There can be no universally defined guide to what makes a good travel picture as there are so many variables, what would make a great picture to one person may mean little to another. If you are travelling with your camera and documenting your trip you have the story behind the picture in your mind’s eye and this will make all the difference. How many times have we all seen somebody else’s holiday or travel pictures only to suffer a boring hour or two looking at pictures that mean nothing, ‘snapshots’ that are everything to the person who took them. Memories.

So therefore what makes a ‘professionally‘ taken travel picture different to a holiday ‘snap‘.

1. Thought
2. Planning
3. Composition
4. Content

Thought and Planning run hand in hand with one another. Where will I be visiting, what is there that could define my trip, when would the best time be to photograph the place and capture its essence. As with all good pictures the light will play a major role in making the picture successful. Do some googling before you leave it will save you a great deal of time and frustration when you are actually taking the planned images, getting the time of day right is half the battle.

Finding an image that will be of interest not only to you as the photographer but to others who see the image is most important. The picture should tell a story without words, it should stand alone and give the viewer the interest to look further.

The picture is good if it provokes thought on behalf of the viewer, like above, what is she thinking, where is she ?

Composition and Content for me again go together and if one or the other fails then the picture fails. The content is all important in any travel image be it people, place, country, thing it must be well composed to capture to essence of the thing,place or person being pictured. Set yourself the task to get above the mundane, amateur travel/holiday snaps and make your images important by following the steps laid down here and your friends will be happy to look at your pictures.