Author: Stephanie A. Mayberry
RV Adventures and Wanderlust worthy photos are all over Instagram and Pinterest these days. If you find yourself scrolling through images of other’s journeys and wishing you knew how to take the best pictures of your RV adventures, relax. We’ve got a few easy tricks to get you the shots that will bring back all the best memories for years to come!
The perfect travel shot is worth a thousand words; you know the ones. They reflect the flavor and culture of an area. Below are our favorite tips for getting those great shots while you travel in your RV–not the typical, garden variety, postcard photos, but ones that will transport you to another time, another place.
Find interesting angles. That old barn may be cool, but it’s still just an old barn. Capture the charm of the ordinary with extraordinary angles and views. This could mean shooting through a window or laying on your back to shoot up at the rafters and loft. Get creative. When you look at something to shoot, walk around it, look at every part of it from every angle. Notice the little things that the average observer might miss. Look for the way that shadows and light move over an area and use it to your advantage. In short, let your photos tell a story.
Look for things that capture the flavor of an area. You can’t dive into the culture of an area and taste its flavor if you are cruising around in a car. That's the beauty of RVing: you have the opportunity to experience all the wonders surrounding you.
Add people to the shot. People don’t have to be your main focus, but including some folks into your shots bring a warmth and realness that objects just can’t match. Instead of a street scene of buildings, try including the lady sweeping the sidewalk in front of her business, or a group of teenagers sitting around a fire at a campground . You can still get the amazing architecture, but don’t forget to incorporate a few live bodies in the shot to really bring it to life.
Keep it simple – your gear, that is. If you are hoofing it you probably don’t want to lug around all your camera gear. The good news is, you don’t need to. Your 50mm lens is great for all around shooting and it has a pretty decent zoom as well. Then again, if you are using your phone, well, that’s about as simple as it gets. The latest smart phones have cameras that would rival point and shoot competition any day.
Look at the foreground and background before you click. Use the foreground to give the background (like mountains) some perspective. It might be an interesting rock, or a cool tree that was incorporated. Alone, the mountains look nice, a rock or tree is mildly interesting, but try shooting the mountains with the rock or tree in the foreground- and Boom!
Lighting, lighting, lighting. Natural light is the most flattering. Of course sunrise and sunset will give you some awesome shots. Of course, the golden hour (1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset) is the optimal time to shoot, but you can get some great shots throughout the day as well. Depending on your location, up till around 10 am the light should be great for you.
From around 10 am until 3 pm or sometimes later, you might find it to be a bit more of a struggle. It is still doable though. Just watch your light and know where the sun is. An old photographer once told me to keep the sun over my left shoulder when shooting. That is good advice, but it should not be written in stone. Backlighting subjects can create gorgeous shadows and finding interesting ways that light strikes an object can give you breathtaking photos.
Go out and practice. Get to know your camera so well that changing settings is second nature. Play around with your camera or phone camera settings, lighting, and composition. Find your own style and create beautiful memories that tell wonderful stories.
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