), selective focus mode (nice for portraits), or even one for food or night photography. Usually, there’s also a ‘pro’ mode where you can play with different white balance settings, etc.

If you have a DSLR camera , you may want to learn just a little bit about white balance, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Change the white balance and your pictures taken on a grey rainy day will become warmer. Change the shutter speed and you have a silky waterfall. Change the ISO sensitivity and you’ll be able to take pictures in low light without the flash…

4. Look for Different Angles

Standing in front of a landmark you visit, you suddenly realize everyone around you is holding cameras and smartphones, taking the exact same pictures… Sounds familiar?

Do you want your travel pictures to be different? It’s easier than you think! All you have to do is simply use your legs. 

Sit down, kneel down, even lie down if necessary. Or try to climb somewhat higher. Get closer to your subject or move further away. Go left, go right, go behind… You get the picture. Literally – you get a better, more unique picture just by changing the angle.

5. Try Different Compositions

One of the easiest ways to improve your photography skills is by learning how to make a good composition. Sometimes by simply recomposing your shot just a bit differently, you get a picture that tells a more powerful story.

Most people take pictures with the subject right in the middle. And while sometimes it can result in a beautiful shot, more often you get an ordinary image. Often, you can really bring your pictures to life by simply moving your subject away from the center.

You may have heard of the famous  rule of thirds . Divide your picture frame into 3 imaginary lines and 3 columns and place the subject at the intersection of those lines. Take a look at the sleeping koala picture to see what I mean.

Shooting landscapes? Put your horizon at either top or bottom third of the photo. Also, use natural lines, such as a forest path or a twist in the road to help guide the viewer through your photograph.

Taking pictures of people or animals? Try to also place your subject in such a way that they are looking towards your picture and not away from it.

6. Explore Deeper

Some of the best travel pictures are not those that are taken right in front of famous landmarks. For more authentic travel photography, try to get just a bit off the beaten path.

If you are walking around the city, don’t stick to a plan or try to follow the map exactly. If you see an interesting side street or an alley, turn in and check it out. If you are road-tripping and stumble upon some interesting roadside attractions or local events, stop and check it out…

Also, ask locals or other tourists for some cool spots and hidden gems. You’ll be surprised at how many incredible locations are not mentioned in any travel guides. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and ask for some tips.

We have had some amazing travel experiences just because we talked to people. And even if it doesn’t always lead to the best photo spots, you might find delicious local food, quirky shops, or some interesting street art.

7. Include People or Objects

Another easy way to improve your travel photography is by including people or objects in your pictures. Not only do you get better and more unique photos, but they also tell a story.

Look around for  something or someone you can include in your picture to give it a different feeling or perspective .

Think of people (locals, kids, really old people – don’t forget to ask for permission!), animals, flowers, tree branches, road signs… For a more personal perspective, try including your own arms or legs, etc.

Even just including a few wildflowers in your composition can make your landscape pictures stand out. You can also frame your images using tree branches and leaves. You can show the size of a building or a tree by including people or cars in that same image.

There are so many ways to be creative; often you only have to look around with different eyes!

8. Look for Colors

When traveling, always  keep an eye out for bold, vivid colors . Pictures with strong colors are often more powerful and bring the place back to life in your photos.

It can be anything from colorful buildings (focus on details like walls, doors), to cars, buses, bikes, or scooters. But also local markets and traditional clothing often give you a chance to take some unique colorful travel pictures.

TIP: If you are traveling to a place that isn’t really known for being colorful, wear some bright clothing yourself. A bright jacket can make all your gloomy vacation pictures so much more special.

9. Look for Details

For more interesting travel pictures, try to look for some interesting details everywhere you travel. It can be something local, something unique to that place, or maybe a special detail in the architecture of a building.

Also, get close, really close to your subject. Very often, details tell a stronger story than the whole!

Sometimes you get frustrated because you can’t fit the whole building into a picture. Or you are at a colorful lively market, but your pictures don’t portray any of that special atmosphere… Remember that often less is more and concentrate on a few details rather than trying to capture everything.

10. Have Your Camera Ready

Some of our best travel pictures are often taken unexpectedly, without any planning. It’s especially so with trips that involve wildlife . You just never know when you’ll get to see animals or what they’ll do, so you should always have your camera at hand and ready to take a picture.

Of course, pictures that you take unexpectedly will often not be perfect in composition, or maybe even a bit blurry. You can often solve it with some post-editing afterwards. But at least you got the shot!

Another example of the importance of having your camera ready is when you’re taking a picture of something that you only do once and it moves fast (like in our picture on the fun zip-line experience in Switzerland – see below). You have to be ready to take a picture and it helps if you put your camera in continuous shooting mode. That way, you can take lots of pictures in just a few seconds, and afterwards keep the best ones.

11. Do Something Fun

It’s impossible to get spontaneous pictures of the whole family if you don’t have a photographer following you around the whole day. So if you want to take some fun vacation pictures, the best way to go about it is to actually do something fun.

If you are taking pictures of your kids or your travel companions, simply ask them to do something and actually pose for a picture.

We all want candid shots, but they hardly ever happen, especially when you want to get several people in the same picture. But if you make an effort, you can easily take some really nice vacation pictures of you and your family.

12. Be Patient & Take Your Time

Travel photography is what you make of it. You can just take a picture and move on, but for the best pictures, you need to take your time and be patient.

Often, you don’t have much time when we travel, and you find yourself running from one place to the other. But even if you slow down just a little bit, even if you wait just a few moments, you might be able to take a much better picture.

It might mean waiting for the perfect light or for another person to move away from your composition, but it usually pays off.

13. Just Take That Picture!

Sometimes, you see a beautiful place, but you have no time to stop for a picture, or the light is not perfect, or the weather isn’t ideal, or there are too many clouds… So you swear to do it later or on your way back.

But then the weather changes for even worse, the mist comes up, or something else happens, and you never get a second chance.

This happened several times to us. So now we always take a picture when we see an interesting opportunity. Even if it’s not perfect, at least you got the shot. And if you do come back and the conditions are better indeed, you can always take another picture.

And sometimes, you get some really interesting pictures that way.

14. Travel Light

It’s always so tempting to pack the perfect camera or lens for all the possible situations you might encounter on your trip. But that also means that you’re always carrying so much unnecessary gear. Not only is it expensive to buy and heavy to carry around, but it also limits your flexibility. Not even to mention that expensive camera gear can put you at risk in certain places you visit.

Often, having more photography gear to deal with might actually lead to you missing the best photo opportunities. You may find that you are constantly switching lenses trying to get that perfect shot while your travel companions are simply enjoying the scenery.

So pack wisely, considering what kind of pictures you think you’ll be taking. My personal rule is to never pack more than two lenses for my DSLR camera. If we visit cities, I usually just go with one lens. For nature and wildlife, I pack a good telelens as well. Sometimes, it’s a tough choice which lenses to pack, but you also learn to be more creative that way.

TIP: If you are not a professional or a semi-professional photographer and don’t absolutely need a DSLR camera for your travel photography, simply get a really good point-and-shoot camera with a good optical zoom (something like this ). That way you always have the right ‘lens’ with you. There are so many versatile cameras nowadays that offer great quality. So don’t make your trip more stressful than necessary.

15. Pack a Tripod

Now that I told you to travel light, I also have to say that – for some trips – you really should consider packing a good tripod . It can be bulky and heavy to carry around, but it is also unmissable for certain types of photography.

If you are planning to take pictures early in the morning or late in the evening, if you are photographing waterfalls or Northern Lights, a tripod is a must. But even if you simply want to have the whole family in one picture, it’s often useful to have a tripod. And yes, you can also ask other people to take a picture, but we all know how those pictures usually turn out to be…

There are many different kinds of tripods and you should get one that can steadily hold your camera. For the smallest cameras or smartphones, you can use something like a GorillaPod . For heavier DSLR cameras, we recommend Manfrotto tripods – they are available in many different sizes and models.

My experience shows that for travel photography, the more compact and lighter the tripod is, the more you’ll use it. Just make sure that it can hold the camera and the lens that you have.

16. Pack Enough Memory Cards & Extra Batteries

Always, always pack more memory cards than you think you’d need. They are really not that expensive anymore and as the camera quality gets better and the picture size larger, you may run out of space on your memory card. So always have a few extra cards.

Also, get memory cards that are fast so that you don’t need to wait for the camera to save a picture before you can take a new one. If you are traveling to places with extremely hot or cold weather, make sure that you have quality memory cards that can work in any conditions.

We use and recommend Sandisk SD Extreme and Sandisk SD Extreme Pro cards. They offer an excellent price-quality ratio.

Always pack at least one backup battery set (and make sure that it’s charged) and carry it with you. There’s no use in having a set of extra batteries in your hotel room or in the car; they should always be at hand.

If you are using your smartphone for photography, take a power bank and a cable so that you can easily recharge your phone during the day. In any case, a good light and compact power bank is a must for any trip these days!

17. Be Respectful & Be Careful

One of the most important things any traveler should remember is to be respectful. Respect other people, nature, and local rules and regulations. Also, just use common sense and don’t do things that you wouldn’t want others to do to you.

Don’t go trampling wildflowers even if there are no signs asking not to do that. And definitely don’t go past the signs asking you not to – there’s always a reason for that, even if it might not look obvious to you. Don’t go on private property and try to always ask people before taking a picture of them. When in doubt, don’t take the shot.

Also, don’t go jumping at the edge of a cliff just because it looks cool or you saw someone else post crazy pictures like that on Instagram. Too many accidents happen every year because people are trying to get some perfect angle for their picture and misstep too far… No picture is worth it!

Having said that, we also have quite some pictures taken at places that look quite dangerous. But in our case, it’s more about finding the right angle to make it look more special. We are always extremely careful and we do our best to always stay on paths and never cross the line or a sign asking not to do it.

18. Get up Early & Stay Late

Photography is all about the light, and it’s not a secret that the best times for pictures are at dawn and at dusk. Photographers call this the Golden Hour . So one of the best travel photography tips I can give you is to make an extra effort and get out of bed early in the morning and stay up late.

Not only will you get better pictures this way, but you will also experience some incredible sunsets and sunrises that will make your trip more special!

Another advantage of getting up early is that you can explore even the most popular travel destinations without the crowds. Most tourists never get to their destination before 9-10 AM, so those few hours in the morning will not only help you get better travel pictures but will also make your travel experience so much more unique.

Unfortunately, this is not really the case at sunset at most destinations, because many people love to stay up for sunset. However, you’ll still have more beautiful light and more special colors for your pictures. Also, some destinations that are popular with day-trippers, are very quiet in the evening. So if you can, book accommodation very close-by and stay longer! This brings me to the next two points.

19. Book Your Accommodation Wisely

This might look like a strange tip for travel photography, but the location of your accommodation can have a huge influence on your trip and on the pictures you’ll be able to take.

Spending a night at a popular day trip destination will allow you to explore the place without the crowds of day-trippers. Staying close to a specific landmark might give you unique opportunities to photograph it in a different light and at different times during the day.

Staying inside a national park might mean that you’ll be able to explore it from dawn to dark and even at night. You might be able to photograph incredible skies at night or get to see wildlife just at your doorstep at dawn. Even just booking a room with a nice view can give you chances to take pictures you’d never be able to get otherwise.

So keep this in mind when choosing your accommodation. Some of the most special travel experiences we had during our trips wouldn’t have been possible if we had chosen another accommodation.

Some of those include watching whales from our hotel in Ilulissat, Greenland , or exploring the fairytale castles of San Marino at sunset with hardly anyone else around, or watching wildlife at dusk and in the dark in Etosha National Park in Namibia … And these are just a few examples.

20. Research the Best Photography Spots and Locations

If you want to take some really nice pictures while traveling, it’s helpful to do some research in advance. Once you are on a trip, you hardly ever have the time to scout the best photography locations. It’s very easy to overlook some nice places or special angles when you’re visiting somewhere for the first time.

One of the best ways to research the best locations is by checking images of your destination online. Just type in your destination name on Google Image search, and you’ll see what kind of images come up. You can then try to find their exact location and potentially even mark it in your Google Maps account.

Another good way to find some of the nicest photo spots is by looking on Instagram. However, this also often leads to ‘Instagram tourism’ and everyone taking the exact same pictures of the same ‘instagrammable’ places…

For some places, it might be important to research when the light is best for photography. This usually highly depends on the direction of the sun. Which brings us to the last tip…

21. Don’t Forget Why You Travel & Enjoy Your Trip

If you are on vacation, it will be impossible to always be in the right place at the best possible time. Also, the weather will play a role and some unforeseen circumstances. So no matter how much research you do or which camera gear you have, often, you simply won’t be able to get the best pictures.

Remember that those perfect images that you see in the travel brochures were usually taken by professional photographers. Usually, they stay at the same location for at least a few days, scout out the best times and angles, and go back to the same place a few times in order to capture that perfect light and composition.

So unless photography is the main goal of your trip, don’t stress about it. Remember why you travel in the first place and enjoy your vacation instead of trying to get that one perfect shot!

So, these are some of the basic travel photography tips that I wanted to share with you. As you can see, most of them have nothing to do with the camera you have or the settings you use. It’s more about being creative, looking for different angles, doing something fun, or catching the perfect light. It’s also a matter of practice. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it.

I truly hope that our tips will help you get better travel pictures. But I also hope that these tips will help you have more special trips and create better memories.

Explore, take your time to look for little details, get off the beaten path, and once in a while splurge for some well-located accommodation. Trust me, it will be worth it!

READ ALSO: Our Favorite Destinations Worldwide

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Wednesday 13th of April 2022

Do you have any tips on how to present the photos and videos that you take on your travels? For instance do you create photobooks or videos that include video clips and photos?

Tuesday 19th of April 2022

@Jurga, Awesome, thank you very much. :)

Thursday 14th of April 2022

Hi Vanessa, yes, we sometimes make a photo book with our pictures and my husband also makes a nice video of each bigger trip too. It's all more meant as a nice memory for the kids and they loved watching older photos/videos of themselves :). We don't usually mix the two though - so pictures and videos are separate.

Michael Anthony Cicchi

Tuesday 6th of July 2021

You make gorgeous photos 🙂

Wednesday 21st of July 2021

Thank you, Michael!

Saturday 26th of December 2020

Great general tipps & some beautiful shots there! keep it up :)

Monday 28th of December 2020

Thank you, Lisa!

Michael Cicchi

Sunday 13th of December 2020

A very nice article, Jurga! Great tips.

Thank you, Michael! Always such a loyal reader!

• Anniversaries
• Baby Showers
• Cards and Stationery
• Father's Day

Photo Books

• Wedding Invitations

21 Travel Photography Tips and Checklist For Your Next Trip

Written by  Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Aug 12, 2019

Planning your next vacation? Document your trip (big or small) with photos that will allow you to remember and share your experiences long after you return home. Whether you want to capture picture-perfect spots in NYC or head west to embrace scenic spots in San Francisco , you don’t need to be an expert to get genuinely beautiful shots.

Shop Trending Categories

Wedding Invitation

Graduation Announcements

Canvas Prints

Whether you decide to use a nice camera or a smartphone, there are plenty of photography tips and tricks that will help you know how to take the perfect photo . Make sure the equipment you use is familiar to you. You don’t want to spend the whole trip reading your camera manual.

Once you decide on what camera you’re bringing, the photos will come naturally. In case you hit a photo block and aren’t sure what to photograph, we’ve created a travel photography checklist that includes what to bring on your trip and photo ideas. Simply read through the travel photography tips, print the checklist and you’ll be ready to go!

Quickly jump to a section:

• Travel Photography Tips

Travel Photography Checklist

22 travel photography tips and tricks.

1. Do your research

While planning your trip, make a note of destinations that are beautiful. Find out if they are easy to get to and what sort of transportation you’ll need. Will you need a permit for the area? Figure out the logistics ahead of time so you don’t run into problems after you’re already there.

2. Get inspiration from others

The best way to learn is through others. Look at other photographer’s blogs and social media to see if they’ve been to the location you’re visiting. As you look at photos, create a bucket list of places you’d like to photograph while exploring. And make note of the composition and angles to capture.

3. Practice at home

You don’t need to travel far to practice your travel photography skills. Look up local attractions and go visit them with your camera. Learn how the light works in natural settings compared to more industrial ones.

4. Travel light

You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) bring every camera accessory you have with you on your journey. Not only will they be heavy to lug around, but there’s a danger of losing or forgetting pieces behind. Bring only the key items such as the camera, a charger and memory cards.

5. Charge Your Equipment The Night Before

Make sure everything is charged and ready to go before you set out for the day. Bring along 2-3 extra charged batteries for your camera and external flash.

6. Learn a few words in the native language

If you’re going to a foreign country where the language is not your own, try learning a few phrases. Things like “hello”, “thank you” and “Can I take your photo?” will go a long way and might lead to a better photograph.

7. Listen to the Locals

Ask the locals where the best places to shoot are. Ask about their favorite photo spot and they’ll likely be excited to share the wonders of their home. Be sure to be respectful of their space and leave them alone if they’re not interested in talking with you.

8. Follow Basic Photo Rules

If you’re a beginner photographer, take some time to learn the basics. When taking photos, keep in mind guidelines like the rule of thirds and your depth of field. Learning photography terms will help you take better quality photos.

9. Get Candid Shots

Not all your shots should be posed and planned out. Try a variety of angles, capturing candids. Take photos of everything, the one you least expect may be the one that ends up the best.

10. Give Yourself Time

When shooting, make sure you give yourself plenty of time at the location. A time crunch will lead to blurry and rushed photos. Leave yourself enough time to set up, learn what setting your camera should be on and find the right light. This may mean starting your days earlier than normal.

11. Embrace Golden Hour

Lighting is everything. Make sure you know the different sunrise and sunset times of the location you’re at. Even places only a few hours away can differ. It may also be helpful to know what direction the landmark is facing that you’re trying to photograph so you can plan to be there when it’s in full light.

12. Get a New Angle

If you’re visiting a place that’s been photographed thousands of times, try a new angle. Find hidden details that aren’t always noticed like paintings on the ceiling. Shoot through an alleyway that frames the photo or move around and try to find a new vision.

13. Stay in the Moment

Don’t overthink the shot. Stay in the moment and go with the flow. Don’t be afraid to switch around your schedule to get a good photo.

14. Take Notes

Bring a small notebook with you as you travel and when you take photos to make sure you’re noting the place and your camera settings. This will help you later on as you go back to see what worked and what didn’t.

15. Be Wary of the Weather

Look at the weather forecast if you’re shooting outdoors. Remember, just because it’s raining or snowing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Sometimes a foggy backdrop can reflect the light and make for an even better photo.

16. Bring Secure Bags with Locks

You’ve probably invested a lot in your camera and accessories, so make sure they are kept safe. Bring a camera bag with you that has a lot of padding and can be locked.

17. Backup Your Photos

Every time you return to home base, whether that be a hotel or friend’s home, make sure you backup your photos . This will free up space on your camera and will keep your images safe.

18. Always Bring a Camera When You Can

Bring your camera with you wherever you go. The perfect shot could be where you least expect it. This will also let you document your whole trip, not just parts.

19. Be Respectful of Your Environment

You may be visiting this place but to others, it’s home. Be respectful of the people and animals you meet along your journey.

20. Get Lost

Get out of your comfort zone and a venture off the beaten path. Try finding something unique to photograph. Get a little lost.

21. Share Your Work

Once you’ve returned from your trip, make sure your photos don’t just sit on the memory card or computer. Share them by creating a photo board on your wall or styling a travel photo book .

22. Print Everything Ahead of Time.

Before you start your travels, don’t forget to print your boarding passes, itinerary and other documents just in case your phone isn’t working properly. By printing everything ahead of time, you do not have to wait in any lines, worry about the digital kiosks in the airport or lack of wifi connection

Click To Download Travel Photography Checklist PDF

Travel photography is a fun way to document your trips. It allows you to take your stories home and share them with friends and family. Try creating a collage with a photo collage app and sharing your experiences on social media.

Explore Categories

Graduation Invitations

Custom Photo Blankets

Save the Dates

Wall Calendars

Written by Shutterfly Community | View all posts

★ Lifestyle Expert

Shutterfly Community is here to help capture and share life's most important moments. Discover thoughtful gifts, creative ideas and endless inspiration to create meaningful memories with family and friends.

Visit their Website . You can follow on Instagram and Pinterest .

The leading authority in photography and camera gear.

Become a better photographer.

12.9 Million

Annual Readers

Newsletter Subscribers

Featured Photographers

Photography Guides & Gear Reviews

Travel Photography Tips, Ideas, Examples & Jobs

Have a passion for travel photography but not sure how to take it further? This post covers careers, what gear is best, and tips for improving!

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ashley Darrow

Travel photography is one of the most exciting styles of photography, but it can also be one of the most intimidating to get started with.

I’m at my most inspired as a photographer when I’m on the road.

Even when I’m not headed to an exciting new location, I’ve started to think about all of my photography from the standpoint of travel.

This guide is going to give you everything you need to know to get started with travel photography.

I’ll be covering everything from the basics, to the equipment you need, to 20 travel photography tips that will improve how you approach taking photos.

When you’re ready to hit the road, we’ll start our adventure with some travel photography 101.

Table of Contents

What Is Travel Photography?

Defining travel photography can be a little bit challenging as this is one of the most open and free categories of photography.

In general, travel photography involves documenting people, landscapes, and cultures anywhere in the world.

Your travel photography counts whether you have to hike for thousands of miles or you took a 10-minute bus ride from your home.

Travel photography can be done by career professionals working for major magazines like National Geographic or it can be done as part-time freelance work.

Many travel photographers make their money by taking contract work from tourism departments or brands looking for product photography shot on location.

Travel photographers often find themselves working in challenging conditions. There’s a good chance that you’re going to be snapping pics in low light conditions , rough weather, or even half a world away from the comfort of your own bed.

•  Related: 77 useful travel tips for photographers

What Does Travel Photography Include?

Image Credit: Sam Forson

Travel photography incorporates countless different styles.

Travel photographers often take landscape photographs, architectural photographs , as well as street photography. It’s also common to see food photography and documentary work being done by travel photographers.

As a travel photographer, your goal is to capture and express the story of a particular time and place. You’ll be giving people a taste of what’s happening in the moment while you’re in a particular location.

How Much Do Travel Photographers Make?

Travel photography is made up of a wide range of styles, but it’s also made up of a wide range of pay rates.

If you’re lucky enough to land a staff photography job with a major magazine, you could wind up with a six-figure salary. However, freelance travel photographers can make as little as around $18,000 a year.

Beginner travel photographers often make even less than that as they start to piece together their career.

Part of your pay as a travel photographer will come in the form of comped travel expenses. It’s pretty common for travel photographers to take a job with a tourism department that includes free transportation and lodging as part of their payment.

Is travel photography in demand?

Travel photography is in high demand.

How Much Do You REALLY Know About Photography?! 🤔

Test your photography knowledge with this quick quiz!

See how much you really know about photography...

Your answer:

Correct answer:

SHARE YOUR RESULTS

Your Answers

This demand is being driven by tourism departments, brands looking for more engaged lifestyle photography , and the rise of social media making travel photography a viable path for a content creator.

There are more people taking travel photos than ever before which means that you’re also going to have a lot more competition despite there being more job openings.

How Do I Become a Travel Photographer?

Image Credit: Kamaji Ogino

Becoming a travel photographer is pretty similar to how you would start up almost any photography career.

If you’re a total beginner, you want to start by mastering the craft of working behind the camera. This means learning how to stay in control of your exposure, frame captivating shots, and just get comfortable taking pictures wherever you go.

Here’s a basic outline of the steps you’ll take to start your travel photography career.

• Learn your photography basics
• Identify your travel photography niches
• Build your portfolio
• Grow a social media presence
• Begin reaching out to clients
• Publish your photography
• Grow your business by reaching out to bigger clients
• Continue to promote your work
• Have fun traveling!

I should note that plenty of travel photographers also crowdfund parts of their career.

Building a presence on social media sites like YouTube and connecting that to your crowdfunding platform of choice is a great way to bring in some additional money.

What Equipment is Needed for Travel Photography?

Image Credit: Hiren Lad

In all my years of photography, the one thing I’ve learned is that if there’s anything photographers love nearly as much as taking pictures, it’s talking about their gear.

Whether you see this equipment as the tools of your trade or the raw materials of your art, you’re going to need some equipment to get started with travel photography.

I’m going to cover the standard gear that most travel photographers will gravitate towards, but I’ll also be talking about different setups for film photographers and mobile photography.

I’m going to kick things off with the absolute must: a camera.

You’re not going to get very far in your career as a Travel Photographer without a camera. I’m being a little silly here, but it’s not just as simple as picking up any random mirrorless camera for travel blogging .

So, what camera is best for travel photography?

The absolute best cameras for travel photography are going to be, no surprises here, the latest mirrorless releases from the big-name brands like Sony, Camera, and Nikon.

Those cameras are packed full of the latest features and offer some of the best image quality.

You can also get amazing results, and save money, by picking up older cameras. My Sony a7s II is still my main camera body and my Canon 5D Classic, which was released way back in 2005, still takes pictures that get people asking me “How did you do that?”

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on your travel photography camera. A skilled photographer will be able to take amazing pictures using a point and shoot digital camera from the 90s. It’s craft that makes the photographer, not gear.

Travel photography can also be done with your smartphone. There are plenty of professional photographers out there primarily shooting on smartphones.

I also want to highlight film cameras. Film is the historic origin of our art form. Any film camera from a toy lomography camera to a professional large format camera can help us see our travels in a new way.

With all of that said, there are a few important features that you should look for in a travel photography camera.

• Weather sealed designs are much more important when you’re trekking through unknown territory than when you’re at home in the studio
• Your camera should also be ready for the road. Just like your car, you should take your camera in for a tune-up before a long trip
• Double-check for the specs that matter most to you. For me, that’s low-light performance and color science

Your camera is only half the equation which means we need to take a look at the lenses that will be going on this journey with you.

• Related: How to choose a camera and what is the best camera for travel photography?

I bet you’re wondering which lens is best for travel photography? You don’t need to worry, I’ll walk you through my top pics for a travel lens whether you’re shooting on a brand-new Sony mirrorless camera or you plan on taking a Canon 5D Classic on the road.

The first place you need to start is by asking yourself the most essential question in photography: What types of pictures do I plan on taking?

Here’s a quick breakdown of my recommendations for travel photography lenses based on my experience for a variety of photographic styles and budgets.

• Standard Zoom Lens —A standard zoom lens like the classic 24 to 70mm is the go-to travel lens for so many photographers I know. This lens easily handles street photographs, landscapes, and portraits. Pick this to make a flexible one-lens kit
• Wide Angle Zoom Lens —Wide angle zooms are better suited for photographers who know they’ll be shooting landscapes and architecture. If your wide angle zoom goes up to 35mm, then you can even get away with using that as your every-day lens
• Wide to Telephoto—These lenses have focal length ranges like 24 to 105mm. They are usually affordable alternatives to pro-level lenses that can still capture stunning images. You’ll want this lens if your main concerns are budget and stylistic flexibility 
• Telephoto Zoom Lenses —These massive lenses typically top out at 200mm or 400mm focal lengths and are ideal for wildlife, bird, and sports photography. Their size, weight, and cost make them less flexible than other options, but these lenses are a must-have for photographers interested in the styles I just mentioned
• Pancakes and Nifty Fifties —Pancakes lenses have such a small profile they double as a body cap while the iconic Nifty Fifty is a budget 50mm with a huge fanbase. These lenses are perfect for photogs who want to stay ultralight or for anyone who wants an emergency backup lens.
• THAT lens —We all have a lens that, despite never getting much use, we just can’t seem to leave at home. Mine is the Helios 44-2. I take that lens on pretty much every trip even if it doesn’t get much use. Allow yourself a little room for that “fun” lens and you might be surprised by how much use it gets over time

I always have at least two lenses on me when I’m traveling—just in case.

I once dropped an expensive prime lens and watched it roll off the edge of a mountain in the desert. Luckily, I had a pancake lens in my bag so the photography trip wasn’t a total loss.

Ever since then, not only do I treat each of my lenses with the utmost care, but I also make sure but I’ve got backup options on hand.

• Related: How to choose a camera lens

Travel Photography Bag

Just like with lenses and camera bodies, you have a few options to consider when it comes to picking the right travel bag for your next adventure.

Before I get too far into talking about camera bags, here’s the five things I always consider when I’m packing a bag for my next trip.

• Camera Bag Size —Size is one of the most important things to look at when shopping for a new travel photography bag. You want to find a bag that’s going to comfortably fit all of your equipment without causing too much strain on your back. Sling bags are great for days out in the city with light gear, but you should look for a comfortable backpack if you plan on covering some serious distance with your gear
• Pack Weight —Here’s a quick piece of advice I picked up from hiking. Your maximum pack weight should only ever be 20% of your total body weight. This means that if you weigh 200 lb, the heaviest your camera bag should ever be is 40 lb. The lighter, the better
• Features —There are some features that I consider an absolute must have in any of my travel camera bags including rugged build quality, plenty of padding and protection for my gear, and easy access to at least my main camera body and lens so I can shoot on the fly
• Style —You could buy the most technically perfect travel camera bag, but if you don’t actually like the way it looks you’re never going to take it on a trip. I definitely believe that form should be second to function when it comes to camera bags, but I’d also be lying if I said it wasn’t a huge factor in my camera bag purchasing decisions
• Your Gear —Your gear is actually going to dictate the type of bag that you’ll be looking for. A travel photographer shooting on a Leica Q2 can get away with a much smaller bag than a photographer shooting with a Canon 1DX

I also typically bring a packable backpack with me as part of my kit. This could be a really lightweight sling bag or something like the Lowepro Runabout.

This lets me leave the bulk of my gear at my hotel when I just want to have a quick trip around a new city taking pictures.

• Related: How to choose a camera bag

Tripods for Travel Photography 

Tripods are an interesting—and somewhat contested—piece of the travel photography puzzle. I never used to take a tripod with me while traveling and that’s because most of my photography was shot street style which means lightweight and handheld.

However, the more I get into film photography and more interesting exposures, the more I find myself relying on my travel tripod.

My absolute number one pick for an adventure tripod would have to be the Peak Design Travel Tripod . It’s fairly lightweight, intelligently designed, and packs down small enough to fit in most of my bags.

Depending on the type of photography you’re looking to capture, you can also use tripods like a gorilla pod or even just take the tripod you have—even though it might be a little larger and heavier than would be ideal for travel.

This roundup of the 7 best travel tripods is a great place to get started if you’re shopping for something designed for the road.

Do I Need a Tripod for Travel Photography?

I’m going to dig into this mild controversy for just a moment. The question of whether or not you need a travel tripod to begin with is the source of some debate for photographers.

Honestly, the answer is maybe. It really depends on the type of pictures that you’re hoping to capture and your personal style as a photographer.

If you like to run and gun while capturing slices of life on busy city streets, you probably don’t need to bring a tripod with you.

Styles of photography that are highly mobile and rely on fast composition changes typically ditch the added stabilization that a tripod brings because it just slows them down too much.

Tripods might also not work for certain events and organizations. Trying to set up a tripod during a rock concert is a recipe for disaster and some museums won’t even let you bring in a tripod unless you pay their professional photography fees.

Then again, there are a few types of photography that absolutely need a tripod in order to work. Long exposures, shooting in dimly lit situations, and using some telephoto zoom lenses pretty much mandate shooting on a tripod.

The long and short of this is that owning a tripod and learning how to use it will make you a better photographer, but it’s not quite a mandatory piece of your travel photography kit.

The Camera Accessories I Always Forget for Travel Photography!

There are so many small accessories that are vital for digital photography that I find myself constantly forgetting. Far from being little odds and ends, these are essential parts of my kit that I’ve started to just leave in my travel bag so I never have to worry about packing them.

I’m talking about SD cards , microfiber cloths, sensor cleaning kits, and all those other little things that you might not miss until you’re in the field and you’ve got a speck of sand on your sensor ruining your shots.

I’ve started making a checklist that contains all these little items before I pack out. There’s nothing more defeating than being in some beautiful destination and realizing you only have enough space on your memory card for a few dozen more shots.

This is the checklist that I use for your average trip. Feel free to adjust things based on the gear that you use.

• Sensor cleaning swab x 2
• Lens cleaning Spray
• Microfiber cloth
• Spare camera batteries for each camera
• Memory cards—one in each camera, extra in the bag
• External SSD if I’ll need to backup files while traveling
• iPad for editing, emailing, and posting pics on socials
• Camera strap
• Camera body cap and rear lens cap
• Remote shutter release
• Chargers and cables

Lighting for Travel Photography 

Lighting is a bit of an interesting topic when it comes to travel photography. We don’t often associate this incredibly mobile genre of photography with the piece of equipment that defines studio work, but there’s some great reasons to take some lights with you on your next trip.

Photographers like Briscoe Park are doing incredible work mixing bold, almost giallo, lighting styles with travel photography. There’s also a wealth of photographers using the dark nights of remote locations as canvases for their light paintings.

I started taking a few small lights with me when I hit the road and it’s definitely pushing my abilities behind the camera.

Lights like the Aputure MC and MC Pro are great for adding lights to portraits, throwing splashes of color into images, or creating other-worldly scenes. The Infinibar or MT Pro, also from Aputure, are solid choices for light painting .

Even something small like the Lume Cube can help gain control over lighting while away from the studio. Just don’t try to haul around your old tungsten lights on your next trip!

Mobile Travel Photography Gear

Before you start thinking travel photography requires a mountain of expensive equipment, you might be reading this article on the only device you need to get started with travel photography.

That’s right, smartphone cameras have come a long way and they are perfectly capable of being your main camera body for traveling adventure photography .

Even though your smartphone is essentially a pocket camera that can surf the internet and make phone calls, you still might want to add some extra gear to make the most out of being a mobile travel photographer.

My biggest recommendation would be to pick up a Moment smartphone case and a few Moment lenses.

These lenses will dramatically change your composition and help make your images look a bit more professional and a bit less like a quick shot on a smartphone.

A lightweight Gorillapod, a photo editing app like Lightroom mobile, and a power bank to keep you charged are a few must-haves.

This might sound a little unconventional, but my smartphone is one of the cameras I use the most. It’s lightweight, can take high quality pictures, and it can be a great budget alternative to expensive cameras because you probably already own one.

I almost never leave the house without throwing one or two Moment lenses in my bag. This is true whether I’m going on a 10-minute walk to the store or I’m about to hop on a 10-hour flight.

Travel Film Photography Gear

Is there any sound more relaxing than the shutter of a film camera when you’re deep in the woods or on top of a mountain ridgeline?

I don’t think so and that’s one of the reasons why I tend to travel with film photography equipment.

Film photography is almost a completely different animal than digital photography. You have to be much more engaged with your subject, composition, and exposure since you only have a few frames before your roll is spent.

Here’s a quick list of the film photography gear that I travel with. Just as a quick note, I’m leaving out things like tripods and camera bags that overlap with digital photography.

• Gallon zip-top bag to store film
• Permanent marker to jot notes on the side of a film canister
• Light meter
• Film (I always try to bring one more roll than I think I’ll need—just in case)

Read our guide to film photography for more tips.

20 Tips to Help You Improve Your Travel Photography

Want to improve your travel photography? I’ve put together 20 travel photography tips to help you up your game the next time you take your camera on vacation.

These tips are going to cover everything from advice for total beginners to some really interesting things that caught me by surprise while I’ve been on tour with my camera.

Tip 1—Get Comfortable With Your Gear Before You Travel 

Image Credit: Amar Preciado

This is my number one tip for travel photography because it applies to experienced photographers as well as beginners. Before you head out on your big trip, take some time to get comfortable with your equipment.

This means packing your camera bag just like you’re going to for your travel photography trip and wearing it around your home city or just walking around your neighborhood.

There’s nothing worse than being hundreds, or thousands, of miles from home only to find out that you actually don’t like that brand new camera bag you bought.

Giving all of your gear a comfortable trial run ahead of time ensures that you don’t run into any sudden surprises while you’re traveling.

I’ve started doing this with all of my travel photography gear and it’s hard to express just how much it’s helped me. Most of the time I’m just adjusting my backpack to make sure it’s got a comfortable fit for a long day of hiking, but there have also been times where I realized that piece of my equipment just wasn’t right for me.

This will also help make things easier when you’re out there taking pictures.

It can be a little stressful to try and line up the right composition in a busy downtown neighborhood of a foreign city. Knowing your gear inside and out will give you a huge confidence boost when you need it the most.

Tip 2—Set Your Travel Photography Intentions 

This might seem like a silly question to ask, but why do you want to do travel photography?

Setting some intentions and being aware of your goals ahead of time is going to help improve your career as a photographer.

If you need some inspiration for your goals, here’s a few that I’ve used in the past.

• Have at least 5 new pictures that I can turn into prints once I’m home
• Spend two days on location, day one focuses on lifestyle photography while day two is all about landscapes
• Get out of my comfort zone and network with other travel photographers shooting the same location

Remember that goals are a lot like onions. They have layers.

Your ultimate goal might be to become a world famous travel photographer with National Geographic calling you every day, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Let’s say that your goal is to start getting freelance travel photography contracts with tourism departments. You can start from scratch by pretending that you’re on contract to take photos of a particular location.

This will help you with your future goals as well as allow you to build your portfolio in the now.

Tip 3—Always Bring (Your) Camera 

Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto

Everything starts with the ABCs and for travel photographers this means to Always Bring (your) Camera and always be taking pictures.

You really never know when the right moment is going to strike for your photography. There have been countless moments where I wish I would have had a camera on me to capture a moment that was either beautiful or could have even been historic.

Whether you’re carrying your main camera body, a pocket camera, or even your smartphone, you should always have a camera on you when you’re traveling. Be ready to start snapping pics at a moment’s notice if you spot something that catches your eye.

Worst case scenario, you’ve got another few hundred pictures to sort through when you get home. Best case scenario, you’ve caught the once-in-a-lifetime shot that you might have otherwise missed.

Tip 4—Be Patient with Your Shots

Here’s something that’s happened to me nearly every single time I’ve gone on a travel photography trip.

I’ll be at a historic ruin or in a national park with the perfect shot framed only for there to be dozens of other tourists cluttering up my shot.

When I first started with photography, I didn’t have enough patience just to wait it out. I thought that I would have to spend hours standing at a particular spot waiting for people to disperse.

As it turns out, the longest I’ve really ever had to wait for a shot to clear up has been about a half hour. If you’ve got someone to talk to or a book to read, that’s no time at all.

Don’t pass up on the shots that you want to capture just because there’s something cluttering your frame. Patients will reward photographers every single time.

Pro travel photography tip: Using an ND filter on your camera can let you lower your shutter speed which will cause fast-moving cars and people to “vanish” from your shots!

Tip 5—Learn How to Photograph People 

This travel photography tip can be one of the most challenging to incorporate. Getting comfortable cold approaching strangers takes a lot of social energy.

I know extroverted photographers that have a dozen model release forms printed and ready to go in their backpack. They have no problem chatting up strangers, but it took me some time to build up that confidence.

Here’s a quick template that you can use for approaching strangers for portraits.

Be cheerful and open about being a photographer. You can say something like “I’m a photographer taking portraits today in [Location] and I’d love to take your picture.”

If you’re on a freelance contract or working for a client, feel free to name drop them to give yourself some added credibility.

After snapping their pic, I like to give people my business card, email, or Instagram handle so they can contact me later if they’d like a copy of their photo.

If they say no photos, that’s just business.

It also really helps if you can speak just a little bit of the local language. You’ll be shocked how much more accommodating people can be if you can handle a few lines of the local tongue.

Tip 6—Study Local Laws and Customs 

Photography laws and customs are different the world over. As a travel photographer, you’re going to need to familiarize yourself with local laws and customs—especially when you’re traveling abroad.

Remember that the letter of the law and the local customs might not necessarily be a one-to-one match.

I’m based in the United States and here it’s perfectly legal to take pictures of strangers as long as you’re in a public location. However, social customs dictate that it’s considered rude to take someone’s picture without asking their permission first.

When in doubt, always default to asking permission first. This means asking someone’s permission before taking their portrait or asking permission before taking pictures at a historic site or museum.

Tip 7—Get in Frame 

Image Credit: Dominika Roseclay

This is something I’m still working on becoming more comfortable with.

When I’m in the studio, I’ve got no problem hopping in front of the lens and doing some self-portraiture. However, once I’m out in the field I’m a little bit reluctant to stand in as my own model.

Travel photography is about telling your story. This means that you’re going to need to get in frame for some of your photographs.

Even if it’s just a few shots of you setting up, traveling to your destination, or getting dinner after a long day of shooting, people want to see the photographer behind the camera.

If you’re traveling with other photographers, why not consider making this a game? Challenge each other to see who can take the most interesting photos of your fellow photographers.

You can even take some quick selfies on location to contrast your professional photography. This will make your self-portraiture a little more intimate and warm while your travel photos show off your full talent.

Tip 8—Scout Travel Photography Locations with Your Smartphone

A great way to dramatically improve your travel photography is to scout your locations ahead of time. Before you haul all of your gear on a quest for the perfect photo, go out there with just a day pack and walk around soaking up the scenery.

Location scouting gives you a strong understanding of what speaks to you as a photographer about this location before you even start pressing the shutter button.

I recommend carrying your smartphone or a point-and-shoot camera when you’re out scouting locations.

This lets you take some test shots of a travel location before bringing all your gear out.

Tip 9—How to Always Pack the Right Lenses

I used to be so worried about not bringing the right lenses on a trip, but it’s been years since I’ve felt like I picked the wrong lens for the job.

Part of this is knowing your lenses inside and out. You should learn the basics of your lenses like aperture, how their focal length compresses an image, and which focal lengths are ideal for different styles of photography.

Lenses like the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8  make a great choice for travel. The focal length options on that lens easily handle majestic landscape panoramas and street photography portraiture.

I also recommend taking at least two lenses with you for most travel photography trips. I’ll take one primary lens with me that I plan on doing most of my shooting with and a secondary lens for those “just in case” moments.

Tip 10—Staying Safe While Traveling with Camera Gear 

Being a tourist always carries some risk when it comes to crime. Being a tourist that happens to be carrying $3,000 in photography equipment carries a little bit more risk.

Here’s a few tips that I stick with when it comes to staying safe while shooting with expensive camera equipment.

If you can, try to do your travel photography with a group. Even if you have one other person traveling with you, that company is usually more than enough to deter most would-be thieves.

This might seem a little obvious, but you always want to keep your gear in sight. Unless I know I’m alone in the wilderness, my camera bag is never further than an arm’s reach away.

I’ve got a tip for you that I don’t see a lot of people talking about when it comes to traveling safely with your camera equipment. I like to stay discreet when I’m traveling with my camera gear.

This means I leave the branded Sony strap at home and opt for a much more neutral Peak Design strap . I also throw a velcro patch over things like the LowePro logo on my backpack that might otherwise announce that there’s some expensive camera equipment in there.

If you stay smart and aware of your surroundings, your odds of having an unfortunate encounter while carrying camera equipment will be greatly reduced.

Tip 11—Shoot Some Short Format Video  

We’re all photographers here. This means I can be a little honest with you about shooting short form video.

It might not be your main stay, but social media platforms are putting a lot of emphasis on TikTok style videos. If you can incorporate a little short form videography into your travel photography routine, you’ll have that much better performance online.

There are countless ways that you can build short form video production into your photography routine. You could record a 60 second video demonstrating your setup for the shot or even just an interesting voice over on top of a still image.

Shooting short videos can also be fun. Building this into your photography routine is a great way to improve your skill set while you’re also increasing your social media following.

Tip 12—Find Your Voice by Getting Lost 

Some of the best travel photography stories happen because you get lost. Getting turned around is a great way to change your perspective on things and improve you or travel photography.

This is easily one of the most underrated travel photography tips. Best of all, you can do this from the comfort of your hometown.

Try getting lost on purpose by walking through a neighborhood you don’t usually go to or checking out a city that you might have otherwise overlooked.

While all the other travel photographers are gathered at the tourist traps we’ve all seen a thousand times on Instagram, you’ll be exploring something new while catching refreshing pictures of your travels.

Tip 13—How to Fly With Film 

If you plan on doing some film photography while you’re traveling, you’re going to need to know how to transport your film while traversing through airports safely.

The x-rays used in airport security scanners can damage undeveloped photographic film. The more x-rays undeveloped film is exposed to, the more haze and distortion starts to pop up on the final image.

Film with an ISO 800 and above can be damaged by any airport X-ray machine. Expired and experimental films can also be damaged by x-ray equipment.

Some airports now use more powerful CT scanners. These are often used for checked baggage, but they can also be used for carry-on as well.

CT scanners put out enough x-ray radiation to damage film of any ISO. You should always bring your film with your carry-on luggage in its own zip-top bag.

When you’re traveling through security at an airport, you can ask the security personnel for a hand examination of your photographic film. In my experience, they almost always say yes no matter how busy the airport is.

However, it is at the discretion of airport security and I have had them turn down a hand examination of my film. One trip through an X-ray scanner won’t damage your film, but multiple trips will.

This is why I recommend buying film on location if possible. You can also have film mailed to your hotel or to a friend’s address who lives near where you’re traveling.

Tip 14—Become a Traveler at Home 

Traveling is expensive and it’s not always available for us. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to stop your travel photography plans.

If you’re looking for the true zero-budget way of starting a travel photography career, you have to start in your home city.

While this might not seem exciting at first, keep in mind that the city that you live in is an exotic travel destination for someone else.

Try using all of the  travel photography tips and tricks I’ve talked about in this article while taking pictures of your home city. Even if you live in a sleepy little town, there are compelling stories that you can tell by documenting the life and history of the place you live.

Tip 15—How to Find Travel Photography Inspiration 

No matter what style of photography you’re in, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. What should you do if you’re running out of inspiration before your next big travel photography trip?

Here are five quick ways I stay inspired and motivated as a photographer.

• Start following more photographers on social media to see what other people are doing
• Research historic photographers and get inspired by how they were shooting when our medium was still new
• Check out international photographers to see how people are shooting across the world
• Get experimental by looking into the weirder side of photography with things like film soup or databending
• When I’m heading to a new location, I like to look at the history, upcoming events, and what photographers are shooting for that local

Tip 16—Turn Regular Trips into Travel Photography Trips 

If you’ve always got your camera with you, and you’re always shooting, every trip you go on is a travel photography trip.

A great way to stay active as a travel photographer who has yet to break into the full-time business is to transform every trip you go on into an opportunity for travel photography.

Whether you’re heading across town for a family dinner or going on a work trip, you’ve got an opportunity to do some trouble photography.

Not everything has to be a grand adventure. You could use that trip across town as an excuse to work on catching shots of yourself in transit, for example.

Tip 17—Becoming a Better Photographer 

Every photographer has an area that they can improve on. Whether you’ve always wanted to be one of those photographers who only ever shoots on full manual mode or you’ve been hoping to add sports photography to your travel routine, now’s the time to start working on those skills.

Skills building exercises can be a great activity during your travel photography downtime. You’re not always going to be on the road to an exotic destination and that time in between trips is vital to your success.

Even if you’ve been a professional photographer for decades, there’s still countless things about this art form that you can learn.

Tip 18—Get Your Photos Seen

Now that you’ve got a portfolio of travel photography images, how do you get people to see them?

As with most freelancing gigs, the name of the game is networking. Here’s a few tips for getting your pics in front of more eyes.

• Be more consistent with social media by posting regularly and using hashtags strategically
• Enter into photography competitions
• Ask local shops if you can display your work
• Get your photos published
• Reach out to travel agencies, tourism boards, and parks departments for freelance work or partnerships
• Network with other photographers

As the old saying goes: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Tip 19— Travel Photographer Tips for The Business Side of Things 

Making it as a working travel photographer has gotten harder in recent years, but it’s not out of reach. Here’s a few business tips to help you stay on top of your budding photography career.

Always try reaching out to new clients. Keep in mind that bigger clients are harder to land, but there are plenty of smaller travel destinations that are ideal for a beginner photographer.

You should create a budget for your travel photography work. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need a fancy app. A simple spreadsheet is more than enough for you to stay on top of your money.

You can also try becoming a content creator while you’re working on landing clients. Building up a social media following and generating some income through a site like Patreon can help you stay on the road longer.

Tip 20—How to Tell Your Travel Photography Story 

Image Credit: Ena Marinkovic

You’ve reached the end of my travel photography tips. The last tip, and the most important one, that I’m going to give you is some advice on how you can tell your story.

Travel photography is all about storytelling. This means documenting your journey, engaging your audience, and finding your voice.

Taking captivating pictures without context isn’t enough. Your travel photography needs to speak to people on a deeper level and communicate something yet untold about the experiences behind your journeys.

It’s going to take time to figure out how you want to represent your adventures. The best thing you can do is get started today.

Even if you’re just taking travel photos a few blocks from your home, you’ll be breaking the ice and taking those important steps in finding your voice as a storyteller.

What is the purpose of travel photography?

The purpose of travel photography is to share your journey with the world. Travel photographers help to tell the story of not only their adventures, but also the people and places they encounter whether they are traveling around the world or within a few miles of where they grew up.

Is travel photography a good career?

Travel photography can be an amazing career that is rewarding and potentially very lucrative. It can be challenging to get started, but there are countless photographers who do travel photography as both their main job as well as a side gig.

What is the single best lens for travel photography?

The single best lens for travel photography is the wide angle to telephoto zoom like the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens. This lens allows you to capture everything from sweeping landscape panoramas to sports and wildlife photography .

Is travel photography a job?

Travel photography can absolutely be a job. You can make money as a travel photographer by freelancing for clients, photographing destination weddings , or working as a photojournalist.

Is GoPro good for travel photography?

A GoPro can be great for travel photography especially if you’re interested in capturing video and using stills from that footage for your photography.

Even though a GoPro is a good choice for travel photography, you’re probably going to be better served by a dedicated camera if your main goal is photo rather than video.

Final Words

I hope this guide gives you everything you need to hit the ground running with travel photography. If you’re an experienced travel photographer, I hope you’ve picked up a few new tricks that can help improve your next adventure.

I’ve tried to cover travel photography from nose to tail in this blog, but I’m sure I left a few things out.

I want to hear your travel photography tips, tricks, and experiences in the comments. If you like this article, make sure to check out my other photography blogs .

Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.

Includes limited-time discounts.

You'll Also Like These:

Ashley is a photographer, writer, and film critic. When Ashley’s not writing essays on photography, cinema, and theory, he’s out taking pictures with retro film cameras.

Keep Sharing more impressive blogs.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

👋 WELCOME TO SHOTKIT!

🔥 Popular NOW:

Unlock the EXACT blueprint to capture breathtaking iPhone photos!

Shotkit may earn a commission on affiliate links. Learn more.

• Destinations
• Outdoor Adventures
• Travel Photography
• Trip Planning
• Bucket List
• Terms/Privacy
• Travel Resource Library

Best way to organize your travel photos

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be taking thousands of photos on your trips abroad, but what happens when you get home? How do you sort through the mountain of pictures? How do you select the best ones to share with your friends and family? Don’t you worry, by the end of this post, you’ll be an organization master! This guide will help you find the best way to organize your travel photos so that you can easily find them, show off your best snaps and put them together in a memorable way.

Step 1: Create your folder system

Step 2: download them from your camera onto a hard drive., step 3: import them into lightroom, step 4: cull your images/ select for editing, white balance, step 6: share, best way to organize travel photos, backing up your photos while travelling, make a photo book, canvas prints, photo gallery wall, product recommendations.

NOTE: Travel is not recommended at this time. These posts are here to serve as inspiration when we can explore again. Hey there – this post likely contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This helps me earn a few dollars to run this website.

What you’ll need:

• Card reader
• All your cameras/ devices
• Editing software, like photoshop or Lightroom, or something free like fotor.

This travel photo organization process can work with either a Mac or a PC, no matter what type of camera you have and can be adapted to suit your needs. If you are looking to share photos on Facebook, or have a slideshow with family or if you want to edit your photos for a gallery, it works for everything that’s why it’s one of the best ways to organize your travel photos

Creating a folder system is probably the most important step and one you’ll want to make sure you get right. For a long time, I just organized my photos by year and dumped Every. Single. Photo. into that folder. (What was I thinking?!) But I smartened up when I got my first DSLR. I started organizing by date, which was great, but not perfect.

Now, after 10 years of photography, I’ve created the perfect system (at least for me.)

I have a specific hard drive for all my raw images. So here’s how I set up that hard drive:

Year> Month > Date + descriptive title.

For example, 2018 > 10 October > 2018-10-12 Italy

(The use of the number in the month folder helps them stay in order by number, rather than alphabetical. And the descriptive title of the date folder is essential for knowing what’s in that folder with just once glance.)

But what happens if your trip goes over multiple days or even multiple months. Well, that’s up to you. You could separate each day inside the month folder, or have a trip folder inside the month folder, then divide it by day like so.

For my Italy trip, which was several days in October, I did the following:

2018> 10 October> 2018-10-12 Italy (the day the trip started)> 2018-10-12 Rome, 2018-10-13 Tivoli and Rome, 2018-10-14 Vatican and Colosseum, 2018-10-15 Venice, 2018-10-16 Tuscany, etc, etc.

You could also separate the inside folders by destination as well. If the trip fell over two months, I would keep the folder in the month that the trip started.

RELATED: How to take better travel photographs

Now, download your raw (original) camera files from your camera and put them in the respective dates. Inside each folder (whether it is each day or each location), make a couple more folders.

To download the photos from your camera to your hard drive, you might need an SD card reader. I prefer this method over transferring photos through software.

First, a “phone” folder. Here’s where I would dump all the photos I took with my phone during that day. I have a Google Pixel 2, and it’s effortless to transfer pictures to my computer using Google Photos. You can also create more folders for each device that you have, like a GoPro or other video device. Phones these days are

Second, an “edits” folder. Here’s where I would keep all the future edits of the photos. Third, a “web edits” folder. Photos pulled from DSLRs (and even phones these days) are MASSIVE files. So you’ll want to edit them into a manageable size to upload into Facebook or Instagram, but keep an originally-sized edit to print them.

Once you have all your photos downloaded into your hard drive, you can start the process of going through them and picking out the best.

I use Lightroom for this, but I didn’t always. Before Lightroom, I would just browse the photos on my computer and write down the ones I liked. Then I would take all of those and open them into a photo editing software, edit and publish. It would take FOREVER. Seriously. I hated editing photos because the process took too freaking long, and I just wanted some instant gratification.

Luckily, I smartened up. Adobe Lightroom is a simple photo browsing and editing system. It’s currently only $9.99USD per month for Lightroom and Photoshop. This is a great deal and one I’m happy to pay. There’s even a seven-day free trial if you wanted to test out the program.

Lightroom gives you the ability to cull your images, edit them, and create presets. You can do this all in bulk and export your photos in bulk. Using this system has shaved down probably 3 or 4 hours of editing for me.

Next, you’ll want to cull your images and select only the best ones for editing.

First thing first, I create an album in Lightroom and upload all photos from the trip into it, even ones from my phone. Then I go through them and cull the ones I don’t like. In Lightroom, hit “x” to flag as rejected. This takes all of 30 minutes, depending on how many photos you have.

Then I use the filter option to take all the images I wanted to keep and drag them into a new album for editing. You could skip this step and keep the filter on, but I just like to have them in a separate folder.

Be ruthless in your culling. No one wants to sit through an hour-long slideshow of your images that are blurry, too dark, not rotated, etc. Select your best and favourite photos.

RELATED: The ultimate guide to improving your travel photography with a smartphone

Step 5: Edit

Editing used to be a pain. I mean, who wants to go in and adjust everything from exposure to white balance to straightening to everything in between?

But sometimes, editing is essential to bring out the colours or to correct a crooked shot. Since I come from a journalism background, my rule with photo editing is that you can change the colour and exposure of a photo, but you can’t change the meaning of the photo. Photojournalism has much more stringent rules than personal photography. But you should keep it in mind if you want to sell your pictures.

So, what should you look for when editing?

There are three things you should keep in mind.

• White Balance

Of course, there are so many other things you can edit (all within Lightroom), such as the correcting optics, correcting distortion, removing chromatic aberration, adding grain, removing noise, adding clarity, dehazing, and SO MUCH MORE. But if you focus on the first three, then you’ll turn out some great images.

If all that sounds like too much work to do on every photo, you’re not alone. There are presets (both free and paid) that you can import to make editing a snap.

Have you ever seen a photo that is a little too pink or too blue? That’s because the white balance is off. 

There’s a whole science behind it, but what you need to know is that in the photo, there is a temperature on a sliding blue and yellow scale and a tint, a sliding green magenta scale. 

By adjusting those two settings, you’ll be able to get a better check on your white balance, which makes the image look more realistic if your camera didn’t quite get it right.

If your image is too dark or too light, then you’ll need to fix the exposure. In Lightroom, you can adjust the lighting through the exposure tool, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites and blacks. There’s also the tone curve.

It sounds a little complicated, but really, they’re just sliders, so you can fiddle with them until it looks right. Just make sure to have the brightness on your screen all the way up so that you get an accurate image.

Protip: It’s best to shoot your images a little underexposed (not too much), meaning darker and adjust in the editing process. You can pull details in from shadows (the dark parts of the image), whereas highlights (the bright parts) are usually lost as soon as you take the photo.

The next thing to edit is the feeling you want to portray with the image. Personally, I love warm, vibrant shots. But you might respond well to cool, dramatic images or calm, subtle ones. 

And if you’re asking Olivia, how do I edit my photo’s feeling? That is where filters and presets come in. And I’m not talking about the ones that come free on Instagram. 

Presets are a way of saving the edit adjustments in order to reapply them to other photos. You can make your own or find great and affordable presets on Creative Market.

The key is to be subtle and don’t go overboard.

I like to batch edit by putting the preset I created on my photos, then copy and paste it onto all the other images in the folder. (In Lightroom, it’s as easy as Ctrl+C then select all the other photos and press Ctrl+V.) Then I go in and adjust as needed. It cuts down my editing time!

Yay! You’ve completed the hard part! Now, let’s export and share those suckers!

Lightroom makes it really easy to export images. Just select the ones you want and click File>Export. It will pop open the export tab for the setting that you can change for exporting. You can change the names of the images, the location and more.

First off, I like to do a full-size export. These files will be massive (and will take a long time to export), but these images will be perfect for printing.

I then actually take these images into photoshop to resize, place my watermark and save as a smaller size for my blog or for sharing on the web. But you can also resize the images when you export too! In Lightroom, when you’re in the export option, click the drop-down menu beside “Dimensions.” You can have the option of putting a custom size.

A good size for social media and web use is about 1350px by 1080px (which is the size of a wide Instagram photo), and you can reduce the quality to make the file size smaller. The size limits are totally up to you.

Landscape by Social Sprout is a great tool to resize photos for several uses with a couple clicks of the mouse.

I save all the smaller images in the “web edits” folder on my hard drive. That way, all the photos – original, full-size edit and the web edits – are all together and easily findable.

RELATED: What’s in my camera bag? Camera gear for travel photography

Voila – the perfect way to organize your travel photos. It might seem like a lot of steps, but trust me, I’ve been on the end of poorly organized photos, and it drove me bonkers. And the editing process has helped me so much in the long run.

A couple of years ago, I decided to make photo books of all my trips, but for the size of the book I wanted (LARGE AF), my images needed to be print quality. Well. Guess who didn’t save any of her edited photos in full size before changing them to a shareable web size?

It was me. I did that.

And guess who had to go back and re-edit all her photos from eight previous trips?

Yup. me again.

Let’s just say. I learned my lesson: Keep a well-organized folder system and have a simple editing process. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes with this guide on how to organize your travel photos.

If you are a heavy photographer like I cam, shoot raw and fill up SD cards like crazy, then you’ll want to think about bringing along a hard drive for your trip.

A hard drive is also useful since you can back up your photos on the go, meaning you won’t lose them if your camera is stolen or you lose your SD card holders. There’s a lot of good reasons to back up your photos on the go.

Back when I was first thinking about this, I wanted a device that I could just plug my card into and back up my photos without even needing a computer. There weren’t a lot of options – and still aren’t, but there are two solid choices for anyone who wants to back up on the go without a computer.

The first is Gnarbox. Gnarbox is a rugged back up hard drive for those that need a reliable way to do it on the go. With slots for SD, MicroSD and USB, you can easily upload your photos and start sharing them. You can even edit photos wirelessly, without taking up space on your phone. Plus, it’s got a rugged enclosure, keeping the equipment safe.

The downside is that it’s not cheap. The Gnarbox 1.0 starts at $279 USD and the Gnarbox 2.0 SSD starts at $499 USD and climbs to $899 USD. 

The other option is the WD My Passport Wireless Pro. Starting at only $149 USD for 1TB, it’s a much better deal. You still have the option of backing up photos directly without the need for a computer. You just need to connect through an app on your phone.

The newer models of this hard drive appear more rugged than my current version, but I don’t think it would stand up to hard climates. Still, it’s an excellent option for backing up your photos on the go.

What do you do with your travel photos?

Now that you’ve done all the work on organizing your travel photos and editing them, what can you do with them to keep the memory alive?

Well here are my three favourite things to do with travel photos:

A photo book is my personal favourite way to display my favourite travel photos. I often can’t narrow down a few of my favourite enough to print for frames, so I include all of my edited images in a book form.

I make the books nice and big, so they become coffee table books for when I want to reminisce about a trip or a conversation starter for when guests come over. I have had incredibly positive feedback about them too.

I plan to print all of my trips that way, which is why I love using Blurb . Not only do the products turn out really well, but the program is straightforward to use.

The program, BookWright , is something you download on your computer and use, rather than through an online version. This is beneficial because it allows me to work on a book for as long as I want, and it never deletes. And if family members (or friends) want copies, it’s effortless to re-order the book.

Blurb has awesome sales, ranging from 25-50% off throughout the year. (I’ve got a couple of books waiting to be printed for their Black Friday sales.) You can even sell your books right through Blurb.

I find that when you take hella awesome photos, there’s no better way to display them than as a big statement. That’s where canvas prints come in. You can get massive prints of your favourite photos, but then you would also need to buy massive frames, which cost quite a bit of money.

With canvas prints, the frame is already built-in, and it’s pretty easy to put together. We have eight in our house. We use BestCanvas.ca . The prints aren’t perfect, but they are great for the price. Some of their enormous frames (60cm wide) are less than $40.

My house is full of gallery walls. I’ve got photo clusters of Greek doors, of Germany, of Quebec City, of Santorini and more. Literally, our walls have filled up with my photos. Having a gallery wall is a great way to display your selected favourites. It’s super easy too.

All you need are some gallery wall frames (or you can create your own), then print out the photos in the correct size, hang them up and voila! Your own gallery

RELATED: Gift guide for travel photographers

Here are the product recommendations for taking, organizing and editing travel photos.

Camera: You’ll want a decent camera to capture all those fabulous places you travel to. I’m a Canon fan and have used them for the last decade. My current camera – the Canon 60D is no longer available – however, you can get the Canon 80D , which comes with an impressive wireless component. If you’re looking for a good mirrorless camera, the Canon RP is on my wishlist, plus you can use your lenses on both (the mirrorless just needs an adapter).

Memory cards: Memory cards are an essential and underrated part of the photography process. You’ll want to get SD cards that have a fast writing speed. I use Class 10, and you want to look for cards that have a higher speed like these. You can even get SD cards that are up to 512 GB

SD card reader: If your laptop doesn’t have an SD card reader like most don’t these days, you’ll want to get a simple one to transfer your files to your computer quickly. If you have a laptop with only one USB port, like mine, then you’ll want a hub, like this , to increase the number of ports you have.

Hard drive: Hard drives are vital for backing up your photos. I have several. One is my working hard drive, and another is a backup hard drive. I really like Seagate’s slim hard drives , since they are easy to transport.

Hard drive for travel: As mentioned above, the Gnarbox and WD My Passport Wireless are the best options for backing up photos on the go without a laptop.

This system of folders is the best way to organize travel photos I have found from my 10 years of photography experience. Learn from my mistakes and organize your travel photos right the first time!

Olivia Rutt

Olivia Rutt is the travel writer and photographer behind My Wandering Voyage, a travel website helping working millennials find time to travel. She shares insight in trip planning, travel inspiration and photography tips. Olivia hails from southern Ontario, Canada where she works in the media industry between travels. Follow Olivia on Instagram where she shares her travel photos, or catch up with her on Facebook or Twitter.

Further Reading...

The Olympus Trip 35 – a perfect travel film camera

Gift guide for travel photographers

How to take better travel photographs

Mywanderingvoyage.

Privacy Overview

17 Travel Photography Tips for Taking Amazing Tour Photos

To help you in creating high-quality material out of the best moments of your tours, we’ve prepared some travel photography tips that you can check in this article.

The best way to promote your awesome tour is to make your potential customers feel the atmosphere of the experience: excitement, fun, happiness, lust for life, pride…

But how can you evoke such an atmosphere? With amazing visuals!

That means sharing videos and/or images of your guests enjoying your experience. No stock images for you!

Before listing the travel photography tips, you need to understand the importance of professional tour photos for your travel business.

• Get to Know Why Videos Are Hot Content to Sell Tours Online

Why do you need professional images of your tours?

According to Gerald Zaltamn from Harvard Business School , around 95% of all purchasing decisions are made subconsciously .

But how to reach the subconscious mind of a customer? The answer is simple, through emotions .

This rule is especially true in the process of planning and booking a trip or experience.

You can write several pages about how great your tours are and how travelers have so much fun during them. But the description itself cannot produce big emotions. A tour photo or video can.

Why is it a bad idea to use stock images on your website or social media?

So far we have discussed only why you need visuals to promote your tours, but why you cannot use stock images for that?

As Chris Torres has pointed out in his book, Look Into Bookers , customers can tell if the image is stock . This gives the perception that your offer is also false.

Same thing for poor-quality images. They give the impression that your product is also of poor quality, or they can give a misperception of the emotions you are trying to evoke.

That’s why investing in amazing photos of your tours is utterly important for your digital marketing efforts. Make your own pro stock tour photos .

• Social Media Marketing Strategy for Tourism: Save Time With 6 Tips

Time for the travel photography tips we have prepared for you.

4 Travel photography tips for your setup

The setup phase may sound boring, but it’s very important. This is something you need to do before taking your pictures, otherwise, you can miss the perfect photo.

Doing the setup means preparing your camera or phone and ensure that they are working properly.

• 5 Essential Gadgets Every Tour Guide Should Have

These are the travel photography tips that we have for you concerning your device setup:

1. Get familiar with your device

Explore your camera or phone features and make sure that the photo quality is as great as possible.

2. Protect your equipment

Always have your camera or smartphone with you. But be careful, protect it with a good waterproof mask or dry bag.

Pelican  offers great camera cases. For your smartphone, check out  Lifeproof Nuud and Otterbox Preserver cases.

3. Give special attention to your lenses

Clean your camera lenses before every tour, just in case.

If you’re taking photos of wildlife during a tour, you need to have a camera with the longest possible zoom lens.

According to Wirecutter , the best camera lenses you can attach to an iPhone, are  Moment  mobile lines.

4. Be prepared for long ours of shooting

If you’re providing a whole-day tour, bring  external battery chargers and remember to empty your memory space.

You can automatically save the pictures from your phone to your cloud storage by activating the auto-upload function of your device.

Now check out our travel photography tips to capture the perfect moment for a tour photo.

3 Travel photography tips to capture the perfect moment

To capture the best tour photos you need to be in the right place at the right time.

Considering that you know well the route of your tour, you need to think in advance about the best places and landscapes for taking a good travel picture.

You also need to be alert in order to detect the perfect moment that can evoke most emotions and determine when is the best light for shooting.

Each type of tour has an emotion that you want to evoke. That is the emotion your guest is looking for when booking with you.

These are the travel photography tips to capture the perfect moment:

1. Shoot the best scenarios of your tour

No one knows better your area than you.

Think in advance which places are the most beautiful to capture on a photo, and take a picture of them while you’re alone and on a tour. This way you have two perspectives to use on different occasions.

Try to take photos that capture the unique background of your tours. If you offer trekking tours, take amazing pictures of the mountains, waterfalls, buildings or any other element that will excite tourists during the tour.

For safari tours, photos of the wildlife to show the glory of the wilderness. For relaxing tours, capture the sea horizon. Bike tour photos can show the buzz of urban life.

Make the viewer feels as if he or she is there. When not shooting your travelers, try to capture local people in traditional clothes, local vehicles or local food to depict a destination.

2. Show the emotion of your guests

Photograph your travelers in the most memorable situations. Do not take boring photos of your travelers in front of some attraction.

While they are on a tour, they are experiencing much more than just seeing new landscapes. They are creating a bond with their friends, family, and the people around them, overcoming fear or accomplishing a personal goal.

With experience, you will know how people will react at every moment of your tour. Try to picture the peak of a traveler’s excitement and they will share the picture of that special moment on their social media profiles.

This travel photography tip is basic, yet frequently skipped by amateur photographers.

3. Get to know the right timing

For shooting landscapes, lighting is crucial and the best light is 1 – 2 hours after sunrise and before sunset. If you’re guiding a morning and/or an evening tour, that’s the best time for shooting.

During the day, the ideal position is when the sun is behind you and your subject is in front of you. If you’re holding tours during the midday when the sun is high up, it’s better to go indoors.

Take photos of your travelers inside museums, cafes, markets, or restaurants while they eat traditional food.

10 Travel photography tips on how to take good travel pictures

The story behind your pictures plays an important role in bringing up emotions in your potential customers. But all the effort can be useless if the quality of the images is not top-notch.

There are some techniques that professional photographers use to take the best photo possible. Using them will make your images more interesting and appealing.

These are our travel photography tips to help you take the best quality images of your tours:

1. Always hold the phone horizontally with both hands

Be still or use a tripod to prevent shaking. If you are using a smartphone,  Glif is a good choice for a tripod.

2. Use the rule of thirds for the best composition

When you look through your screen, imagine three horizontal and vertical lines that are crossing and giving 9 rectangles. The subject you shot should be placed where the lines intersect. You can use grids on your phone. If you’re taking a picture of a person, the focus should be on his/her eyes.

3. Adjust the ISO for low ambient light

If you’re taking pictures at night, the ISO (camera’s level of sensitivity to light) needs to be higher, for example, 3200 or more.

4. Use the focus of your camera

Play with focus effects with blurry foregrounds or backgrounds. If you’re using a phone, download the Camera+ app and use its clarity filter.

5. Don’t zoom, crop

It’s better to move closer to your subject or taking the photo from the distance and crop it later. By zooming you lose image quality.

6. Contrast the foreground with the background

A good photo idea is to position an object in the foreground that highlights the landscape in the background. For example, a house, a rock, an animal, or even better, a human in front of a mountain. This line up gives a great perspective.

7. Use the scenario to frame your subject

This travel photography tip is very simple. When taking a picture, have your guests framed by the vegetation, e.g. branches and trees, or frame them with doors and windows.

8. Be creative on your pictures

When you’re shooting an attraction, try not to be obvious . You can take the picture from different angles, e.g. from a low angle or from above. Use water surfaces, mirrors, sunglasses, or metallic surfaces to shoot the reflection of the scene. Create a sense of depth with pictures of roads , train tracks, and paths through the woods.

9. Capture the motion of the moment

If you want to freeze the movement of some action (surfing, running, traffic, crowd, etc.), you can do that with the burst mode of your phone. If you have a professional camera, use the fast shutter mode. Alternatively, you can capture the motion of the action by using a longer shutter speed. If you have an iPhone, a good app for that is the  Slow Shutter Cam .

10. Be simple

Use the empty space in your favor, such as the sky, sea, walls and so on. That emphasizes your subject and helps to evoke the emotions of your viewers.

If you follow the travel photography tips described in this article, the chances are high that you will have amazing visuals of your tours that will help a lot with your marketing.

Post the tour photos on your website, blog, and on every social media that you are present in. Describe them properly, use the right hashtags, and include backlinks leading to your booking page .

Don’t forget to send the photos to your travelers. Also, tag them on social media to generate engagement.

If you liked those tips you should join our LinkedIn group . There you can find valuable content for tour operators to grow their business online.

ORIOLY on April 4, 2023

by Felipe Fonseca

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive the latest news and resources in your inbox

Thank you for subscribing the newsletter

Low Budget Digital Marketing Strategies for Tour Operators

In this ebook you will learn strategies to boost your digital marketing efforts, and the best part, at a low and even zero cost for your business.

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Trip Advisor

TripAdvisor is an excellent tool to sell tours and activities online and this guide will teach everything you need to know to master it.

A Simple Guide on How to Sell Tours With Facebook

Zuckerberg’s platform is by far the most popular among all social media. So why not selling tours and activities with Facebook help?

Comprehensive Guide on Digital Marketing in Tourism for 2021

Online marketing is a new thing and it changes fast, for that reason we made this eBook where we compiled the latest online marketing trends in tourism!

Other resources

Live Virtual Tours: Everything You Need

5 Channel Ideas to Sell your Tours

How to start a food tour business, related articles.

Unlocking Global Reach: The Ultimate Guide to OTAs for Tour Operators

Explore key strategies for tour providers to partner with OTAs like GetYourGuide and Viator, enhancing visibility and bookings.

New year, new Orioly version! 

Discover the latest Orioly update: simplified departure management, customizable widgets and multilingual bookings. Improve efficiency in tour and activity management. Follow our blog for more!

The Top Travel Trade Shows to Attend in 2024

Attending travel trade shows is great for expanding your network, connecting with partners, and meeting potential customers.

Travel Photos: 12 Creative Ways to Actually Share and Display Them

Your plane has landed, you’ve unpacked your bags, and you can finally begin to think past the fog of jet lag. Just because your vacation is over doesn’t mean you forget about the magic of your recent travels.

Whether or not you regularly takes photos of life’s everyday moments, chances are you take travel photos while on vacation .

And what you need are creative ways to share and display your travel photos so you can revisit those special moments… and maybe Instagram captions for travel photos too!

Table of Contents

Discover Creative Ways to Share and Display Your Travel Photos

As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links. I would love your support through clicking on the links. Read the full disclosure here.

When you return from a trip, are you the kind who keeps all of your photos on your phone to scroll through as you wait in line at the drive-thru?

Are you a photographer extraordinaire yet still have over 2000 photos from a recent trip on your SD card and your phone? How about a stash of photos from your previous travels?

My favorite photographer, Audrey Ann at LiveSnapLove.com , shares a few tips on how to upload and organize those photos if you are at a loss or new to travel photography.

PS. She offers some FREE cheat sheets and some pretty great courses too!

• Free Manual Mode Cheat Sheet
• Free Lightroom Starter Kit
• Free Aperture Cheat Sheet
• Free 90-Day Starter Kit
• Launch into Lightroom Course
• Auto to Awesome Course

Read on to be inspired with creative ways to share and display your travel photos and keep the memories of your travel experiences alive.

>>Related: 5 Best Travel Photography Courses for Beginners

1. Create a Look Book or Travel Photo Album

Over the past ten years, I have created travel photo albums specifically focused on a travel destination or a “year in review” that featured family vacations and epic destinations. My girls often pull out these books on a rainy afternoon. They make a perfect memento or gift for kids and grandparents at Christmas too.

TIP * Make books for each of your travel destinations as a way to journal your travels. If you have never made one, I think you would be surprised to find just how quick and easy they are to make.

Online Options:

2. Create Wall Art

Are you wondering how to display travel photos?

My husband surprised me with a Christmas gift one year of one of my favorite prints of all time. I captured the photo in Lourmarin , France as he and I explored the South of France together. The metal print now hangs in a niche in my front entry and regularly receives comments such as, “Wow, what an amazing photo?” or “Where did you get that?”

• Metal Prints
• Framed Prints
• Turn Your Photos Into a Painting

>> Related: 5 Spectacular Days in the South of France

3. Create a Travel Photo Gallery Wall

Sometimes our most favorite photos and memories are nicely catalogued and filed on our computers but could be used to decorate a room or a wall.

The cost of printing your photos is relatively inexpensive and you can often have them in less than an hour.

Create memorable travel moments in your home that inspire you to reminisce or to plan your next trip.

Take Photo Tours

4. upload to a photo sharing site.

There are a variety of sites that will allow you to store and share your photos:

• Amazon Photos
• Google Photo Sharing

5. Create and Send Gifts to Family and Friends

Beyond the photo books, many companies feature additional products that allow you to use your own photos to create works of art or mementos that you use daily. You can have your face immortalized on:

• Drink Coasters
• Travel Photo Mug
• Photo Panels
• Luggage Tags

6. Create Postcards to Send

Send an actual postcard by mail. What? That’s so 1990.

But who doesn’t love to receive a personalized note in the mail ? Better yet, who doesn’t love to receive a personalized letter in the mail with a beautiful picture that YOU took?

Astound your friends (and the delivery person) with your talent.

7. Use Your Photos as Screen Savers

• Stream photos as a Digital Screensaver on your TV – Many TVs come with streaming options and instructions on how to access your photos
• Use your travel photos as your Lock Screen and Home Screen on your phone
• Purchase a Digital Photo Frame for your home or to send photos to grandparents

>> Related: 15+ FREE Gorgeous Photos: Wallpaper for Your iPhone to Inspire Travel

8. Create a Personal Blog to Share Your Travel Photos

You can create a personal, diary-style blog to share your travel photos and everyday snapshots with family and friends. WordPress.com  or  blogger.com make this easy to set up.

I started on Blogger for my personal blog and found it easy as a newbie to use and personalize. Not only do my girls have a written record of their life, but they also have corresponding pictures from the time they were infants.

Tip * My best piece of advice to couples starting a new life together: keep a blog of your life as your family grows. I promise, someday your kids will thank you.

9. Create a Professional Travel Website

If you dream of creating a website dedicated to travel (or parenting or recipes or whatever) these are the steps to begin your journey:

• Step 1: The Best Way to Pick Your Niche and Choose a Domain
• Step 2: The Best Way to Choose a Hosting Plan and a Provider
• Step 3: The Best Way to Create Your Website

A blog is a fantastic medium for journaling travel experiences (or parenting or recipes or whatever), adding your travel photos, and beginning to share itineraries, tips, and practical advice with would-be travelers.

10. Post Your Travel Photos on Social Media

• Upload Photos to YouTube – Upload to your YouTube channel (set to private if you wish), and you have a virtual album of your trip you can watch on the big screen or send to Grandma.
• Create a Travel Instagram Site – Share your pictures with family and friends or work to create a following to grow your brand. Learn some of the Best Selfie Poses for awesome shots.
• Share on Twitter
• Add Photos to your Facebook feed
• Save photos on Pinterest
• Are you TikTok-er?

>> Related: Inspiring Instagram Captions for Travel Photos

Captions for Travel Photos

If you are looking for Instagram captions for travel photos, check out all of the these posts:

• 109 Beach Captions for Instagram
• 101 Best Travel Quotes for Instagram to Inspire Wanderlust
• 103 Romantic Instagram Quotes for Couples Who Love to Travel
• 100 Inspiring Instagram Travel Captions
• 300+ Instagram Content and Travel Caption Ideas for Bloggers

11. Sell Your Travel Photos

I have not had any experience selling my photos to stock photography websites or online marketplaces. You can learn more about that through research or online tutorials.

I do sell my photos on Just Wander More. Contact me if you are interested .

12. Create a Scrapbook Using Your Travel Photos

Are you an avid scrapbooker? I was always too busy blogging to add one more medium to my efforts to journal my travels, but many of my friends love the scrapbooks they have created over the years.

You will want to collect and save memorabilia from your trip such as ticket stubs, vouchers, a napkin, postcards, and receipts. And the hardcopy scrapbooks will give you a great excuse to print your photos and then look back through the pages.

Travel Photography Tips

Whether you are a traveler extraordinaire who hopes to take better travel photos, you want to explore the world of posting on social media, you are a mom who snaps pictures of her family  wherever you go , OR you want to UP your photography game, learning a few of the basics will help to improve the quality of your photographs.

• Plan your shots
• Edit photos and be willing to delete (sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do)
• Avoid visiting popular sites at popular times
• Avoid crowds and tour groups if possible
• Have your camera settings dialed in and act fast
• Have your phone ready to go as a back up
• Stand so people in the background are hidden from view
• Take day trips to lesser known destinations
• Simply ask people to move
• Use the crowd in your shot

>> Related: Tips to Take Better Travel Photos

Permission Granted to Delete Some Travel Photos

<GASP>

Did I really just suggest that you should DELETE some of your travel photos? Yes. Yes, I did.

In case YOU need to hear this today, I am giving you permission to delete some of your photos. Yes! You.

Why? You need to get rid of your photo clutter too.

Pictures to Delete:

• So the burst of pictures you took of the Eiffel Tower? You only need one from that angle
• Blurry or badly composed photos
• Unflattering photos of you or your family members (unless you need them for future blackmail opportunities!)
• Screenshots – Are you snapping a quick pic of your train ticket so you won’t forget your seat number? Delete it
• Selfies – Only keep the ones that are really great
• Reminders – I often take pictures of restaurant names, city names, etc. as I travel. These pics are NOT my best work. They are informational. You don’t need to keep them once you have retrieved the information you need
• Super short video clips
• Memes, recipes, kids’ school work that you sent to grandma. Delete it or create a file for them and download it
• Unintentional Photos or Videos – How many videos or photos did you snap that you didn’t even realize you took? You don’t need that shot of your left leg. Delete it .

Composition Tips

• Consider the light and your light sources
• Use the rule of thirds
• Try to not have objects sprouting out of your subject’s head
• Use natural frames
• Find leading lines as you compose your photo
• Shoot from a creative angle
• Try to capture a reflection
• Focus on the eyes
• Make sure your focus is spot on

And don’t forget to STRAIGHTEN YOUR PHOTOS PEOPLE! This happens to be a pet peeve of mine.

I am insanely talented at taking photos that are not straight, ie., the horizon slants horribly to the right.

When I get home and look at the wonkiness of the horizon or the leaning tower of anything in my travel photos, I wonder how I could have taken such a crooked photo!

If this is you as well, not to worry: photo editing programs allow you to crop and straighten the horizon or buildings or whatever on all of your photos.

I go more in depth on Photography Composition Tips, Taking Vacation Photos, How to Improve Your Photography Skills, Camera Equipment, and Tips for Looking Awesome to Take Better Travel Photos of YOU in my post Tips to Take Better Travel Photos . Check it out!

Photography Travel Gear

I take photos everyday and everywhere. Sometimes I quickly grab my phone before the opportunity is gone, and sometimes I use my DSLR for a well-composed quality shot.

And…sometimes when I travel, I have both my phone and my camera ready to go (I look like such a tourist!)

You may encounter people who are passionate about their brand of camera. There has long been a debate about which camera brand is the best—Sony, Canon, Nikon, etc. The answer?  Whatever camera you have with you !!!

Here are a few ideas for your photography travel gear options:

• Point and Shoot Camera
• Underwater Camera
• Mid-range DSLR
• Canon EF-S 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6  
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens  
• Nifty Fifty

Just remember, you don’t have to travel with ALL of your photography equipment. Pack lightly. Take only the essentials. That may mean your camera body, one or two versatile lenses, and a few accessories.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some more creative ways to share and display your photos.

Photo coasters Shadow box Collage and letterboard frames Coffee table books Cork map bulletin board

Are there photo sharing apps?

Yes. You are probably already using some of them: DropBox, Flickr, Amazon Photos, Facebook, Instagram, eFamily, Google Drive, Google Photos…to name a few.

What does it mean to “upload” a photo?

You “upload” a photo to transfer it from your phone to your computer, your phone, another device, or the internet

Love this Post? Pin it!

Final Thoughts on Creative Ways To Actually Share and Display Your Travel Photos

Travel and photography go hand in hand.

If you have been wondering what to do with all of your amazing travel photos, I hope you have some ideas now. You DO NOT have to be a professional photographer!

It is such a convenience to snap digital photos as you travel and to take as many as you wish.

So, after you have spent all that time lining up the perfect shot, taking time to find the right angle, and waiting for the best light, find ways to enjoy your photos and relive your travel memories once you return home.

P.S. They make great Christmas gifts too!

You may also enjoy these posts…

• Tips to Take Better Travel Photos (and Look Good in Them Too!)
• 27 Instagram Worthy Insanely Colorful Destinations Around the World
• Amazing Amazon Deals for Travelers on Prime Day
• 65 Awesome Travel Quotes for Instagram
• 5 Best Travel Photography Courses for Beginners

Share on Social Media

I’m a Colorado-based travel blogger with a passion for exploring the world, enjoying family time, and taking fantastic photographs. I am also a book writing, creative thinking, detail loving, frequent flying, comfort loving mom of three girls and wife to an amazing guy.

Similar Posts

15 Charming Small Towns in France Near Paris

Discover 25 Helpful Things The Hotel Concierge Can Do for You

5 Best Tips to Use Google Flights to Find Cheap Flights

11 Popular Things to Do in Kings Canyon National Park, California

15 Ultimate Tandem Paragliding Tips for an Epic Adventure

Andaz Costa Rica: An Amazing 5 Star Costa Rica Resort

20 comments.

Love all these ideas! Now I just gotta do it!

I love photography. Great tips! And the photos in this post are beautiful.

I love all of these ideas, I love looking at the pictures on the walls they bring back wonderful memories…

Awesome tips! Uploading them to a site like Pinterest is a great tip! I LOVE seeing travel shots on Pinterest and will often re-share.

So many great ways to display travel photos.

Great ideas! It is sooo much better when you actually manage to use your photos! I normally blog and create travel albums… but I love the idea of making postcards! p.s. lol i appreciate the permission to delete some too!

This was so fun! Thank you for these fun ideas, I definitely want to start a trip photo album. Also thank you for the permission to delete some photos! Lord knows I need to do that too!

These are great ideas! I love creating photo albums and photo scrapbooks with my travel photos. I also love sharing them on social media. Thanks for all the additional tips!

You listed some of my favorite camera gear – and the lenses last forever too. Great article!

Your Lourmarin, France is gorgeous! It has never occurred to me to make postcards. That is a fantastic idea. Getting snail mail that isn’t junk mail is a special treat. I share most of my stuff on facebook but I do have special family and friends that aren’t on facebook. SOMEDAY I’ll have time to scrapbook…I hope!

Thank you so much for giving me permission to delete some of my travel photos! ?I so needed to hear that! Great ideas on how to display travel photos…I do all of them.

Fantastic article, I love taking photos all around the world and I am motivated to do better and better! Reading this was inspiring!

I love all these tips. I try to make a photo book each year that has all my pictures so I can look back and easily see the pictures!

Love all these ideas! I always make a scrapbook for each of my big trips, which is fun. I love the postcard idea though too, I’ll need to try that!

This is such a helpful post, I have so many travel photos at this point that I don’t know what to do with them! Deleting them would probably be the best idea for me 😀

These are great tips! I find it difficult to keep up with all the photos and organize them. They get dumped into a folder by location and date. I’m sure there is a lot of wasted space and I should delete before moving them from my camera. Thanks for all the ideas!

Thanks for your great post. Especially I love your permission to delete some of my photos! So far I just add more of hard disc space and delete just really bad unusable photos. I definitely have to use your permission much more often.

Great ideas for share travel photos! I’ve been thinking of printing a few for the walls, but selecting the right ones is difficult.

Great suggestions! I usually scrapbook, but I have been a bit too busy lately!

We have created photo books for gifts and they were always hugely appreciated. But I must admit we don’t have any of our great photos as art on the walls. I always have an online photo gallery when we travel and share it with friends and family to travel with us. And we stream our photos to our Apple TV and enjoy them over and over again. But I sure which my hubby would get better at deleting photos so he can get his to me quicker for the blog so it is not just my photos.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents
• Know Before You Go
• Top Ten Travel Tips

U.S. Travelers' Top Ten Travel Tips

Take all the travel documents required for the countries you are visiting, as well as identification for your U.S. reentry. U.S. citizens need passports to reenter the country by air. Go to the State Department's Travel Resources website for destination information.

Declare everything you bring in from abroad, even if you bought it in a duty free shop.

Be cautious when buying something from street vendors. The merchandise may be counterfeit and/or unsafe and you may have to surrender it when you return home.

Items brought abroad for personal use or as gifts are eligible for duty exemptions. If you are bringing them back for resale, they are not eligible for duty exemption.

Be aware of U.S. prohibited merchandise, such as ivory, tortoiseshell products, and counterfeit items.

Many foreign-made medications are not approved for United States use and are not permitted in the country. When traveling abroad, bring only the medication you will need. Make sure the medication is in the original container.

Travels to and from Cuba - Before departing on your trip, check the latest information for the full list of prohibited and restricted items on the Department of the Treasury's Sanctions Programs and Country Information website, as well as other related government resources.

Before bringing food to the United States, please check the list of prohibited items. All live animals, birds and bird products may be restricted, quarantined or require certification.

CBP officers can inspect you and your belongings without a warrant to enforce U.S. laws.

For more information, read the CBP brochure Know Before You Go Pocket Guide , Publication #0198-0215. Request printed copies on the CBP Publication Catalogue page.

Un momento por favor, estamos buscando los mejores precios

Inicia sesión para continuar

SIEMPRE BUENOS PRECIOS

Reservá hoteles, vuelos, visitas, traslados, paquetes y armá tu presupuesto en pocos minutos, elegí el destino deseado.

Echá una ojeada a nuestras ideas de viajes con los mejores precios y cupos confirmados durante todo el año.

Escapada a Punta Cana

Disney – Grupal Acompañada

Maravillas de Europa – Grupal acompañada

Cuba - Grupal Acompañada

Maravillas de Egipto con Hurghada – Grupal Acompañada

Maravillas de Turquía y Dubai – Grupal Acompañada

Escapada a Riviera Maya

Escapada a Río

Escapada a Aruba

Beneficios de TipTravelYa

Siempre buenos precios.

El mejor precio para tus cotizaciones a medida

Más de 1000.000 hoteles

Encontrá hoteles en todo el mundo con las mejores tarifas

Presupuesto a medida

Tu presupuesto en pocos minutos con aéreos de cupos y de sistema

Atención personalizada

Nuestros asesores siempre están atentos a tus necesidades

MARAVILLAS DE EGIPTO CON HURGHADA

MARAVILLAS DE TURQUÍA

MARAVILLAS DE TURQUÍA Y DUBAI

DISNEY, UNIVERSAL Y MIAMI - AR

MARAVILLAS DE EUROPA

¡aprovechá nuestros cupos confirmados al caribe todo el año.

República Dominicana

Las playas dominicanas

Riviera Maya, Cancún y Costa Mujeres

LAS PLAYAS DE CUBA

El mundo de disney en un solo clic.

Estados Unidos

Descubrí un mundo de fantasía

Reservá los mejores precios de hoteles y entradas a Disney

Experiencia Caribe: los mejores precios de hoteles y excursiones al Caribe.

La Romana, República Dominicana

Playa del Carmen, México

Isla de San Andrés, Colombia

Varadero, Cuba

GIFT CARD TIP TRAVEL

Descubrí nuestras ofertas de viaje armadas por temática, echá una ojeada a nuetros circuitos por turquía, españa e italia.

Experiencia Europea: los mejores precios de hoteles y excursiones de Europa.

Roma, Italia

Madrid, España

Londres, Reino Unido

París, Francia

Descubrí los destinos exóticos de asia.

Dejate sorprender con los destinos exóticos de Africa

La sesión expiró. Estamos actualizando continuamente nuestras ofertas y vuelos, continua con nosotros para tener nuevas ofertas

Travel tip tuesday

Travel Tip Tuesday is a series of blog posts designed to show other perspectives on how to travel well.

Travel is diverse, and so are those that travel. That means there are almost endless travel tips to learn from.

While you can find my  massive post on travel tips  on Horizon Unknown, I decided to open Horizon Unknown up to fresh voices and perspectives about how they travel and what they have learned.

In the end, there are few wrong ways to travel, whether budget or luxury, fast-paced or relaxed, country-hopping to expat living, and everything in between – we all learn valuable stories of the world around us.

As Travel Tip Tuesday gets more entries (there will be one post per week, each and every Tuesday), this page will be the best place to visit to stay up to date with the possibly never-ending series.

If you’re a traveler with a genuine tip that you don’t see covered, you can pitch your idea to [email protected] and I’ll get back to you with some specific guidelines and what’s in it for you.

#19 Travel Tip Tuesday – How to Overcome Your Fear of Flying Tips

#18 travel tip tuesday – 15 tips on how and why to travel carry-on only, travel tips tuesday 17 – 6 tips on how to save money while traveling, travel tip tuesday #16 – responsible travel tips – it’s all about respect, travel tip tuesday #15 – how to travel expensive countries cheaply, travel tip tuesday #14 – tips on getting a visa, travel tip tuesday #13 – tips on how to travel in the rain, travel tip tuesday #12 – why sustainable travel is so important, travel tip tuesday #11 – tips on booking the right travel accommodation, travel tip tuesday #10 – why you shouldn’t crowd your travel itinerary, travel tip tuesday #9 – working as an expat tips, travel tip tuesday #8 – workaways – a unique form of traveling.

• Images home
• Editorial home
• Editorial video
• Premium collections
• Entertainment
• Premium images
• AI generated images
• Curated collections
• Animals/Wildlife
• Backgrounds/Textures
• Beauty/Fashion
• Buildings/Landmarks
• Business/Finance
• Celebrities
• Food and Drink
• Healthcare/Medical
• Illustrations/Clip-Art
• Miscellaneous
• Parks/Outdoor
• Signs/Symbols
• Sports/Recreation
• Transportation
• All categories
• Shutterstock Select
• Shutterstock Elements
• Health Care

Browse Content

• Sound effects

PremiumBeat

• PixelSquid 3D objects
• Templates Home
• Instagram all
• Highlight covers
• Facebook all
• Carousel ads
• Cover photos
• Event covers
• Youtube all
• Channel Art
• Etsy big banner
• Etsy mini banner
• Etsy shop icon
• Pinterest all
• Pinterest pins
• Twitter All
• Twitter Banner
• Infographics
• Zoom backgrounds
• Announcements
• Certificates
• Gift Certificates
• Real Estate Flyer
• Travel Brochures
• Anniversary
• Baby Shower
• Mother's Day
• Thanksgiving
• All Invitations
• Party invitations
• Wedding invitations
• Book Covers
• About Creative Flow
• Start a design

AI image generator

• Photo editor
• Background remover
• Collage maker
• Resize image
• Color palettes

Color palette generator

• Image converter
• Creative AI
• Design tips
• Custom plans
• Request quote
• Shutterstock Studios

0 Credits Available

You currently have 0 credits

See all plans

Image plans

With access to 400M+ photos, vectors, illustrations, and more. Includes AI generated images!

Video plans

A library of 28 million high quality video clips. Choose between packs and subscription.

Music plans

Download tracks one at a time, or get a subscription with unlimited downloads.

Editorial plans

Instant access to over 50 million images and videos for news, sports, and entertainment.

Includes templates, design tools, AI-powered recommendations, and much more.

Search by image

Travel Tips royalty-free images

54,004 travel tips stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free for download., aerial view of black tip reef shark (carcharhinus-melanopterus) in shallows on beach, baa atoll, maldives..

Camera, touristic maps, headphones, wallet with credit cards, phone, colorful pens, euro banknotes and coins on the white desk. Travel background. Journey planning. Tourist essentials. Space for text

Travel and tip

Summer travel hat,flower,old suitcase,brown passport,map and wooden letters: "travel tips"

Travel Tips, Holiday Tips, Tips for Travelling, Travel Blog Content. Suitcase, Coffee, Passport, World Map.

Airport luggage Trolley with suitcases

Light World map with pointer marks - communication concept

laptop, notebook, smartphone, passport, compass, magnifying glass and clock with TRAVEL TIPS word on wooden table. travel concept

Cruise ship vacation woman enjoying travel vacation at sea. Free carefree happy girl looking at ocean with open arms in freedom pose.

Map pointer icon

Packing for a weekend trip

Overloaded truck on road in Himalayas

Retro camera with travel accessories and items on white background with copy space, Travel concept, Top view

Travel Tips Sign

travel tips text message on note book with passport, glasses, hundred dollar bills, compass and pen on wooden table.

Set of stickers with sketch design element summer theme

Set of bright map pointers. Location symbol. Vector illustration.

Coronavirus Covid-19 infographic: symptoms, prevention and travel advice

Adventure time - blackboard with text "Travel tips", plane, seashells on brown wooden background

World map with pointer marks - communication concept

Light World map infographic template with pointer marks (vertical on the wall version)

Winter Driving tips infographics for safety trip

infographics cartoon character about safety tips for driving in the rain

Travel tips concept - camera, passport, map, notepad, compass and other stuff for travel

Travel Tips Logo icon

Compass on a map pointing at France and planning a travel destination

Portrait of attractive brunette girl looking at map while traveling. Concept of modern lifestyle with map and travel tips, beautiful woman on rooftop building.

Best Travel Offers card with a beach on background

Travel tips inscription on the blackboard. Jar with money for a travel, airplane, maps, passport, and other stuff for adventure on the table

blue pin on the map

travel tips text message on white paper and office supplies, pen, paper note, on white desk , copy space / business concept / view from above, top view

Travel tips. Badge with megaphone icon. Flat vector illustration on white background.

Travel Toiletries in Clear Plastic Bag

Map location icons

location icons. Vector design element set.

objects for travel isolated on a wooden background

Travel,tourism vector illustration in a flat style.World travel banner.Summer holidays, vacation.Travel around the world.Journey,trip plan.Tourists tips.International tourism.World map,camera,backpack

Suitcase and plane on background. Vacation concept

Aerial panoramic view of Lands End and El Arco at the tip of Baja California Sur, with the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico marina in the background

travel tips

The Tip Of A Canoe Pointing Towards The Kenai Mountains, Kachemak Bay State Park; Alaska, United States Of America

Suitcases at airport near window. Traveling concept

Coronavirus 2019-nCoV infographic: symptoms and prevention tips

map pin icon

Travel Advice sign on desert road

Travel concept with notebook written TRAVEL TIPS with passport, camera, airplane model, compass and money on world map with copy space.

Travel Checklist, Holiday Checklist, List for Travelling, Travel Blog Content. Suitcase, Coffee, Passport, World Map.

Simple Set of Covid-19 Prevention Line Outline Icons. such Icons as Protective Measures, Coronavirus, Social Distancing, Symptoms, Quarantine, Stay at Home. 64x64 Pixel Perfect. Editable Stroke.

Safe travel tips. Safety rules during your journey about health, luggage, money and behavior. Vector illustration

Rounded Thin Icon Set 01 - Geotag, Drop, Leaf, Box, View, Glasses, Coins, Map, GPS, Movie, Signal, Tool tip

Sunset over the wing tip

Road trip infographic - everyhing you need to tell story about travelling by car, Auto travelling tips, costs, charts, icons. Travelling by car infographic with sample data made in vector.

TRAVEL TIPS WORD ON BLACKBOARD WITH WATCH,PASPORT, GLASS AND LOCK

Preparing for hiking tour, vacation, travel. Planning, packing check list. Wooden table with tourist map, guidebook, tickets, passport, flashlight, action camera, compass, cap. Wooden table top view

Iceberg floating in the ocean, both the tip and the submerged parts are visible. 3D illustration.

Adventure Travel Tips Journey Vacation Concept

keep calm and boost happiness, mental health tips to reduce stress infographic, vector illustration.

How to pack your suitcase for a travel checklist: open trolley case and items that needs to be organized

Travel,tourism vector illustration in a flat style.World travel banner.Summer holidays, vacation.Travel around the world.Journey,trip plan.Tourists tips.International tourism.Hiking and camping.

Travel,tourism vector illustration in a flat style.World travel banner.Water tourism.Summer holidays, vacation.Travel around the world.Journey,trip plan.Tourists tips.International tourism.

Top view of globe of world map,magnifying glass,pen and notebook written with 'TRAVEL TIPS AND ADVICE' on white wooden background.

A man standing on the tip of a boulder high up in the Rockie mountain admiring view with a glacier lake in the view in

Information wooden sign with a street background

Travel Tips concept sketch , Airline tickets, passport, sunglasses and camera on wooden desk

Social distancing example for greeting to avoid spreading corona virus. Flat design vector.

Map location markers, pointers vector icons set

Travel,tourism vector illustration in a flat style.World travel banner.Air tourism.Summer holidays, vacation.Travel around the world.Journey,trip plan.Tourists tips.International tourism. Plane.

Toy plane and chalkboard with text TRAVEL TIPS. Travel and transportation concept

Closed up finger on keyboard with word TRAVEL TIPS

Coronavirus 2019-nCoV prevention tips, how to prevent coronavirus. Infographic elements. Pneumonia disease. Blue background.

Simple Set of Covid-19 Prevention Filled Outline Icons. such Icons as Protective, Coronavirus, Social Distancing, Symptoms, Quarantine, Stay at Home, Hand Washing 64x64 Pixel Perfect. Editable Stroke.

A vacation day is circled on a white calendar with a blue marker

Top 10 card with a beach on background

Essential packing for international travel, tourism and vacations: accessories, clothing and open suitcase, top view

Business travel tips vector header template. Web banner or hero image of business travel.

What to pack creative vector illustration | Travel preparation and packing, tips and advices concept illustration with opened empty luggage suitcase and sample title

Travel Tips Sign isolated on white background. Vacation concept 3D illustration.

Coronavirus COVID-19 prevention tips, basic protection measures, how to prevent coronavirus. Infographic elements. Pneumonia disease. Blue background.

pin map icon

HAND LETTERING TRAVEL TIPS

Summer holiday blue background with medical mask ,straw hat, seashells, Concept of travel by plane in vacation,Covid-19,pandemic, Flat lay. Top view

Notebook with phrase Travel Tips and tourist items on light blue wooden table, flat lay

How Can I Help? card with a beach on background

Aerial panoramic view of the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico marina and the rock formations at Lands End. the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean

Green overhead road sign with a Your Destination Next Exit concept against a partly cloudy sky background.

Travel word written on a dry erase board with blue marker as a priority or goal to reach in your life

icon with heart in gps navigation style

location icon isolated on white background. Vector illustration. Eps 10.

Our company

Press/Media

Investor relations

Shutterstock Blog

Popular searches

Stock Photos and Videos

Stock photos

Stock videos

Stock vectors

Editorial images

Featured photo collections

Sell your content

Affiliate/Reseller

International reseller

Live assignments

Rights and clearance

Website Terms of Use

Terms of Service

Privacy policy

Modern Slavery Statement

Cookie Preferences

Shutterstock.AI

AI style types

Shutterstock mobile app

Android app

© 2003-2024 Shutterstock, Inc.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Attractions
• Amusement Parks

The Complete Guide to Universal Orlando Resort — Including Everything to Know About the Theme Parks, Hotels, and More

Here’s everything you need to know before going to Universal Orlando.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

• Best Time to Visit
• Tickets and Annual Passes

Universal Studios Florida

Universal islands of adventure.

• Volcano Bay

Universal CityWalk

• Major Events

Itinerary and Budget Tips

Elizabeth Rhodes/Travel + Leisure

In 1915, Universal Studios opened to the public in California. In 1964, the film studio introduced the now-iconic tram tours, which eventually inspired the creation of Universal Studios Hollywood, the movie-themed park. And in 1990, Universal Studios Florida opened in Orlando, mirroring Hollywood's attractions. Over the next 30 years, Universal Orlando has continued to expand and now includes two of the world’s most-visited theme parks (the original Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure), Volcano Bay water park, the CityWalk shopping and dining area, eight hotels, and the two groundbreaking Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands, introduced in the 2010s. And the resort isn't done yet. 

This summer, Universal Studios Florida will welcome guests to DreamWorks Land, a new family-focused section featuring a Trolls -themed coaster, a Kung Fu Panda play area, and a Shrek meet-and-greet. And in 2025, the highly anticipated Universal Epic Universe will debut with five immersive lands like Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic. It's bound to be the decade's most significant theme park development. 

Ready to start planning your trip to Universal Orlando Resort? Here’s everything you need to know — from can’t-miss rides to the best places to stay — according to me, Travel + Leisure' s theme park expert and frequent Universal Orlando visitor.  

Elizabeth Rhodes/Travel + Leisure

Best Time to Visit 

The best times to visit Florida and its resorts depend on what you want from your vacation. Predictably great weather? Fewer crowds? You can expect the best weather in winter and spring (January to May) before summer's intense heat and humidity (June to September) and the Atlantic hurricane season (June to November). If you want to avoid hordes of tourists, time your trip outside school holidays like spring and winter breaks and summer vacation. Be aware that popular Universal events, like Halloween Horror Nights, can draw crowds of out-of-towners and local annual pass holders alike.

In the past, off-peak months offered a reprieve from the rest of the year’s long lines, but I’ve found that those truly low seasons don’t exist anymore. I've traveled to Florida’s theme parks every month of the year; my favorite times to visit for fewer crowds and pleasant weather are late January through February, early May, and late September to early October. 

Tickets and Annual Passes 

• One-day, one-park tickets to Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure start at $119 for adults.
• One-day, two-park tickets, which allow you to hop between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure throughout the day, start at $174 per day (you’ll need park-to-park tickets to ride the Hogwarts Express).
• One-day Volcano Bay tickets begin at $80.
• Universal Orlando uses a dynamic pricing calendar, so tickets are more expensive on busy days.

Remember, the longer you stay, the more you can save on the average daily ticket price, and Universal Orlando often offers special deals with discounts on multiday vacation packages. 

Express Pass

Universal offers skip-the-line passes for an additional fee (you can get these for free when you stay at select hotels — more on that later). You can purchase these passes in advance when booking your tickets or at the park (if they're still available when you visit). 

• The basic Universal Express Pass ranges from $79.99 to $289.99 per person. It allows you to skip the regular lines once per participating attraction at Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure.
• Universal Express Unlimited — $109.99 to $319.99 per person — allows you to skip the lines for participating rides as often as you'd like.
• A Volcano Bay Express Pass allows you to skip the virtual line once for every participating attraction.

Annual Passes 

Universal Orlando offers two- and three-park annual and seasonal passes, such as the UOAP Seasonal Pass, which provides the most limited access and fewest perks, and the UOAP Premier Pass, which offers no blackout dates, early park admission, discounts, and more. Annual pass holders can also score deals on Universal Orlando vacation packages. 

Universal Studios Florida is a movie-, television-, and entertainment industry-themed park inspired by the original park in Hollywood, and it has several lands influenced by backlot sets (including New York, Hollywood, and San Francisco), plus Minion Land, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley , World Expo, Springfield U.S.A.: Home of the Simpsons, and the upcoming DreamWorks Land. T+L has previously ranked all the Universal Orlando rides and attractions , so here are the highlights. 

Can’t-miss Rides and Attractions

Most guests head straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. With the thrilling Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts ride, Hogwarts Express at King's Cross replica, and Ollivander's wand selection ceremonies, it doesn’t take a spell book to understand why. The Revenge of the Mummy indoor coaster is another highlight, along with the classic, family-friendly E.T. Adventure dark ride.

Right at the entrance, Minion Land is a colorful kids land with a silly motion simulator ride — Despicable Me Minion Mayhem — and a new interactive shooting attraction, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. The Simpsons Ride is fun if you're a fan, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a wild coaster where you choose the soundtrack, and the Men in Black Alien Attack lets you hunt for aliens.

During a recent trip, I stopped to watch Animal Actors on Location, a family-friendly animal show. It was downright delightful to watch adorable dogs, cats, birds, and more follow their “acting” commands. 

Where to Eat

Butterbeer and other British eats make the Leaky Cauldron a must-try in the Wizarding World; Finnegan’s Bar & Grill is a popular drink spot; Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour's butterbeer ice cream is a favorite; and Moe’s Tavern is a fun place for a photo op, with a Duff Beer in hand, of course. And bright and cheery Illumination’s Minion Cafe, a recent addition to Universal Studios Florida, pleasantly surprised me during a recent trip with its tasty salmon and cauliflower bowls, fresh salads, and sandwiches.

Universal Islands of Adventure opened in 1999 as Universal Orlando’s second theme park; today, it has eight themed lands, including the Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade. While Universal Studios Florida captures the movie magic feel that started it all, Islands of Adventure is more action-packed. If you only have time for one, I recommend visiting this one (but ideally, you’ll get a park-to-park pass, so you don’t have to choose).  

Islands of Adventure is home to the resort’s two best roller coasters: the brilliantly themed Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and the scream-worthy Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Try to rope drop these fantastic rides when the park opens before lines get too long, but if you can't, they're worth the (often lengthy) wait.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey takes you inside Hogwarts and through iconic settings from the films. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is a twisting, turning thrill, and Seuss Landing’s charming Dr. Seuss -themed attractions are ideal for little ones.

Word to the wise: Don’t get on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, or Jurassic Park River Adventure unless you're prepared to get drenched (speaking from soggy experience). 

My top Islands of Adventure restaurant, and one of the very best dining establishments at Universal Orlando , is Mythos Restaurant, found in the lesser-visited Lost Continent land. Its fresh, Mediterranean-influenced dishes are a great break from theme park pizza and chicken fingers. I also like to grab a drink at The Backwater Bar (I had a delightful spicy margarita last time I was there), and Three Broomsticks is a classic spot for Harry Potter -inspired eats. Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous recently debuted a new menu in Seuss Landing.

Volcano Bay 

Volcano Bay, Universal Orlando’s tropical-themed water park, opened in 2017 and was the first of its kind built by Universal Creative. I’m not a huge water park person, but that changed once I visited Volcano Bay last year. It’s beautiful, with lots of space to splash and rip-roaring slides. To enhance your day, rent a cabana or premium seats.

Krakatau Aqua Coaster, a fast-paced water ride, plunges your raft up and down a thrilling course, culminating in a final splash. The Honu Ika Moana multi-person raft slides are fun, too, as is the whitewater TeAwa The Fearless River (don’t worry, there’s also a lazy river if you want to relax). More body and tube slides, a wave pool, and kids play areas offer an entire day’s worth of fun in the sun. 

Grab a bite between catching waves and zipping down waterslides at Bambu, The Feasting Frog, and Whakawaiwai Eats. Don’t miss the rainbow soft serve from Koka Poroka Ice Cream Kona. Several bars around the park serve up tropical, fruity cocktails. 

Located just outside Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, Universal CityWalk, also known as the “Epicenter of Awesome,” offers shopping and dining, plus the new Universal’s Great Movie Escape experience. My favorite CityWalk restaurants are Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food and Cowfish for burgers and sushi, respectively. There’s also a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, a Hard Rock Cafe, and a Universal Studios Store selling souvenirs. Voodoo Doughnut is a popular stop for a sweet treat either before you hit the parks or on your way out; you’ll notice tons of visitors carrying the iconic light pink boxes. 

Universal Orlando currently has eight resorts operated by Loews Hotels (more to come with the Epic Universe expansion) that fall into four categories based on amenities and perks: Premier, Preferred, Prime Value, and Value. Value hotels cost as low as $99.20 per night, while Premier properties typically start around $350, so there are options within a wide range of budgets.

I’ve stayed at four of the eight resorts, and they all offer outsized perks for their price points. A free Express Pass and easy access to the theme parks make Premier-level hotels worth it, while Prime Value properties offer comfortable, clean rooms and fun themes.

Courtesy of Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Premier Hotels

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific Resort fall into Universal Orlando’s top-tier resort category, which includes perks like free Universal Express Unlimited passes (so you can skip the lines for participating attractions as much as you want), early park admission, priority seating at select restaurants, and complimentary transportation. I’ve stayed at all three.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is typically the most expensive on-property hotel. It's also the best-themed of the bunch, with architecture and decor inspired by Portofino, Italy, like a charming bay filled with little boats. The hotel has three themed pools, a spa, eight restaurants and lounges, and 750 guest rooms. Plus, you can get to the parks via complimentary water taxis, shuttles, and a walking path.

California mission-style Hard Rock Hotel is lively, music-focused, and great for families with teens. It has 650 guest rooms, a 12,000-square-foot pool with underwater speakers, four dining outlets, complimentary water taxis and shuttles, and a short walking path to the theme parks.

Tropically themed Loews Royal Pacific Resort has lush landscaping, several restaurants and lounges, and a lagoon-style pool. This is one of my favorite on-property hotels because it’s typically the least expensive Premier resort, yet it's a fantastic value thanks to the included Express Pass. During a recent stay, I loved that the park was a short walk away (so you don’t have to wait for the bus or water taxi), and I was impressed with the friendly, helpful staff and the beautiful, clean grounds. 

Preferred Hotels

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort is in a category of its own as the sole Preferred-level hotel at Universal Orlando. This 1,000-room resort (also tropically themed) comes with perks like early park entry, complimentary water taxis, shuttle buses, and walking paths to the parks. It also has several on-site dining options and a pool with a beach. 

Prime Value Hotels

Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Aventura Hotel are in Universal Orlando’s Prime Value resort category. Both come with early park entry, shuttle buses, and a walking path to the park entrance (though the walks are longer than others). I stayed at Cabana Bay Beach Resort in September 2023 and was impressed with the clean rooms and spaces (there are more than 2,000 guest rooms and suites), charming mid-century motifs, on-site bowling alley, and large pools. It’s a fantastic choice for families, thanks to plenty of on-property activities, the short walking path to Volcano Bay, and suites that sleep up to six. 

Universal’s Aventura Hotel is a 600-key resort with a pool, modern rooms, and several restaurants and lounges, including a 17th-floor rooftop bar. 

Value Hotels

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort - Surfside Inn and Suites and Universal’s Endless Summer - Dockside Inn and Suites are Universal Orlando’s least expensive accommodation options. The sibling properties still offer early park admission and complimentary transportation to the parks, plus pools, on-site dining, and family suites. Surfside Inn and Suites is a bit smaller, with 750 guest rooms, compared to Dockside’s 2,050 guest rooms.  

Major Events 

Universal Orlando puts on three major annual events each year: Universal Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights, and Holidays at Universal Orlando. 

Universal Mardi Gras 

Universal Mardi Gras typically occurs in winter through early spring, and the over-the-top festival includes New Orleans-inspired parade floats (and yes, they throw beads), live entertainment, and Carnival-influenced eats. The event — which happens across Universal Studios Florida — is included with your theme park admission. 

Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights brings droves of scare-seekers to Universal Studios Florida during select nights throughout the fall. I had the chance to experience the cult-favorite, separately ticketed event for the first time this fall, and despite being a total scaredy-cat, I braved almost all of the 10 immersive haunted houses and scare zones and snacked on some of the themed eats available throughout the park. I would highly recommend the event to anyone who loves a scary movie or even just an immersive attraction (though it’s not recommended for kids under 13 due to depictions of violence, gore, and other frightening images). 

Holidays at Universal Orlando 

Holidays at Universal Orlando is a fantastic way to celebrate the holidays. Think Dr. Seuss -themed Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s at Universal Studios Florida, which is included with your park ticket. The halls are decked across the theme parks and hotels, and seasonal food and drinks are readily available.

Itinerary Ideas

If you plan to visit the two theme parks and the water park, I recommend spending at least three full days at Universal Orlando (with one day per park). If it fits your budget, book a Premier hotel to take advantage of free Universal Express Unlimited passes so you can skip lines and maximize your time. With an Express Pass, I've been able to ride almost every attraction I've wanted to within two days. However, you may still be able to check most rides off your list if you visit for a few days during a slower time of year.

If you want to squeeze in both parks in one day, I recommend getting a two-park ticket with Express Pass so you can breeze through the attractions that matter most to you. Also, be sure to download the Universal Orlando phone app to easily check ride wait times, entertainment schedules, and restaurant information. 

One Day at Universal Orlando 

For many thrill-loving parkgoers, one perfect day at Universal Orlando might start at Islands of Adventure with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Ideally, you're staying on the property and can take advantage of the early access hour, as Express Pass won’t work for this attraction.

Next, head to VelociCoaster. From there, bop back over to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and check out the rest of Hogsmeade before circling back around the park and hitting any other attractions on your list. Then, take the Hogwarts Express over to Universal Studios and use your Express Pass to bypass the lines for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, and anything else that appeals to you.

Families with small kids might want to rope drop Islands of Adventure's Pteranodon Flyers, a slow-loading kids ride that almost always has a long line. Universal Orlando’s theme parks sometimes close in the afternoon, so once you've seen everything you want to, you might want to head to an early dinner at a CityWalk restaurant. 

Budgeting Tips 

Theme park ticket prices keep increasing, but Universal Orlando offers great deals for travelers hoping to save a few bucks on their Florida vacation. Most special offers come in the form of free tickets and discounts on longer-stay packages; at the time of writing, they currently offer 25 percent off a three-park, five-night vacation package or two days free with a two-day, two-park ticket. Be sure to check the Ticket Deals and Special Offers section of the Universal Orlando website for up-to-date information and special offers for Florida residents.