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 Planningrun hand in hand with one another. Where will I be visiting, what is there that could define my trip…
Covid 19, until recent months following the illegal escape from quarenteen by 4 Asia working girls from th hotel that they were supposed to stay for 14 days. After they bribed their way out of quarenteen the hit the nigh clubs and bars and spent time with various individuals. When they were recaotured it was found that 2 of them were positive for Covid 19. It had begun.
The Hotel from which they escaped
Following this initial community infection the powers that be attempted to isolate the infection with selective lockdowns and quarenteens, without good effect and the infection was spreading rapidly in many areas of the city. The eventually led to the closure of the markets and certain other places where the infection was spreading rapidly by contact. A night curfew was implimented and all bars, restaurants, KTV’s and night club were eventually closed for initially a period of 2 weeks.
Movement around the city was restricted and travel to other provinces was stopped. Face masks become compulsory and advice about hygiene and cleaning hands given. Social distancing was introduced. Number were rising rapidly and there had been a number of associated deaths.
Masks quickly become the new ”norm”. The authorities even distributing the to those who could not afford to buy them.
By this time it was becoming rapidly apparent that the lockdowns, although slowing the spread, they were not stopping the increase in numbers affected. An extended period of lockdown, in specific areas where the infection rates were highest was implimented. The vaccination program was started in earnest.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Government of Cambodia for making vaccines available to those X Pats living and working in Cambodia.
I’ve been asked recently to write a little article for the NEM Magazine and have chosen a topic that has come to the fore-front in my life recently. As most of you on NEM’s know, I do digital art. One of my images has recently become the center of a small battle. In essence, the owner of the subject of my image took an interest in buying the copyright of the image to be used as a branding tool for her business and her project involving the subject of the image. This is the first time I have been approached for something like this and I do admit to being somewhat naive. This person was first receptive to negotiating a price for the copyright, then a day later decided that she didn’t want to pay the price and was going to have someone else reproduce the same image. She demanded that I turn over my photos and threatened me with trespassing (I was invited along to shoot the subject at the time) to try and get these images (especially my art) for free. As a result, I’ve had the opportunity to research copyright laws here in Canada in order to protect myself and my work. I want to share what I’ve learned with you so that you can protect what is yours too. Now, laws do differ from country to country, but I believe the essence may be the same. The way that I understand it (and I’m not a lawyer so do your own research!!) is that if you take the picture with your own camera, then the picture belongs to you. You own the copyright of that image. Now, if you work for a company and are doing the photography as an employee for your employer, then the copyright and images belong to them, not to you. Are you with me so far? If you took the photo for yourself using your own equipment, then the photo is yours. Your work is automatically copyrighted. You don’t need to register it with the government. However, you can still do so to further protect yourself, and to give you official documentation for court, if you ever need it. It just strengthens your claim. The cost to do so at this time is $50.00 and can be done at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office online. Here is their website: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr00003.html
This now leads into another topic – what can you do with your images? Not a heck of a lot is the answer. In order to DO something with your image, as in selling them, you need a release form signed. If you didn’t get a release, then the images cannot be used to for commercial purposes. There are two types of releases that you can obtain and SHOULD obtain when you shoot an image.
The first type of release form is a Model release. A model release is a contract that says that you the consent of the people in your image to photograph them and use the images for commercial purposes. It doesn’t have to refer only to selling an image itself, but it also refers to using the image of that person for advertisement purposes. For example, if you run a website for advertising your wedding photography business and have some really cool photos of a bride that you’d like to post, you need a release. It doesn’t only refer to a full frontal of the person either – but it also relates to anything that someone could recognise as being a part of that person – say the hands, or a silhouette. The second type of release form is a Property release. This would refer to any recognisable OBJECT, like a dog belonging to someone, a public building, etc. You can shoot Uncle Joe’s house from the sidewalk, but if you do it from the front yard, you need a release. If you want to sell your photo you will need a release.
When do you not need a release? One reason is for editorial purposes. You can sell the image to a magazine, newspaper, television show as long as it’s used in conjunction with a story. Just to sum things up, here is what I’ve learned:
● You take the image with your own equipment, for yourself, then you own the copyright ● Get property and model releases before you take that first click. You never know when something you take will suddenly have a real value assigned to it. If you don’t get your releases, then you may regret it later. ● Photos/images can command quite a lot of money. There are calculators out there on the internet to give you an idea of a price – they can range from $500-several thousand $$ per use of the image, depending on the size needed, the amount of subscribers they have, if it’s colour or black and white and the demand for your subject. ● NEVER sell your copyright – don’t let someone else profit off of your work. Sell them a licence instead. There is never a need to sell a copyright.
Remember: knowledge is power. Look up your rights as a photographer in your country and protect yourself and your work. You never know when you’ll need to stand up for yourself and the better prepared you are, the better you’ll be able to do it.
Here are a few sites to check out on the internet:
Street photography is an approach to photography rather than a location, although the streets are the usual place where it happens.
”When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kids running in a wave I couldn’t believe such a thing could be caught with the camera. I said damn it, I took my camera and went out into the street.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
Alternatively, it is referred to as no rules photography. The plethora of equipment (tripods, lenses, filters, lights etc) associated with ”serious” photography is left at home, or better still in the camera store. It’s just too heavy and bulky to cart around, takes way too long to set up and by the time it is set up the moment is gone.
Street photography is shooting from the hip.
Likewise, the rules of photography, the f stops, the shutter speeds, the rule of thirds etc are left in their dust jackets on Amazon shelves. By the time all the technical considerations are taken into account, the birdy is in another country.
Thank Canon, Nikon, Fuji et al for point & shoots.
It is just the camera and the photographer with their enthusiasm, intuition and an open mind.
Street photography can be and often is: Out of focus; a tilted horizon; a soft focus.
Street photographers are optimists, for them, the glass is always half full. They go out on a photo shoot with no plan in mind secure in the knowledge that this wide world of ours will provide. A subject, a situation, a scene will present itself all they must have is the presence of mind to capture it when it does.
Street photography can be and often is: Odd things in the foreground; no central focus; odd crops.
Street photographers see the usual, everyday things with fresh eyes. The reflection in a rain puddle, the colours in a crowd, the balance of negative space. Their minds are open to all the stimuli that they see and they curse the days when they leave their camera at home.
Street photography can be and often is: very busy; a tilted perspective; upside down.
Street photographers are not only on the streets, they are at weddings, school concerts, and next to you on the train. They look a lot like tourists, it’s their favourite cover but they are one without a big flash. It was left at home, the available light will do.
Street photography can be and often is: underexposed; blurred; suffering from vertigo.
Street photography is, what all photography is, a snapshot.
What shines through is the photographer, his/her interpretation of the scene, what they see in the situation, their reaction to the stimuli, and the art they see every day.
Technicians take technically correct and often pretty pictures.
Visual artists, whatever their medium, create images that stimulate the mind, and the heart and validate the human condition in all its guises. Because, after all, pretty is in the eye of the beholder and consequently very subjective, whereas art speaks to all who are prepared to listen.
There are times when we all feel blighted and unable to take a picture. Why is this, where does this lack of motivation materialize from ?
Motivation to take pictures generally come from and external source, money, recognition that compel you to get out of your bed in the morning and go and do what you have to do, but, motivation is, in my opinion is not the most important part of this process.
Inspiration, stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity without inspiration we have no motivation.
Inspiration comes about because of change or seeing the possibility of change. If you always do the same things, this will be either minimal or non-existent. You must search out and have new experiences in order to find inspiration. This works by seeing new places or people who can inspire you. There are many ways to find and the inspiring moments and things will different for everyone.
Look at :
Blogs, books and magazines, listen and look at people and things in the world around you, movies and forums, art go to the museum and seek it in the pictures, nature, history,travel and even religion and definitely BREAK your routines, do things differently, look at thing in a different way, think differently, challenge your way of looking at the world.
Play around with images not only in camera but on the computer. Try monochrome, try filters, try introducing movement into an image during taking or later in Photoshop, anything that will help get the creative juices going again.
Trying setting yourself some projects that are unusual to you, make them challenging, challenge your skills, use your skills, develop your skills.
There are times when we all feel blighted and unable to take a picture. Why is this, where does this lack of motivation materialize from ?
Motivation to take pictures generally come from and external source, money, recognition that compel you to get out of your bed in the morning and go and do what you have to do, but, motivation is, in my opinion is not the most important part of this process.
Inspiration,stimulationorarousalofthemind,feelings,etc,tospecialor unusualactivityorcreativity without inspiration we have no motivation.
Inspiration comes about because of change or seeing the possibility of change. If you always do the same things, this will be either minimal or non-existent. You must search out and have new experiences in order to find inspiration. This works by seeing new places or people who can inspire you. There are many ways to find and the inspiring moments and things will different for everyone.
Artist Anna Wacker is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of these images. From the series ‘Art in the Ship Graveyard’. To see Anna’s body of work, click on any photograph. Run Before The Wind Cape Horn Fever Old Salt Corsair Pirate One can find the most fascinating…
Photographer Anne Murat is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Tokyo Solo’. To see Anne’s body of work, click on any image. 418 more words
Well well well. It sure looks like the X-E line isn’t dead afterall. One of the most pocketable APS-C Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras just got even more pocketable, and even more sleek and stylish. All of it without compromising features of the models that comes before it. But is there really a place for a […]
The nightmare of the plastic and polystyrene waste scattered around the city does not seem to be getting any better. There seems to be little political commitment to tackling this problem and without that, it will never go away.
Ian Kydd Miller
As seen above is the collection of plastic waste at Bueng Trabek this fills the canal and just seems to get bigger. This will not rot down or go away and needs action to remove it and dispose of it in a proper fashion.
People are living with this stinking mess literally on their doorstep. The problem is caused by people actively or passively dumping their waste into the open sewer that leads to Bueng Trabek lake. The people need to start taking more responsibility for the care and disposal of their day too day waste and a much more effective system of collection must be implemented by those with that responsibility.
It saddens me personally to see this potentially great city let down by its inability to keep itself clean and maintain at least a level of hygiene that is not a danger to some of its population.
Five simple things that you as an individual can do to reduce plastic waste.
1. Break up with bottled water.
Save hundreds of dollars per years by saying goodbye to single-use plastic bottles.
2. Shop with reusable bags.
100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year. Switch to reusables to reduce your overall waste.
3. Skip the straw.
Do without or if you like having something to sip with, use a glass, bamboo, hay, metal or another type of reusable straw. Ask for no straw when ordering drinks.
4. Recycle everything!
And we do mean everything you cannot reuse, compost, or donate.
5. Choose seasonal and local.
Avoid prepackaged food, shop at the local farmers’ markets and refuse plastic packaging.
a world without pictures is like coffee without cream and sugar, bitter 