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How to take extraordinary pictures
Professional photographer Sendy Aditya advises travelers to consider the following points to make their photos stand out.
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Travelers wanting to make their photos stand out are welcome to follow these tips. (Shutterstock/File)
Taking pictures is almost a must when we are on vacation, but for some travelers, pretty pictures just don’t cut it anymore.
They seek new ways to elicit something interesting out of famous objects that have been photographed countless times.
Professional photographer Sendy Aditya advises travelers to consider the following points to make their photos stand out, as reported by kompas.com.
Research
Research is needed to find a different angle. “You can use Google or social media,” said Sendy.
To take a picture of Borobudur, for instance, it is not compulsory to take a shot of a stupa or to photograph the temple from the Putuk Setumbu hill. Taking a picture of the activity inside the temple instead would make it more alive.
The same can be said of a festival, such as the lantern festival on Waisak Day. While others may focus on landmarks and lanterns, a photograph of monks at the site could be more interesting.
Lighting
Travelers need to be aware of where the light drops when taking a picture. They are encouraged to learn whether an object is best photographed in the morning or in the afternoon.
“By being sensitive of the light’s direction, we will achieve the finest photos,” Sendy said.
Read also: Seven tips for taking great photos using only your smartphone
Composition and influence
Technical aspects are just as important, Sendy said. Mastering your photography tools will greatly influence the result.
Travelers are advised to fully familiarize themselves with their cameras’ features, as that will lead to balanced compositions in terms of colors and angles.
A picture should also have an impact on its audience, for instance by tempting them to go to the place pictured.
Background, activity and message
A photo is a picture with stories and messages. Sendy advised travelers to photograph more than the famed objects in a destination.
A glimpse of the cultural background of the people will offer more stories, he said, citing as an example a photograph taken at a performance of the Sriwedari human puppet troupe in Surakarta.
Editing
Photos can be edited with specific goals in mind, be it to promote tourism on Instagram or to enroll in a competition.
“For a competition, editing is limited to cropping and corrections of the lighting and colors,” Sendy said.
“It’s a different story when it comes to social media”, he said. Editing can be done according to one’s taste, as long as the information is accurate. Sendy also advised that photos for social media are adapted to foreign travelers’ taste in colors. (wng)
