Recently updated on August 30th, 2022 at 03:34 pm
He’s conquered hundreds of countries armed only with his camera and eye for what makes a great shot. Three-times Travel Photographer of the Year, Gary Arndt is one of the world’s leading lens-men whose evocative, powerful images capture the spirt and soul of whatever or wherever he’s shooting.
From riding out a tsunami in Hawaii to visiting active Cambodian war zones, Gary is never far away from adventure and always in search of his next destination. You’ll find his body of work at his truly inspirational Everything Everywhere website, and can keep track of where he’s travelling by following him on Instagram. Here, Gary dispenses his top five travel photography tips so you can perfect your technique and shoot like a pro.
1) Know how your camera works
“Whatever camera you own, there are many buttons and dials on it which do things. Take the time to know what all those buttons and dials do and how the camera works. Learn what ISO, aperture and shutter speed are, and how to control them. You can’t really master photography until you know those things.”
2) Take your time to compose an image
“Too many people just point their camera in the general direction of something and press the shutter button. If you take even just a few seconds to position yourself and think about how the scene looks, you can greatly improve your images.”
3) Plan timing and location for images
“Photos can look dramatically different at different times of the day because of the light coming from the sun. Likewise, where you position yourself can make a huge difference when taking a photo. Take the time to research when is the best time and where is the best spot to take the photo you want to take. It only takes a few minutes, and usually and you can use simple tools like Google Maps to do it.”
4) Practice
“A more expensive camera doesn’t necessarily take better photos any more than an expensive piano will make you sound better if you don’t know how to play the piano. Go out and shoot before your big trip so you know where all the settings are for your camera. Experiment with different aperture settings and see what happens at different ISO levels. It’s better to learn these things before your trip than it is on your trip.”
5) Have your camera ready
“You can’t take a photo if your camera is in your bag. You need you have your camera out and ready if you want to capture spontaneous moments. Some of my best photos were never captured because I didn’t have my camera out.”
If you’ve been inspired to practice these travel photography tips and go in search of new lands, click here to discover an exceptional Trafalgar trip.
Image Credits: All images © Gary Arndt