Great Escape Publishing

Posted May 20th, 2006 by Lori Allen & filed under Travel Photography, Travel Writing.

How to Capture the Essence of Waterfalls (Quick Tips)

1. Use a slow shutter speed (1/2 to 1/15 second) to blur the water and create an illusion of movement. 2. Use a faster shutter speed (1/60 to 1/125 second) to freeze the water and make it shimmer. 3. Use a tripod to avoid camera shake. 4. Spring and fall are the best seasons for amazing colors along the riverbank.

ANALYZE THIS

What makes a photo saleable? What are stock agencies looking for and why don’t pictures of sunsets sell? A simple sunset will not sell, but add a couple holding hands and you have a “dominant point of interest” that adds a feeling and mood to the photograph. It becomes more than just a sunset, it becomes a story. The sunset shot has been done countless times over. Why would a stock agency want to buy yours? No matter how nice it is, if it’s just a picture of the sun alone it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. You must make your photo stand alone, unique, and give the buyer a reason to take a second look. MORE TIPS ON THE SUNSET: When taking pictures of the sun, it’s important to remember that every moment that passes is lost and cannot be replaced… but it can change the look of your photo if captured before it’s too late. You must plan ahead, because you can’t pause a sunset or reposition a point of interest if it’s there naturally and not placed. Your point of interest should be viewed in such a way that it conforms to the rules of good composition. For instance, giving something a silhouette look could make it much more appealing. In some cases, you could even involve yourself in the shot or take along a friend. Just be sure the person looks natural and not posed. You might convince a stranger to help you by asking them to walk by in a certain direction, or by asking a couple to hold each other as they cross the beach, or even by asking a farmer to drive across his field if that would add depth to your sunset shot. When you tell them what you’re doing, most people are pleased to assist you.

SAMPLE PHOTO GUIDELINES:

Student Traveler, a new magazine geared toward worldwide travel for students, is on the lookout for outstanding travel photographs. You can send scanned images or a link to photos you have online. Send inquiries and photo submissions to eric@studenttraveler.com. Flak Magazine accepts photo submissions. They look for artistic photos that make the viewer look at something familiar in a new way. Each photo submission must be accompanied by a description caption that includes the date and location. Captions should be brief and clear. Email 800 x 600 pixel photos to Abbey and Andy at photo@flakmag.com. View the complete photo guidelines at http://flakmag.com/guides/photoguide.html.

QUICK GEAR TIP: Research First, Then Travel

Be sure to do your homework before a trip. By reading up on the variety of places to see and things to do, you’ll have better chances of capturing unique and saleable shots. The web is a good place to start. You can even find magazines or books devoted to your place of travel. Take a look at what kind of photographs are already out there and start thinking about what you can do differently to improve upon them.