My Worst Travel Photo Ever!

9 Questions to Improve Your Photos

Worst Travel Photo Ever!

by | Feb 21, 2016 | 0 comments

Now there’s good news and bad news.  The good news is that cameras (and cell phones and tablets) are all digital, and a photographer is only limited by the size of their memory card.  There is no reason not to shoot multiple views and angles of anything that captures your interest.

The bad news is such a limitless opportunity for photos can cause one to become sloppy, turning what might be an inspiring photographic record of a memorable experience into a profusion of out-of-focus snapshots to be inflicted upon relatives and friends, numbing both the eye and mind (just like this sentence!).

What Makes a Good Photo?

9 Questions to Help You Pick Your Best: 

  1.  What is the point of this photo?  Why did I even take the shot?

2.  What story am I trying to tell?

3.  Which photo do I like best?

4.  Why is that one better than the others?

5.  How did I frame the subject?

6.  What focuses my eye upon the subject, avoiding unnecessary distractions?

7.  Where was the subject positioned in the camera frame?

8.  Is the horizon line straight, or intentionally angled to increase dramatic effect?

9.  What did I do in this shot that I might want to remember and repeat in my future photos?

 

What Makes a Bad Photo?

My worst vacation photo is the one I didn’t take!  I suppose that’s because I grew up in the old days of prints and slides, when processing each shot was expensive.  This created a conservative approach to photography.

My photos have numbered in the thousands from a 3+ week trip.  Usually such a large number gets winnowed down by half or more upon full-screen review and editing when I get home.  But it’s great to have choices to make.  Be joyful and take a visual record of the nuances and experiences that make your journey unforgettable.

If everyone suddenly remembers that your vacation slideshow dinner is the evening they have to give their dogs a bath, you might be guilty of this photographic faux pas.  Don’t go there!  I prefer to use the opportunity of taking multiple photos to refine my photographic eye as far as framing and composing each shot.

By answering these questions, I have the opportunity to continually refine my photographic technique and eye.  Then I pick just one photo of the scene for my slideshow.  Mostly, enjoy yourself, and remember that your worst travel photo will be the one you failed to take.