The best way to tell a story about a place is to capture many different subjects & scenes in the area. But where to begin ? What to photograph ? Well it is not that hard, if you apply a few basic principles. Many photographers are unfamiliar with this way of thinking. So in this list you’ll get an exhaustive list to use while on assignment, to bring back many different facets of a location and tell the complete story of a place.
Not every shot needs to be a masterpiece, but often a scene will deserve being photographed simply because of the back-story you’ll be able to tell about it.
Géographie
Géographie is a huge category. In city coverages, it would include skylines and street scenes. Out in the countryside, it includes landscapes, which can also occur in city areas. This category can also include aerial views, whenever possible.
Establishing Shots
Give your viewers a real sense of the place you’re photographing by providing a wide, overall perspective.
Paysages
Although this genre of photography is a discipline all to itself, be prepared to capture the expansive scenes that set a destination apart.
antennes
Take advantage of opportunities to show a destination from above, for instance, while sitting in your airplane seat or enjoying a balloon ride.
architecture
If the place you’re shooting has a distinctive style of construction or building material, be sure to highlight that fact with your photography.
High Vantage Points
Often referred to as the signature of a city, special effort should be made to gain a vantage point from which to capture even a part of a location’s skyline effectively.
Saisons
If time permits, be sure to explore a place as it changes with the seasons throughout the year.
gens
gens are another critical category. This includes shots of local people living their lives as well as visitors and tourists enjoying and interacting with the location.
Close-ups
Getting in close on a particular subject is frequently a perspective few make an effort to represent.
gens
The citizens are going to be the heart and soul of a place and its culture. The vast majority of destinations warrant extra effort in this category.
Culture
Culture is important but often overlooked. Ask yourself: How does the culture of the area you are visiting reveal itself visually? You can’t, for instance, photograph literature. But you could photograph a famous local author at a crowded book signing or event. Also seek out performing arts or people interacting with culture, like museumgoers interacting with what the museum has to offer.
Musique
Depicting street musicians playing traditional and other instruments can be a great way to provide the spirit of a place for your viewer.
Art
A culture’s style of artwork, whether enduring or temporary, will often be unique to the place. Capturing the locals engaged in its creation will be a bonus.
traditions
Some cultures have particular customs or rituals that may seem out of the ordinary to foreigners, so be sure to demonstrate this with your photography.
Langue
Look for opportunities to show the local language or languages being used in your destination.
Signs
Look to capture local signs in shops and stores, but also consider photographing signs that tell of the destination you’re shooting.
Icons & Landmarks
Most locations have at least one prominent structure or geographic feature they’re immediately identified with, so these should be high on your shot list.
Icons
Look to portray subjects that are universally associated with, or otherwise characteristic of, the place you’re capturing.
Sites sacrés
Highlighting places of worship, and the details that make them up, often reveals how a particular religion shows respect and reverence for its higher power and ancestors.
Merveilles naturelles
Visiting a national park, or the location of virtually any geologic wonder, will most certainly provide countless opportunities to capture the place at its finest.
Man-Made Wonders
The ingenuity of humans is remarkable, so when you stumble upon an example of how engineering has overcome the seemingly impossible, illustrate that.
Drapeaux
Time and again, national pride is expressed by the simple display of a country’s flag.
Look for city, state and regional examples, as well.
Festivals
Festivals and special events are absolutely great times for a travel photographer to get some photos that emphasize a place’s uniqueness and serendipity.
Vacances
A community’s traditions for celebrating the holidays can vary from place to place and will often provide valuable insight into their unique way of life.
Everyday Life
Everyday life is a tough category: How do you make day-to-day life on a city’s streets interesting?
Show the locals involved in seemingly mundane and ordinary activities, just doing what they do on a regular basis.
Fashion & Style
The manner in which its citizens dress, whether in traditional outfits, uniforms, hats or other articles of clothing, can provide a look into what’s important to, or typical of, a culture.
Street Scenes
Be alert to photo opportunities that depict a typical moment in time on the streets of a place.
Phone Cabins
Oddities & Humor
Oddities, funkiness, and serendipity: This is a catchall category for those cultural peccadillos that are hard to explain, but can make for some interesting photographs. Take, for example, New York City’s Naked Cowboy.
Be prepared when funny or spontaneous circumstances present themselves.
This is one category that typically can’t be predicted or planned for, but when you see it, you’ll know it!
Transport
Distinctive ways that people move from place to place whether by man-made contraptions, beasts of burden or other means-should be a part of your portfolio.
- Bus
- Taxi Coco
- Bici Taxi
- Voiture hippomobile
- Vélos
Marchés
Seek opportunities to document the action and myriad people at the local market, as well as the colorful and often exotic displays you’re sure to encounter.
Neighborhoods
Exploring where the locals reside will surely provide a window into the world of how a particular culture lives and what’s important to its people.
Interiors
Try not to get caught up in just showing the exteriors of the local buildings and architecture-bring your viewers inside.
Sports & Recreations
Sports and recreation are very important aspects of life in many parts of the world, and certainly some of these activities can be photogenic. Even if you find the rules of a sport incomprehensible, what the locals do to relax and recreate is an important part of the story of any society.
sports
A particular sport or activity that’s closely identified with a place or region of the world deserves special attention. Be on the lookout for people engaged in that activity, too.
Recreation
Capture scenes of leisure activities to show what keeps the people engaged in their free time.
Faune sauvage
In certain areas, wildlife plays a big part of visitors’ and locals’ experience of the place. If you’ve identified your location as one of those places, you’d better get good animal coverage. Don’t forget that urban areas have animals, too–take zoos, for example.
Flore
If there’s a particular tree, flower or other plant that’s found only at or near your destination, you’ll undoubtedly want to represent it on your shot list.
Faune sauvage
Animals exhibiting special behaviors often found only in a particular location or region-will help you to tell the story of what was unique and compelling about that place.
Gastronomie
Alimentation is becoming more and more of an important part of travel photography, seize any opportunity to portray this. Options for shooting food include finished plates of food as well as the preparation of it. Drinks are an option as well.
Achats
Shopping is a favorite activity for many travelers. Whether it’s an ancient souk in Marrakech or an ultra-modern mall in Japan, there are some interesting shots to be made of this favorite travel activity.
Achats
Admiring colorful and interesting displays is another form of recreation for those interested in retail therapy, or just gathering items for everyday existence.
Souvenirs and Crafts
Images of objects created by local artisans will often be easier to bring home than the actual items themselves.
Hébergement
Many travel magazines and websites devote a lot of effort to showing people what their hotels look like. Those media outlets have an ongoing need for photos of lodging. If you’re going after that market, or you have a penchant for architecture and interiors, you may want to shoot some good hotel interior pictures on your next trip.
Vie nocturne
Nightlife plays an important part in the personality of many places, especially in cities and resort areas.
Night Scenes
Capturing a city or other location after dark will give your viewers a completely unique sense of the place.
Economie
Natural resources
Sometimes a location’s natural resources might be worthy of a few shots. For instance, the fishing industry is very important in Iceland. The activity of unloading the boats is interesting and the fishermen themselves can make for some nice portraits.
agriculture
Images that exhibit agricultural scenes can provide partial insight into what the local economy is based on.
Industry
If the place you’re shooting has a particular industry it’s commonly identified with, seek it out.
Underbelly
The reality of most places is that there’s a dark underbelly, and as disturbing or provocative as it may be, a complete cultural portrait should reveal that side, as well.
Histoire
Photographers can try to capture some sense of the history of an area. This can be done through taking photos of historic architecture or monuments, living history reenactments, or commemorative ceremonies that celebrate historic events.
Whether ancient or more recent, historical settings can be perfect opportunities to transport the viewers of your imagery to another place and time.
Themes
Whether it’s doors or crosses, the color red, hands or people engaged in certain activities whatever it is that interests you-look to create series of images representing a particular subject matter or idea
détails
Look deeply into the scene to capture the parts that make up the whole. Detail shots are often the difference between a good set of images and a great one.
Abstracts
An abstract image, the subject of which may be by definition unrecognizable, can still allude to something unique about the place you’re photographing.
Conclusion
Use this shot list to act as a framework for your photography, it really helps to break down the daunting task of where to begin and what to photograph in any place.
As travel photographers we’re storytellers and we need to bring back a well-rounded set of images that tells the complete story of a place.