Presentation on Travel Photography at the Leica Store
The Leica Store in Bellevue, Washington recently invited me to talk about Travel Photography and I gladly accepted. The presentation was well attended and many stayed afterward to continue the discussion. Here is my presentation, slide by slide. Unfortunately, the audio isn’t available but you can read my words with each slide. Hope you find this interesting and helpful you with your travel photography.
Inspiration from Meteora, Greece where monasteries were built on columns of stone in the middle of the sky.
Let’s begin with a review of my photography history.
“In high school I spent some time in a darkroom working with film. This helped form my current philosophy regarding the post processing of digital images. Basically, I believe the photographer creates the best image possible using all available tools. Film photographers create better images if they work with the camera and the darkroom. I think the same is true for modern digital photography. I use Lightroom as my digital darkroom.
I got out of photography for a few decades but returned in 2006 when Digital SLRs were getting quite capable. I bought a Canon 20D and started shooting everything from family to flowers. I became the sports photographer for my daughter and her horse friends at equestrian events. The top left image is from this timeframe. My interest in sports photography was sparked and began photographing other sporting events like the on again/off again Mavericks Surf competition (top right image) and cycling events. Shooting fast action sports taught me to see a fleeting moment and capture it.
I began selling stock photographs. From the feedback on these sales I began to understand what images people find compelling. I have sold over 15,000 images to date on iStock by Getty.
My wife and I decided to build travelisbeautiful.com about 3 years ago. We use my images to tell travel stories. The bottom left image is from Zermatt Unplugged, an annual music festival held in Switzerland in the Spring. The lower right image is a group of craftsman enjoying tea in Istanbul. Both these images represent examples of what I think of as travel photography. Because these images transport the viewer to a time and place that is different from home. The images tell a story. Travel photography is similar to photo journalism.”
I also included a few words about my camera review where I compared the Leica M10 to the Leica M240.
I asked the Leica attendees “why are we photographers?” Why spend so much money on camera gear when we always have a camera on our phone? I believe this is a question worthy of reflection. We don’t always need to have the same answer. I continue to evolve as a photographer. This transformation includes introspective self-reflection, location and subject matter.
Personally, photography allows me to express my creativity. It assists me with a deeper sense of “seeing” when I focus my lens. When I look at the world as a photographer I need to be aware of my own seeing. Why do I find situation or person interesting enough to capture? What am I really seeing? What do I include and what do I exclude in the photograph? I enjoy this deeper sense of “seeing” while traveling.
We share our images on social media like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. We use my images as art in our home. We sell images on greeting cards. There are many avenues for sharing your work as a photographer.
And for me, for travel photography, for travelisbeautiful, we use images to tell a story that helps the reader of travelisbeautiful to better understand our world.
We attended a free live music concert in the courtyard of Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia. This image actually uses “time” in its composition. The concert goers in the courtyard are surrounded by ancient Roman buildings and floor made of marble. The setting mixes human elements of modern and ancient while the full moon on a clear summer night is unique to time and place.
I recently asked the question on a Leica Facebook page, “What is Travel Photography?” The answers ranged from mundane, ”The photos you take while traveling.” to more reflective. There was consensus that travel photography if done well transports the viewer to a place very different from home. The best images capture local customs, culture, architecture and landscape that is exemplar of the area.
Recognize that there are constraints of time and space for travel photography. The amount of physical space allocated for photo gear is one constraint. In addition, you likely have limited time in a particular place. Perhaps, most important to remember is that your subject may find excessive camera gear intrusive and disruptive. Lastly, in dense urban settings, keeping all gear on your person is prudent. Leaving a bag on the ground for even a few seconds while capturing an image may result in less gear! Be mindful of these constraints. The ideal travel photo captures time, place and culture.
In 1985 I traveled to East Berlin before “the wall” came down. I passed through Checkpoint Charlie. Stark wreaths at the wall memorialized people killed while attempting to leave Communist East Germany. A large empty boulevard was dotted by a single car. These 3 images tell a story about life in 1985 East Berlin. They also cannot be taken today because Berlin is no longer a divided city. A photograph reminds us that time changes everything. Keep this in mind as you travel because the things you see today may be gone forever within a few short years.
In 2016 I took the lower right image of an artist’s workshop in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Closer inspection reveals the artist uses spent artillery shells for his canvas. Mostar was the center of a civil war in the 1990’s. The war is deep in the current psyche of the people living in Mostar today. Hopefully with time, the war’s impact will fade. Perhaps capturing an image like the one I took will no longer be possible.
A gardner in a Zen Temple in Kyoto
Here are some examples of “travel photography”. The image above is of a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. The gardener in this Zen garden is meticulously caring for each strand of moss which is a good example of culture, time and place.
Homeless in Florence, Italy
The homeless person at the center of the image is practically invisible. However, the fact that the homeless person is camped between 2 marble Renaissance statues and is in front of a designer handbag store reveals that the location is probably somewhere in Europe. The green Vespa scooter and the rider in loafers offers a couple more clues that this is modern Italy.
Istanbul, Turkey
This is a collection of images in Istanbul. Each is different and viewed in combination reveal unique facets of Istanbul. No single image completely captures the essence of a place. However, a collection of just a few images creates a mosaic that reveals a unique and diverse city.
Craftsman’s workshop in Rhodes on the island of Lindos, Greece
The combination clutter and intentional order reveals a careful craftsman who has likely worked in this shop for many years. This shop and images like this may also be gone in a few years as manufacturing becomes more automated in the Greek islands. But for now, here in Rhodes, photographers are able to capture and record a day in the life of a Greek at work. This image captures time, place and culture.
Leica is the perfect camera for travel photography. Of course, the image quality is very high. Shooting in automatic or manual mode offers the photographer a wide range of capabilities. And, Leica cameras are small, light and quiet. In my opinion, it is the perfect camera system for travel photography. I use a Leica M system and a Leica Q2.
I carry a B-Sharp Fogg Bag which is compact yet big enough to carry both a Leica M10, two M lenses and a Leica Q2. The zipper pouch provides easy access to important items (documents, passports, tickets). It also has a separate and secure pocket for small extras like spare batteries and SD cards. Fogg bags are understated. The photo guides we know carry their photo gear in bags that downplay the contents - especially in urban areas. They tend to steer clear of bags that shout “This bag costs a bundle and so does the stuff inside!”
I often bring a Me-Foto tripod on extended trips. It is compact enough to fit crossways into carry on luggage, yet fully extends to eye level. I have the aluminum backpacker model. I’ve had it for many years and it continues to serve me well. It is sturdy enough to work well with the M system.
I use 32GB SD cards. They are large enough to hold a good number of images but not so large to be cumbersome.
Always bring a fresh spare battery in your bag. Always.
Hiking the Matterhorn Trail to the Hörnli Hut basecamp.
This could be the most important slide in the presentation. Everything on this list represents something I forgot to bring at some point. The concept of minimum necessary equipment is very important. You don’t want to overpack but you also don’t want to miss a shot because you didn’t bring what you need.
I usually bring 1 camera. I bring 2 cameras if there are 2 photographers or if I want redundancy (like a long trip).
Lights of the climbers on the Matterhorn. Taken in the early morning from the Kulm Hotel above Zermatt
Ansel Adams nailed it. By changing different positions you see things differently, it is true for a camera and with life.
It took me a about $10,000 to figure out where to stand to take this image of the Matterhorn. The Hotel Kulm is located at the top of the Gornergrat railway. But all rooms were booked. So I needed to come back to Zermatt and stay at the Kulm. Figuring out where to stand can be very costly in both time and money! Is there another way to figure this out? This is an important question for the travel photographer. TIP - Best to book a room with a Matterhorn view so you can take photos in your pjs rather than traipsing the hallway at all hours.
Shinto Temple arch in Kyoto, Japan. Composition in photography involves shapes and colors. But it can also incorporate “time”. This image combines the modern bustling city of Kyoto through the ancient arch of the Shinto temple bringing time into the composition.
Scouting a location is always helpful. I frequently rent a bicycle and ride around an area to scout places to photograph. You can also do research on the internet getting inspiration from others. However, be careful to take your own image rather than simply copy what someone else has done.
Returning to a place at a different time can produce a very different image. Different times evoke different emotions in the photos. This is especially true in travel locations that are part of the cruise ship and tour bus circuit.
The most helpful advice is to hire a local photographer guide. We have done this several times and we’ve been pleased every time. A local photographer knows where to stand and can also provide insights into daily life. Hiring a local photographer as a guide is the best money we have spent on our travels. We recommend these photographer guides. Please mention travelisbeautiful!
Greece - Dimitris of Athens Photo Tours. Use the discount code of TIB10 to get a 10% discount. Click here to book with Dimitris.
Istanbul - Enis Yücel - We were fortunate to spend 2 full days with Enis. We enjoyed conversations over several cups of tea (a local tradition) and explored many sites frequented by locals and off the tourist track.
Venice - Marco Secchi - Marco’s family has lived in Venice for several generations. He provided a fantastic tour of Venice and shared how the city has changed since he was a child. He also guides photography trips in Slovenia and Hungary.
The Hagia Sophia at dusk. Enis knew how to get into the right building to get this fantastic view of Istanbul.
More images from Istanbul that would not have been possible without our local photographer guide.
The church of San Giorgio Maggiore in the early morning light taken from San Marco Plaza.
These images in Venice were made possible by spending time with Marco Secci. Notice the juxtaposition of the atheist Communist party headquarters and a Christian shrine.
The Parthenon in Athens looks different depending on the time of the day. Dimitris knows when the light is best. And, when the tourists are not around!
Dimitris also knew when to show up for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He also encouraged us to visit the monasteries of Meteora.
I found this small village in the Verzasca Valley in Switzerland while riding my bike. The ancient Village of Corippo was built in the 1200’s and now has a population of 12 people. I noticed that the light would be just right a little later in the day so I returned to get this image.
We spent 5 days at Villa Valentino in Levanto, a village next to Cinque Terre. The 5 villages have unique personalities. After the tourist hordes leave each evening, the kids come out to play. This image offers a feeling local life.
We visited Lisbon and found Instagram loves the town as much as we do. Perhaps an image like this may become more valuable in your library as time goes on…or maybe not!
Ravenna, Italy is a historical treasure chest not yet plagued by the large tour bus fleets unlike Florence or Rome. The town is full of amazing art and mosaics. And, of course, charming Italian life.
My Workflow
I always shoot in DNG or RAW format. The extra data in this format allows for more flexibility in digital post processing. Though with the 48MP files of the Leica Q2, I have started to experiment with using JPEG. These files are a quite a bit smaller, especially when using digital zoom. I find that when the exposure is not too extreme, the JPEG images are almost indistinguishable from the RAW images.
I use 32GB SD cards. These are the right size for my 24MP images of the M10. I find 64MB a little too large and make the memory and file management more cumbersome. Though with the larger image sizes in the Q2, I sometimes use 64MB for that camera when shooting DNG. I download the images to my computer. I do not delete the images off the card until I get home and load them on a second computer. This gives me a backup copy of every image in a separate location so if my computer or HD crashes I still have my images.
I use Lightroom for all my digital darkroom work. I have a library of over 100,000 images. When I load the image into Lightroom, I set up folders with descriptive names and tag the images with key words to help me locate these images in the future. I flag images I have a lot of interest in with stars and categories. The develop module of Lightroom has all the capabilities a photographer needs to adjust composition and exposure as well as correct for defects like chromatic aberration or sensor dust.
I publish the images on our website and share on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. We also make prints and cards which are available for sale in our Store.
Why did we build travelisbeautiful? The website provides a frame for us to look a little deeper while traveling. If we find ourselves in an interesting place, we attempt to capture the experience in words and images and then share our experience on our site.
What is travelisbeautiful? It is a site that continues to evolve. travelisbeautiful is a collection of travel stories. Our hope is to inspire fellow travelers to venture out into the world. While photography is a key element of the site, we also share our impressions, tips and a little history for context.
How did we build it? We began with WordPress but transitioned to Squarespace. WordPress is free, powerful and flexible; however, it requires a higher level of expertise and maintenance. We find Squarespace relatively simple to use and maintain. Squarespace has a 14 day free trial.
Walkway over the waters of Plitvîca in Croatia
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