Travel Photography: What I learned in Williamsburg

Before You Go Start with Scott Kelby

In his book Digital Photography Vol. 2 there is a whole chapter devoted to travel photography. It gives you the low down on how to plan and prepare before you go.



Visit the Post Card Aisle at the Gift Shop First

Following the advice of Rick Sammon author of Digital Photography Secrets, I checked out the post card aisle before entering a venue. Why should you do this? Because postcards usually represent the best angles and locations to shoot from. It saved me time and gave me a head start on choosing what to capture and where.



Buy the Largest Memory Card You Can Afford

After only being there a day, my mom's card was already full. Fortunately, I had been able to purchase an 8gb one. After 1700 pics I never reached the point where it drops below 999 and starts to count down. Meaning I still had room for a 1,000 more.



Ask: Don't be Shy

I found that most of the locals who were dressed in colonial gear where used to having their picture taken. They didn't mind my simple question, "Can I take your photograph?" I think they were even more elated when I told them, "And, you don't even have to smile."



Avoiding People in Your Shots

This was tricky to say the least. I quickly realized that going on a guided tour may not have been ideal. Going in a group, makes it almost impossible to get clutter free pictures. But, I did find that most of our group stayed with the tour guide. So, when we were in larger places like the Powhatan Village at Jamestown, I quickly headed for the far side of the village away from the tour guide and all the people.



It's Just Like Learning Your Multiplication Tables

I had just finished reading Peterson's exceptional book on Exposure when we left for this trip. But you know what? When it came down to it, I couldn't remember any of his great tricks, because it was not concretely stored in my head. I realized on this trip that what makes photographers good at what they do is that they have done it so much that it becomes automatic. They don't have to think about it. By the time I thought I could remember what to do the opportunity was gone.



Patience Pays Off

I can't tell you how many times I felt the pressure to be in a hurry. But, mentally I realized that there is an edge to having a mindful calm within. I kept having to make myself slow down so that I could visually take in what was there. This may sound like mumbo jumbo. But, for me my greatest adversary to taking great pictures is not being mindfuly present because it's so easy to be in a hurried rush mode.



Setting Aside Time Is Worth It

I really enjoyed this trip! It felt like photography heaven. It never felt like work. It was fun. And, at the end of the day, those captured moments felt like a gift.



Mastery is a Learned Skill Be Patient With Yourself

If you're like me, you may feel overwhelmed with learning the bazillion things that go into taking a decent picture. Be patient with yourself. For me, I feel like I can only master one thing at a time. On this trip, it was practicing and learning how to manually focus. I felt like I finally figured out how to do that. Now, that it's automatic and I don't have to *think* about it, I can move on to the next thing.

Get a Real Camera Strap!

By the end of day one, my neck felt raw. The camera straps that come with Nikon and Canon cameras are heavy nylon and after a full day of having your camera around your neck you are going to wish you had a really nice camera strap. You want the kind that has a built in soft side like you can find at My Funky Camera .



Stay tuned if you want to see more. I will be uploading a photojournalistic series of historic Williamsburg, Yorktown, the Jamestown Settlement, and Jamestowne Island.

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