Take Stunning Photos in Greece! Or anywhere... 5 Tips for taking better Travel photos.
Updated: Apr 2, 2019
Tip #1 Visit the Popular Sites and Cities
Ok Im sure you're wondering why this is even a thing, but sometimes when you are planning to travel you find yourself wanting to just relax and avoid the crowds. While this is generally a great idea, when you get back home from your destination and you start scrolling through Instagram and you see all the great pictures people have taken in those popular areas, you will begin to regret that you didn't at least go see it, even if it is crowded or a bit over rated. Let me tell you, in Greece nothing is overrated! I encourage you to spend the money to see the Acropolis, even though the scaffolding has been up since the 60s it's still worth knowing you saw it with your own eyes! Watch the changing of the guards if you can, and try to snap some interesting pictures there through the crowd. Use the backs of people's heads to add more layers to the photo. Make sure you visit Santorini! I know everyone speaks of how great the sunset is, and you might feel like "when you've seen one sunset, you've seen them all".... LIES! You haven't seen a sunset in Oia, Santorini, if you have seen a sunset in Oia,
Santorini. When the sun hid just bellow the horizon the crowd erupted in applause, and it deserved every bit of that standing ovation. The sunset in Santorini is a not just beautiful, it is an experience. Watching the colors of the buildings go from white to pastel pink, and light orange... watching shadows emerge on the sides of buildings adding lines that enhance the already beautiful architecture, and even experiencing the city transition from peaceful to a bit of a frenzy 30 minutes before the sunset as every one tries to claim their spot with a good view.
I'm not much of a crowd person, but trust me, there's some sort of magic in the crowds in Greece, just do it, go to the popular places.
Tip #2 Visit Popular Attractions Early in the Morning
Speaking of Santorini, you will want to experience it early in the morning just after sunrise if you want to get lots of photos of empty streets and all the nooks and crannies. When I arrived in Oia and I saw the massive amounts of people, I knew there was almost no way for me to get beautiful photos like the ones I see on Instagram and Pinterest unless I took them early in the morning when everyone was still sleeping. There are lots of people walking about in Oia, so you will want to get some good shots early in the morning as well as later on once the people arrive.
Tip #3 Go Off the Beaten Path
Some of the most beautiful and interesting photos I have taken were taken while wondering down a little side road, or looking in the opposite direction of everyone else, or just changing my perspective.
These are the photos that help you remember how the city or place felt, smelled...or sounded. You will find that if you look in the opposite direction of the major attraction you will find all sorts of little gems. Now, when I say go off the beaten path, I don't mean go into the slums of Athens in the middle of the night... while I did do this, it is not advised!
Tip #4 Use Framing
You will see in photo of the changing of the guards, I used the bus to frame the onlooking soldier, and the cab the frame the pigeons on the ground. You don't always have to use the obvious as your focal point.. Using framing can add so much more depth to your photos making them far more interesting than just straight on shots. I have used fences, heads, busses... all sorts of things to frame shots! This is especially useful in crowded areas because often times there will be a lot of things in your way, instead of avoiding the shot or asking people to move, use it to your advantage!
Tip #5 Put Down the Camera
I know this might be a difficult thing to do, especially in a place like Greece. You will want to have your camera on blast mode the entire time, but sometimes you have to just put the camera down and enjoy the experience. You will take excellent mental photos, creating stronger memories when you are a little more relaxed and enjoying the moment. Also, you should save some memories just for yourself and the ones you traveled with. Social media has gotten us to a place where we want to share every detail of every experience, leaving nothing to the imagination of others. Sometimes when looking at photos of a particular place on Instagram you can almost feel like you visited the place yourself. By holding a little back you can encourage others to travel and create memories of their own!
If you or your family are planning to travel and you want professional photos of you while you enjoy your time, I will be more than happy to travel with you and take your photos. Contact me and we can discuss the details!