Travel Photography is a sub-division of Photography. It is majorly the capturing of a place in totality. This will include photographing the locale, physical features and landscape, constructions and monuments, people and the cultural activities, and evidence of history, polity and society of that particular area or place.
Travel photographers seek to document an area in the form of pictures and not words. Such images speak everything about the travel expedition, experience and locale. It is a limitless sub-category of photography and is not restricted by adherent rules and regulations. Such a photographer possesses the liberty to explore and capture. The camera entraps all that the eye sees, witnesses and discovers.
A travel photographer need not necessarily be a professional photographer. Any individual interested in clicking can be an amateur and expert. It is interesting to note that most of the travel photographers are actually freelancers, who possess a passion and skill; who have a keen observation and is instinctive.
To be a successful travel photographer, you should be ever ready for short as well as long unexpected trips, which should be taken up as an opportunity to explore with the camera. Moreover, if you wish to make it a profession or desire to be known, then the foremost necessity is to learn the art of photography. You should understand the concepts of light and shade, aperture and shutter speed, long shot and close up, focal point and point of view, and other such intriguing principles. The next step is to purchase a good professional camera (an SLR camera). You can read books and journals on photography and attend some course as well. Looking up photographs taken by successful and famous photographers gives you an idea.
Create your portfolio containing the best pictures taken by you. And study the market also – the needs, demands, scope and opportunity. This shall give you a clue as to what is most sort after and preferred by clients, customers and people in general. Working fpr a couple of years with a professional will be a great learning experience, and if you tag along on all assignments, the exposure and learning that you will derive is non-comparable. You should also be able to build contacts during this apprenticeship and then detach and venture by yourself.
Travel photography is highly interesting and non-monotonous as you get to travel to distant and picturesque lands most of the times, and can do what you are passionate about and love doing the most. Perhaps the only prime requisite is the undying love for photography and traveling.
