S I G N S
A L O N G T H E
W A Y
At home we take most signs for granted, barely noticing them unless they
happen to be lit up in pink neon, mention a monetary fine, or provide
directions. On the road, especially in more exotic parts of the world, spotting
interesting signs is great fun; you can use them as a running theme in a travel
journal. Pictures of signs can identify locales, mark progress, provide
information, or even just make people laugh.
Humor is always successful, especially when it is unintended and comes from
juxtaposition or odd coincidence.
Familiar-looking signs in other languages, such as a French stop sign saying
ARRET, are also attention grabbers. If you're traveling in a place where
languages change frequently, as in Europe, try building a collection of similar
signs in several languages.
Probably the most useful exploitation of signs is to mark progress in your
travel album. Look especially for signs that announce dramatic locales (see the
photograph of the sign for the equator), city limits, unusual town names, or
driving distances. Signs that recall trip highlights, such as hotel banners or
names of famous museums, are also useful as props or backgrounds for posing
your companions. Photographing historical markers, if you can read the
language, is a good way to remember details of a historic place or event.
S T A G E
S H O W S A N D
E V E N T S
Stage shows and other theatrical events are a popular part of travel
itineraries and, when photography is allowed, provide a chance to bring home professional-looking
pictures. They are, however, among the most difficult photographic subjects
you'll encounter. The two major obstacles are low light levels and limited
stage access.
You can overcome some of the problems of low light by using a fast film in
the ISO 400 to 1000 range, but even then you're likely to be working at very
slow shutter speeds. Because stage performances are rarely static events,
you're bound to get some motion. One solution is to watch the performance long
enough to get a feel for when there will be lulls in the action and shoot at
those instants. Sometimes it's better and less frustrating simply to accept a
certain degree of subject blur--or even exaggerate it by using
longer-than-necessary shutter speeds.
Stage lighting is also tricky to expose for, with bright spotlights hitting
some parts of a stage and other areas falling into darkness. The best solution:
Use a telephoto lens to isolate an individual performer, and take your meter
reading from that person's face. Be especially careful not to let bright
spotlights or very dark surroundings into the frame--either will mislead the
meter. Incidentally, flash is rarely allowed; even if it is, it's not
recommended, because it destroys the beauty of the theatrical lighting.
As to stage access, occasionally you'll have plenty of mobility and will be
able to approach the stage or performance area freely. More commonly, if you
want close-up shots, you'll have to work from a distance using a telephoto
lens. In some cases (see the photograph of the bagpipers and the castle), you
may even want to switch to a wide-angle lens to include more of the overall
setting.
Remember, too, that if the stage lighting is very dim, your autofocus system
(see Autofocus
Techniques) may have difficulty finding sharp focus, so you may need to
switch to a manual-focus mode if that's available.
S H O O T I N G
F R O M T H E
L A N D A N D
S E A
On almost any trip, you'll find yourself using all sorts of ground and sea
transportation. Depending on where you roam, your transportation may range from
the ultramodern, like the high-speed trains of Japan, to the traditional, like
the eccentric jitneys of the Philippines or the gondolas of Venice. Photographs
of and from these conveyances bring a great sense of presence and authenticity
to travel pictures that helps carry the viewer along on your journey.
En route, your transportation will often reveal vistas or vignettes that you
may not see again once you arrive at your destination, so be sure you have a
camera ready to snatch such opportunities. Point-and-shoot cameras are ideal
for this kind of photography, because they let you react quickly with little
fuss or bother. One solution to the problem of constant motion is to use
high-speed films (ISO 400 or faster), so you can set shutter speeds fast enough
to stop the motion and f/stops small enough to provide adequate depth of
field. The alternative is to use a slow film and intentionally set a slow
shutter speed (see Motion)
to present a blurred, more vivid impression of movement.
Once you arrive in a place, take time to look around for interesting views
that include your means of transportation. Straight shots of a ship in a harbor
or a train at the station tend to be static, so try instead to find
compositions that reveal their relationship to the locale.
S I L L Y
P I C T U R E S
One quick trick for improving the pictures you take of your travel
companions is this: Lighten up. Stop taking your pictures (and yourself) so seriously.
Let silliness reign and your pictures will be more fun to look at and tons more
fun to take. Allowing your subjects to slip into occasional fits of silliness
may also keep them from plotting a mutiny against your camera mid-trip.
How to set your own silly streak in motion? Start by letting your subjects
decide how they want to pose. Or give them a challenge: See if you can
get the family to do a Rockettes kick on the beach or mimic holding the Statue
of Liberty's torch with an ice cream cone. Whatever the scene, be sure your
subjects are in on the fun and that you're not catching them off-guard, or next
time you may need to find someone else to hit the road with.