Just Say No To Souvenirs
If you’re an avid traveler, you’ve likely brought back a few souvenirs from your trips. However, over time, you may have realized that most of those trinkets are just clutter that eventually end up in a box. As a result, you may have started to focus on bringing back only specific items that you can use, like clothing or jewelry. For those who love photography, taking travel pictures is the best souvenir. Unlike a mass-produced item, your own photographs capture the moment, the feelings, and the details of the place you visited.
I love hanging photos around my house of my travels. I’m just an amateur, but to me, these are better than anything I could purchase for my walls. The reason: every time I look at my own photographs, it transports me back in time to the very moment when I took the picture. I remember all of the details, like how I was feeling at the time, how I got that exact angle for the photo, etc. I can almost picture myself standing in that spot taking the picture. I would not have the same experience for sure with a stock photo of the Eiffel Tower as I do with the one that I took on my very first trip to Paris.
Top Travel Photo Tips
Taking travel photographs that are "wall-worthy" requires a bit of planning and creativity. Here are some of my top tips:
- Before taking a picture, ask yourself if you would want to hang it on your wall or share it on social media. If the answer is no, try reframing the shot by taking it from a different angle. I like to play around with all kinds of angles of a shot. Simply crouching down on your knees and looking at the scene from that point of view or angling your camera up from above an object can create a really cool photo that is out of the norm of what you’d find anywhere else. I really do like to make my photos interesting.
- I don’t just take one photo in a place and move on. If I really like a scene, I take a bunch of different shots in that scene. I zoom in and out. I play around with the reframing and the angles of the shot. I make sure no weird additions are in the photos like sides of buildings or too many people. I personally don’t want to have to spend hours in “edit’ mode on a photo. I’d rather just take it the way I like it from the beginning. It makes things so much easier.
- I play around with different focus points on the photo, too. Just by moving the focus point around in a scene can change the lighting dramatically. It also makes closeup photography more dramatic.
- I also try to include interesting objects in the foreground or background of a photo. Like when I took the photo shown previously of the Eiffel Tower, the lights had just turned on that night and I had just crossed this bridge. So, I waited for the boat to enter the scene and then snapped the shot. I thought that made the photo more interesting. If I’m taking a photo of a building with beautiful gardens, I’ll try to angle the camera so that I have some of those flowers in the foreground. Not only does this extra effort create a more interesting final product, but it also helps you remember the experience a lot more. I took this particular photo by crawling into a row of roses in a parking lot to the west of this building. Likewise, when I took this photo of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, I saw this cat resting looking up at it. I positioned myself in such a way that I could get the picture with the famous edifice and the cat gazing towards it. I loved the final product.
- After I shoot my photographs, I use the Adobe Photoshop App on my phone to make minor adjustments to the pics: lighting, sharpness, etc. I do not make major changes to the image because I want it to be a true representation of what I actually saw on that day with my own eyes!
- When I get home from a trip, I choose my favorite shots and either get 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 prints made at my local Walgreens. It’s really convenient to buy from them since there's a Walgreens just minutes from my house. With Walgreens, I just upload the pics to my Walgreens Photos account, select the size and quantity, place the order, and then within an hour or less my pictures are ready for pickup. It’s the best! I purchase my art-style frames either on Amazon or at Walmart. If I get tired of a photo, I can just pop it out of the frame and slip a new one from a more recent trip into the frame and rehang on the wall.
- Handy Gift Tip: If I wanted to give one of these framed photos as a gift to someone who doesn’t live near me, I would request that the photos be printed at the Walgreens that is closest to their house. I would pay for it in advance with my credit card and then tell the person I’m giving the gift to that they just need to pick it up at their local Walgreens. Then, I’d just have a frame shipped to them from Amazon Prime. By doing it this way, I don’t pay any shipping. And if the frame happens to get broken en-route, then Amazon will just ship another one out. If I framed it and then sent it to them and the frame broke during shipping, it wouldn’t be as easy of a process to get it replaced.
Embrace Photographic Souvenirs
In short, I highly recommend that instead of bringing back trinkets that will eventually collect dust, take pictures that capture the moment and make for beautiful home decor. With these tips, you'll be able to create wall-worthy travel photographs that will transport you back to the places you've visited.
FAQ: Capturing Memories with Travel Photography
Q1: Why should I consider photography as a souvenir for my travels?Photography captures the moment, feelings, and details of the places you visit in a unique way that trinkets can't. Unlike mass-produced items, your own photographs transport you back to the exact moment you took the picture, creating a more personal and meaningful connection to your travel experiences.
Q2: What are some tips for taking travel photographs that are "wall-worthy"?-
Reframe the Shot: Before taking a picture, consider whether you would hang it on your wall or share it on social media. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to make your photos stand out.
-
Take Multiple Shots: Don't settle for just one shot. Capture a variety of angles, zoom levels, and compositions to increase your chances of getting a perfect shot from the start.
-
Play with Focus: Experiment with different focus points to manipulate lighting and add drama to your photos, especially in close-up shots.
-
Include Interesting Objects: Incorporate intriguing objects in the foreground or background to enhance the composition. This adds depth to your photos and helps you remember the experience more vividly.
After taking your photos, use editing apps like Adobe Photoshop to make minor adjustments to lighting, sharpness, and other details. Keep the edits minimal to maintain the authenticity of the image.
Q4: What's the process for printing and displaying my travel photos?When you return from your trip, select your favorite shots and print them at a local photo printing service like Walgreens. Choose sizes like 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 for convenient framing. Purchase art-style frames from places like Amazon or Walmart. If you want to gift framed photos to someone living far away, have the photos printed at a local Walgreens near them, and send them a frame through Amazon Prime.
Q5: How do photographic souvenirs compare to traditional trinkets?Photographic souvenirs hold sentimental value and offer a way to display memories in your home. Unlike trinkets that often collect dust or end up in boxes, photos transport you back to specific moments. By following these tips, you can create meaningful wall decor that reminds you of your travel experiences.