MEANINGFUL TIPS FROM
Real Working Photographers
Welcome fellow traveler!
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Roman Forum
Tour: Italy
We’ve asked our team of accomplished travel photographers to give us five useful and informative tips that we could share with you, helping you elevate your photography skills when you’re out in the field, taking your photography to a new level. We’ve put together their answers here and hope you find them useful and educational.
Table of Contents
Ken Kaminesky • • • • •
Filter First Staying Focused (With ND Filters) Dress Right The Four Ps Breathe
Patrick Di Fruscia • • • • •
Solid Foundation Horizon Check Widen Your Outlook Don’t Reflect Stay Sharp
Karen Hutton • • • • •
Start Paying Attention to What You LOVE Grab a Flick Listen Up Goals = Direction Shape Up!
Glynn Lavender • • • • •
Manage Expectations Get Uncomfortable Hunt the Experience Be One With Your Gear Think Outside The Rectangle
Brian Fabiano • • • • •
Get out and Shoot! Teach and Learn Define Your Style Research There’s more to Photography
Ken Kaminesky is a Canadian commercial travel photographer, Fujifilm Global Ambassador, Zeiss lens Ambassador, writer, consultant, and entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in the photography industry. His work has been featured worldwide in numerous commercial and editorial publications, including the New York Times and on the cover of National Geographic. His passion for travel and the incredible landscapes and people he encounters along the way are the inspiration for his popular blog, and the other publications he writes for.
Throughout his travels, Ken seeks to capture images and stories that will inspire and motivate people to step out their front door and embrace adventure. As one of the founders and tour leaders at Discovery Photo Tours, he gets the chance to share his love for travel and photography with avid photo enthusiasts from all over the world. Savoring art, food, history, and culture with tour groups in places like Jordan, Italy, and Iceland is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work. His favourite place in the world is always his next destination. He believes that each place has a unique story that will inspire others, which he aims to capture in his images. He doesn’t usually talk about himself in the third-person.
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FILTER FIRST
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Kirkjufell
Tour: Iceland
People think they can filter in Photoshop, but the end result is usually inferior. Make sure you take polarizing and neutral density with you. A polarizing filter will help cut down on reflections off of glass or water while also helping draw deeper contrast out of the sky. My recent trip to Iceland perfectly illustrated what a neutral density filter can do. That place should be called Waterfall Land. To get the right exposure on water and from ice formations, you either want low light or a neutral density filter to get that soft, flowing effect. I want to present each location in the best light possible. Think about blurring cars or just showing their long, glowing trails. You want to convey motion. Neutral density filters will do that.
STAYING FOCUSED (with ND filters)
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Gullfoss
Tour: Iceland
Achieving an in-focus photo is key when doing any kind of photography but more challenging when using neutral density filters. My cameras allow me to use the rear LCD to focus perfectly even when I have a ten stop ND filter in front of my lens. Taking the filter out of the holder or removing the holder from the lens can cause focus shift and reframing, so the less you fiddle with the filters after they are in place and affixed to your lens, the better off you are. Try testing your camera’s LCD to see if you can see clearly with an ND filter in front of the lens. To focus, zoom in digitally to the maximum for pinpoint accuracy, then take your shot. With innovations like focus peaking on the Fujifilm cameras, focusing manually is more accurate than ever before. I never use autofocus, unless I am shooting moving objects handheld.
DRESS For the occasion
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Jokulsarlon
Tour: Iceland
Of course, there are times to be stylish or relaxed when you’re traveling, but when you need to shoot, you have to dress accordingly. If there’s even a fraction of a chance of being in the rain, you want a Gore-Tex jacket and waterproof pants and shoes. Dress in lightweight, warm, quick drying layers. This is common sense, right? But you also want clothing designed for comfort and mobility. I wear a lot of Arc’teryx clothing when on the road because it protects me, is durable, and keeps me comfortable without getting in my way. Let me tell you; you’re not thinking about shots and lighting and how to capture this once-in-a-lifetime vista when you’re sopping wet and shivering.
The Four Ps
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Petra
Tour: Jordan
Practice No artist will ever get better at their craft without serious amounts of practice. The good thing is, practicing in photography is fun! Keep shooting in new ways and experimenting with new techniques. Patience Don’t expect every shot to be amazing or every time you try something new for it to be a giant success. You’ll learn a lot from your failures. The trick is, only show people your best work.
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Hanoi
Tour: Vietnam
Persistence Don’t give up! Good things don’t happen to those who wait. Good things happen to those who work their butts o . Don’t be distracted by negative thoughts and give up. The next shot may be the perfect one. Photoshop Capturing a great image is just the beginning. Learning how to bring your vision to life by post processing with Photoshop and all the other great software available to photographers today is the icing on the cake. You’ll never regret getting really good at Photoshop... Trust me.
BREATHE
Image Credit: Ken Kaminesky
Location: Osaka
Country: Japan
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~Marcus Aurelius
One vital aspect of being a creative person is continuously finding ways to remain inspired. When I’m photographing something special, I always try to take a moment and put my camera down to just appreciate where I am and be grateful. Humility and gratitude in these epic locations seems not just appropriate but quite fitting. It’s the least I can do
when trying to pay homage to the place I’m photographing.
I believe that I’m not just creating photographs but building memories for myself. The photos that I take and look at for years to come will always bring me back to this moment where I took the time to absorb the sights, smells, tastes, and every other aspect of the place I’m in. I don’t want to remember every single place I visit with the obstruction of a camera in front of my face. I now own those captured moments forever and they will inspire me to continue on my quest to find the next soul stirring place to photograph. You can travel with, work beside and learn from Ken Kaminesky by joining him on a Discovery Photo Tour. Ken will be leading the following tours in 2017.
ICELAND Tour
Italy Spring Tour
Jordan Tour
Karen Hutton is an International Landscape and Travel Photographer, Artist, Speaker, Author, Educator, and Voice. She is also a Fujifilm X-Photographer and a chosen member of a small elite group of DJI Master Photographers. Karen has been photographing for close to 40 years Her unique point of view and deep teaching/leadership skills were woven from her vast experience as a professional and coach in multiple professions: equestrienne/horse trainer, figure skating, dance, acting, voice over pro and Television/Radio Broadcast Coach. Karen has been featured at Google, Photo Plus Expo, KelbyOne, Landscape Photography Magazine, The Grid, Stuck in Customs, TWiP, Macphun Software, Forbes.com, numerous blogs and podcasts and was one of the Inception Masters of The Arcanum. She lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Karen believes deeply in finding your truest voice and “living life as if it were your art”. That when you let it in, light, artistry and creativity flood everywhere, pouring through life’s nooks and crannies, uplifting everyone in their path. She aims to create works that offer her collectors and clients a full-body jolt of inspiration… and make them feel transported. Because after all, “Life is Light.”
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Start paying attention to what you LOVE.
Image Credit: Karen Hutton
Location: Horseshoe Bend
Country: USA
Patterns, shapes, colors, light, people, still life, textures, etc. How does it feel to notice it? A gasp, a flutter in your stomach, a smile that suddenly leaps to your face, unbidden? Start paying attention to these body cues. Sometimes they see better than your eyes do in a new place. At home, try photographing from this point of view, then practice until it starts feeling natural and you start seeing your unique point of view emerging in your photos. This will help tremendously when: you’re in a new place, completely overwhelmed and on sensory overload, excited, nervous, wondering where to begin and how you’re going to capture it all. (Hint: you won’t. So let that go right now!). You’ll have already practiced feeling and seeing what most speaks to you, what calls to you - enabling you, my friend, to relax, chunk it all down into bite-sized pieces and photograph YOUR story.
Movies & Music… Let them move you
Image Credit: Karen Hutton
Location: Paris Country: France
Check out movies - old or new - filmed in the places you’re going to visit and watch a couple of them. It’ll get you in the mood! Ditto the music… It’s a fun way to sort of set yourself to the vibe and resonance of a place you’re about to visit.
Know your gear
Image Credit: Karen Hutton
Location: Lake Tahoe Country: USA
From a certain perspective, what matters more than the gear you bring is that you’re comfortable with it. Like a paintbrush is for an artist, you want every bit of your camera gear to be in service of your vision, not the other way around. If you’re due for a new camera - get it WAY ahead of time, so that nothing distracts you from bringing your heart, soul and full experience to life!
Get in shape!
Image Credit: Karen Hutton
Location: Lake Tahoe Country: USA
I don’t mean anything crazy here, but trust me when I say that a photo trip will have you walking A LOT, you’ll be bending and stretching in new and different ways, carrying more gear than normal - and possibly in ways you’re really unaccustomed to. Don’t worry - you’ll survive it all! But to be more comfortable and at ease with these new demands, it really helps to be strong and flexible going in. Personally, I do Essentrics (www.essentrics.com), but no matter what kind of strengthening/stretching program works for you - WORK IT at least a month ahead of time. You’ll be sooooo glad you did.
Think about: What do you want to get out of a trip?
Image Credit: Karen Hutton
Location: Rome Tour: Italy
This is kind of an inner journey; a way to begin creating your OWN experience within a photo trip. Is it‌ Pretty pictures? New friends? A chance to be more brave and adventurous than you ever would in your normal life? To return home feeling exhausted, sore and like you squeezed every living drop out of each moment that you were gone? To return home feeling full, energized, engaged with life and your own creative process and with a shifted, new perspective on yourself and the world? To try new ways of seeing, capturing images and telling a story?
These experiences aren’t mutually exclusive, but it helps to spend a bit of time thinking (and maybe writing) about what you’d actually like to get out of a trip - and how you’ll know when you’ve done it. It’s mindful, it’s proactive - and can open you up to new possibilities.
Some people WANT to move a little slower, savor moments more… others want to dive into every single millisecond with both jet packs fired up and blasting. It’s all good! But knowing what it is you most desire in a trip (or anything, really), will guide your experiences. From choosing right photo tour for yourself in the first place - but also the choices along the way to ensure that you walk away having had the time of your life.
You can travel with, work beside and learn from Karen Hutton by joining her on a Discovery Photo Tour. Karen will be leading the following tours in 2017.
Italy Spring Tour
Patrick Di Fruscia is a World Visionary Fine Art Nature & Landscape Photographer. He spent most of his childhood years away from the city, having been raised mostly in the Canadian countryside. From the time of his birth, his experiences in nature was to become a large influence in affecting his ultimate passion for the beauties of the natural world. Di Fruscia’s work has won many awards, has been published and displayed thru a multitude of Medias (books, calendars, magazines, travel guides etc.) and by many prestigious companies such as, National Geographic, Time Magazine and Wall Street Journal, just to name a few. His work has also been displayed in several art galleries around the world. Di Fruscia has set his goals to inspire others in keeping a positive attitude towards life, make them aware of the beautiful world we live in and to always reach out for their dreams. His quest to become a better photographer will never cease. He personally thinks that the learning curve is endless, and he has only himself to criticize when he feels that he is not living up to his artistic endeavors. Constantly searching for those rare magical moments when the Perfect Light embraces nature in all its glory, you can rest assured – that this is only the beginning of a long and dedicated quest to capture the breathtaking beauty of nature.”
Tripod and Tripod BallHead
Image Credit: Patrick Di Fruscia
Location: Namib Desert Tour: Namibia
First of all, like many of you already know, the use of a good sturdy tripod is absolutely essential in order to obtain great landscape images. Most of my images were achieved using long shutter speed making it impossible to obtain without using one. If you can afford it go for a well-known brand I highly recommend Really Right Stuff or Gitzo. They might be a bit more expensive but definitely worth every penny. As for tripod heads, again I personally can’t live without my Really Right Stuff BH-55 Full-Size Ballhead, it might be heavier than standard heads but love how fast I can set my camera and be ready to shoot in crucial moments when the perfect light is only available for a few minutes.
Rule of thirds
Image Credit: Patrick Di Fruscia
Location: Plitvice Country: Croatia
Good to think about but please don’t make it an absolute rule. A quick and easy way to go about it is to ask yourself what part of my composition is stronger visually? Is it the sky or the foreground? Once you have answered this question, it will be easier for you to determine which part to put emphasis on. Remember, all rules are made to be broken (in my book) so as far as the rule of thirds goes, use it in most situation but don’t be afraid to experiment and always decide on what you personally think is best. Do not shoot to please others, do it for you and keep it interesting.
Image Credit: Patrick Di Fruscia
Location: Banff - Canada Tour: To be announced
If you study my images you will obviously see that I am a big fan of strong foregrounds. I personally feel that an interesting foreground will literally pull the viewer right into the scene and create a great sense of depth. Please Note: This is what I personally prefer and it is always up to you to develop your own vision and creations. Explore, see what moves you and go that direction.
Polarizing Filter
Image Credit: Patrick Di Fruscia
Location: Jokulsarlon Country: Iceland
As a nature landscape photographer the #1 reason why I choose to use a polarizer on most of my shots is not to make blue skies bluer but mainly to eliminate reflections. In my opinion, this is one filter that simply cannot be replaced with some Photoshop action. Reflections in the natural world are more present than you think. You will find some degree of reflection on vegetation, water or any wet surface. The Polarizer will completely or to some degree help you eliminate those reflections thus rendering images that are richer and more saturated. The one drawback (if you consider that one) from using a polarizer is the loss of approx 2 stops of light. So, keep that in mind if you are shooting handheld in low light conditions. To make sure your images are sharp, you might have to use a higher ISO or faster shutter speed. I personally don’t have this problem since I always use a good sturdy tripod. The great thing about using the polarizer on the New 100mm Firecrest Filter Holder Kit is the “easy to use” rotating ring that helps you easily adjust and dial in just the right amount of polarization you want for your image. Simply rotate the ring, and you will see the effect in your viewfinder. Turn it until you get the desired amount of polarization and take a photo. Don’t be afraid to take multiple shots with various degrees of polarization and choose the one you prefer once you get home.
Stay Strong and Live with Passion
Image Credit: Patrick Di Fruscia
Location: Secret Waterfall Country: Iceland
You need to create images that are emotional and carefully crafted artistically. Aim to create a feeling of inner peace, and, an awareness of the true beauty of our planet. In order to really appreciate this great craft, you have to learn to let go, leave all your troubles behind and make this wonderful experience all about you and your surroundings. Do not and I repeat do not enter this world simply to get praises, ribbons, awards or instant glorification on social medias. You might end up being discouraged and unmotivated by the lack of interaction you get or numerous negative comments some could say about your work. You clearly have to learn to take criticism to your advantage even when being unconstructive and strive to endlessly perfect your craft. In all walks of life all the greatest masters and successful people have endured a battery of negative unconstructive comments and critics but still made it on top because of only one thing‌Pure Passion. capture a very special one that you will cherish forever. This is truly a GIFT no one can ever take away from you. Let your emotions guide you thru this incredible journey.
You can travel with, work beside and learn from Patrick Di Fruscia by joining him on a Discovery Photo Tour. Patrick will be leading the following tours in 2017.
ICELAND Tour

Jordan Tour
Namibia Tour
Glynn Lavender primary tutor and owner of Australia’s Creative Photo Workshops, is well known both in Australia and the USA for his 30+ year involvement in the photo industry and brings his passion for teaching photography to every event. Glynn’s ability to share his knowledge and empower Workshop and tour attendees to reach their goals is well known and many working professional photographers consider Glynn their mentor and part of the reason for their success. With nearly a thousand Workshops and many photo tours under his belt, Glynn’s experience shines through at every event and he willingly shares everything – there are no ‘trade secrets’. Glynn is heavily involved in the photographic industry worldwide as former president of the Digital Image Marketing Association, Chairman of the PMA Education Committee as well as several other positions Australian branch of the Photo Marketing Association. As a mentor, Glynn has guided many professional photographers to more successful businesses and many amateur photographers to build up award winning portfolios. Glynn’s images and articles have been featured in numerous publications including Better Photography, Australian Photographer, Digital Photography and Travel Photography Guide. Glynn’s passion is people photography, whether it be in the far flung deserts of India or the interesting faced delivery guy banging on his door. Glynn runs photography workshops in Australia and the United States as well as leading photo tours to countries such as India, Myamar and Vietnam among others. Glynn is also co-host of Shutters Inc Podcast, with weekly episodes covering all aspects of photography. Come and join Glynn on a workshop or tour and let’s take the next step in your photographic journey.
Managing Expectations
Image Credit: Glynn Lavender
Location: Holi Festival Country: India
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to all photography, and especially travel photography, is to manage your expectations, and in the case of a photo tour leader it means managing not only your own expectations but those of your clients too. We have all been there at some point. We are heading somewhere we’ve wanted to go for what seems like forever. We’ve seen a million images, watched a bunch of YouTube videos and listened to stories by other travellers who have been where you’re headed. The problem is we have seen these amazing images, we know what is possible from where we are going and now it is up to us to produce that magic ourselves. We can fall into the trap very easily where instead of heading to a place to capture our experience we end up running around trying to emulate someone else’s. We have to try and get past what we think a place is like and try to see it for what it is.
I always say you can’t go to New York and photograph New York. You can only photograph YOUR New York and that is a place only you will ever experience. How are you going to tell that story in images? Of course we must plan our trip, (or let the wonderful folk at Discovery Photo Tours do it for you) our time off is too valuable not to, but we should be wary of planning our images too much because the disappointment of getting somewhere and finding it undergoing restoration, for example, is likely to crush your spirit as the images you had planned may no longer be possible. We can only photograph that which we experience and it is up to us to have the vision to make this into interesting, captivating images. We must shoot that which is there, that which is happening and make these images truly our own and not just some imitation of those who came before us. Whilst I know all too well that my expectations will get in my way often during my trips, I won’t have left yet but in my head I have a dozen or so awesome images already. I know I have to keep trying to push them to one side so they don’t cloud my vision of what is in front of me. A mantra I like to have running through my head while I travel is ‘Don’t think, feel. Don’t look, see’
Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone
Image Credit: Glynn Lavender I find a lot of photographers pigeonhole themselves, or have it done by others, when it comes to the type of photography they do. ‘I’m a landscape photographer’, ‘I’m an architecture photographer’ or, in my case, ‘I’m a people photographer’. Stepping outside of these zones of comfort is a vital part of getting the most out of your travel experience. The first time a ‘landscape photographer’ spends five minutes talking to a local family in a foreign land, shares a cup of tea and then captures some wonderful images of them can have a huge impact on the joy they get from the trip. It may end up being one of the moments they think of first when reflecting on the trip rather that the landscapes they captured whilst there. The above scenario is one of my favourite travel experiences but I too find great joy when I am confronted by nature at its best in some far flung location. We may not think we have the skills to do the experience justice but giving it a try and capturing some images outside of our normal portfolio of work may just add a whole new viewpoint to the images you do normally prefer to capture.
Know your gear
Image Credit: Glynn Lavender
Location: Holi Festival Country: India
The time to learn how to use your camera is not when the sun is setting on some glorious vista and you are under time pressure to capture the moment. The time to learn your camera is in the months leading up to your trip. Can you change the shutter speed, aperture and ISO whilst looking through the viewfinder of your camera? If not then get your camera in your hands for ten minutes a night, every night, in front of the TV and learn. Once you are familiar with at least these main control settings then the pressure to adjust your camera as the scene changes is lessened allowing you to not only capture some great images but also enjoy the moment too.
Think outside the rectangle
Image Credit: Glynn Lavender A simple, yet powerful way to change up your images is to start to look outside the rectangle. Our viewfinder loves to show us this rectangular view of the world, our screens playback this same view and if we print we are reinforcing a certain image perspective. With the popularity of sharing sites like Instagram the square image is making a comeback. When looking through your viewfinder try imagining the scene as a square instead, where are you going to put that square in the scene? How will this change the story of this image. A panorama might technically be a rectangle, but it’s not one our viewfinders show us. Thinking outside the frame of our viewfinder and expanding the scene into a panorama gives us an entirely new way to share the scene that is in front of us.
Don’t hunt the prize, hunt the experience
Image Credit: Glynn Lavender Just quietly, I may over think this whole photography caper. I am always worrying about making sure I get a story and not just an image. This is particularly true when it comes to photographing the people I meet in the streets of the places we visit. Do I want to capture yet another image of a fabulously wrinkled, old character? Well of course I do! And as many times as possible thank you. I think that’s normal human nature. However, I know for every wrinkled, character filled person I photograph the ones that always stand out for me, the ones I can look back on and truly enjoy are the ones where there is more than just a face in the photograph. These images have a person in them too. Someone I’ve met, even briefly, someone whose name I know, whose life story I may know a little about. These are the images that speak to me. These are the images that send me out time and again looking for more. Learn a few simple words of the language of where you are headed. The simple phrases of hello, what is your name, how old are you and my name is should be memorized before you leave. The delight you will get from shop keepers or people in the street will transform your opportunities to capture images you will love forever.
Brian Fabiano is an accomplished entrepreneur and seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of experience growing and cultivating companies. Semi-retiring from the company he co-founded, he found himself with an opportunity to pursue a new career path. He chose travel photography as his new found passion and soon met Ken Kaminesky on a photo tour. His corporate background as a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) helped define his focus on elevating the customer experience with his company. During his many years as a CMO, he prioritized employee culture and customer experience, creating a dedicated and passionate staff who’s goals were to enhance and surpass their customers expectations. He applies this same customer experience focus to each and every detail on Discovery Photo Tours.
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Get out and shoot!
Image Credit: Brian Fabiano
Location: Val D’orcia Tour: Italy
So many photographers say this, but let me give my take on this. I generally venture out to capture epic shots, perfect sunsets, fog rolling through etc.. However, these opportunities are far and few between, so sometimes I go out and shoot just to get out and stay sharp. Like anything in life, you need to practice your craft to get better and to keep your skills sharpened. So regardless of the conditions and opportunities, just go shoot and enjoy your time doing it. It’s that excitement and passion when I’m in the field that reminds me why I love photography.
Shoot photos with someone better than you and someone you’re more experienced than.
Image Credit: Brian Fabiano
Location: Kyoto Country: Japan
Spending time with someone who is more experienced than you is an obvious thing to do. If you pay attention and ask the right questions you can learn and grow as a photographer. In fact my entire professional career I have always made a point to surround myself with people who are smarter and more experienced than I am. This is how you grow. However just as important is spending time with someone that isn't as experienced as you. I take my brother with me whenever he’s free to go shoot. We’ve gone on photography trips together across the country but will also drive 30 minutes to the beach for sunset. My brother is a novice photographer, however he wants to learn more and asks me tons of questions. By him asking questions, it makes me realize what I know very well, and what I need to learn more about. You can only teach what you know, and this is a great way to keep yourself in check on how much you think you know, and how much you actually know.
Define yourself, and here's how
Image Credit: Brian Fabiano
Location: Venice Tour: Italy
In photography it is very important that you develop your own style. As I have become more experienced and trained in photography I realize the stark differences in photographer’s styles and can quickly match images to their creators. Your style can be defined through the composition of your images or through the post processing you apply to them, or both. Through my professional career I have followed a system that has given me great results in developing my own style. I have used this technique in management and leadership, as well as music and photography. I first studied and learned as much as I could about what photography can be. It is important to know how much you don’t know. Once you have a better understanding of photography and realize how vast it is, find a few photographers whose style you like. Then copy them. Study how they do what they do, what makes their images unique and defined and understand how they accomplish their style. Along the way, you will learn so much, things you didn't know you needed to know. Then once you feel that you have a strong understanding on how that specific photographer has defined and created their unique style, you move on to another photographer to study and you repeat the process. By doing this, you are forcing yourself to learn how to create someone else's style, which in turn helps you learn what style is. By having a greater understanding of what defines a photographer's style you will be able to create your own. It won’t happen overnight and you may not even know when it is happening, but you cannot define your own style if you don’t understand what defines style.
Research, don’t just show up!
Image Credit: Brian Fabiano
Location: Barga Tour: Italy
Before visiting a location I’ve never been to before, I always do my due diligence to learn as much as I can before arriving. By understanding your subject, how you want to capture it and where you will be capturing it from, your time can be spent fine tuning your shot, not running around trying to get the right angle. Let me tell a quick story how this paid off for me. On a recent trip to Italy, my wife and I took a day trip to the town of Barga, about an hour north of where we were staying. After exploring this spectacular hill top town, I knew I wanted to capture it. I just didn’t know where I wanted to capture it from. My first stop for research is 500px.com for inspiration and compositional ideas. If you’re researching a popular spot, this will typically this will turn up more than enough photos to give you some places to start. Sometimes the photographer will even share their location! In my case however, not too many people have shared photos of Barga, or at least ones that interested me. So my second stop is google maps, utilizing street view. After narrowing my search area based on where the sun was setting, I began virtually driving down the streets of the adjacent hills, searching for a place to capture Barga at sunset. After about an hour, I found it! A small pull over, with no trees to block my view. I may never have found this spot if I just drove around wandering the hills. In the end, I arrived early, knew exactly what to expect, took my time setting up and captured one of my favorite photos from my trip to Italy. The final image is above, as well as my google map location.
There’s more to photography than photography
Image Credit: Brian Fabiano
Location: Kyoto Country: Japan
Becoming a recognized photographer in this day and age unfortunately takes more than just a great portfolio. If you decide that you want to take your photography to the next level, you need to understand that you will wear many hats in order to make that happen. A successful photographer must not only take incredible photos, they must understand how to share those photos to the world in a meaningful way to separate themselves from the crowd. To make your mark, you need to understand the fundamentals of marketing. From the descriptions and stories you tell about the photos you’ve captured, to your portfolio layout and email correspondence. Each time someone reads about you, sees your work, reviews your website, checks your bio etc. etc., they are forming an opinion of who you are, what you stand for and why they should remember you. If you do not leave a lasting memory with them, you will be forgotten as soon as they scroll to the next image on Facebook or Instagram. In short, learn to write engaging and memorable copy, study how to develop our own style and brand and leave your mark beyond your photos!
Thanks for signing up for our newsletter. We hope that you’ve enjoyed our e-book “Meaningful Tips from Real Working Photographers”. We hope to see you down the road on a future Discovery Photo Tour. Wishing you safe travels, epic journeys, and extraordinary light. Sincerely, The Discovery Photo Tours Team