If I only remember one piece of advice from my time in Peru, it’s this: Photography is like a run-on sentence; you have to put a period somewhere in order for it to make sense.
Alyssa here, coming to you again from our Peru Photo Expedition, where our instructor, Efrain Padro, has given us lots of tips for improving our photos each day. Today, the biggest tip he gave was to “keep it simple.”
When you’re traveling in a vibrant place like Peru, it’s easy to get carried away and snap photos of EVERYTHING. Sometimes you forget to slow down and pay attention to what’s really in your camera’s frame. Once you slow down, you can focus on simple photos you can sell – over and over again.
Here’s a photo I took that’s busy and cluttered; much like a run-on sentence:
And here’s another photo of the same subject, that’s much simpler:
Getting close to your subject or using your camera’s zoom will eliminate clutter and give you a cleaner, more iconic shot. Here are a few shots attendees got in and around Cusco while “keeping it simple:”
Connie Owens
Tami Freed
Dawn Bauman
Charlie Wollertz
During our evening photo reviews, Efrain reminded us to always compose our shots with purpose; really think about the subject and avoid distractions.
And when in doubt…just simplify.
Everyone’s favorite part of this expedition has been these photo reviews. Efrain tells us what we’re doing right and how we can improve on the next shot.
It feels like we’re cheating because not everyone has such close access to a professional photographer.
Stay tuned for some more tips from our Peru expedition tomorrow.
Travel Photography Resources
5 Dos and 2 Don’ts for Travel Photography
Take Great Photos And Get Paid More For Your Travel Articles
Turning a Photography Hobby into a Monthly Income
The Pros Of Selling Your Images As Stock Photography
16 Mobile Photography Tips And Tricks Every Photographer Should Know
