Cliché? No way!

Cliché? No way!

Tips for distinctive, refreshing travel photos!

How do you stay original? How do you avoid ending up with clichéd photos? What should you look out for to create fresh, distinctive travel photos? And what can you keep in mind while preparing, while travelling and after your trip? We’ll give you some ideas, tips and tricks. Let them inspire you, brainstorm your own ideas and follow your intuition. Your creative pics are bound to turn out great. Will you share your new photos with us?

Research

Start looking for beautiful, original photo spots before you leave, so you don’t have to rush it during your holiday. Instagram is a great help: search by hashtags and nearby locations. Scroll through Google Maps around where you’re staying, too. A rental car can also make life a lot easier, letting you get to any location whenever you like. Want to visit a remote spot, or one that involves a fair bit of walking or climbing? Then remember to pack suitable clothing.

Locals

For original photos, skip the most popular tourist attractions and look for the hidden gems. And who knows best where to find them? Yep, the locals! So don’t be afraid to ask local people for tips. Or photograph them, if they’re happy for you to do so. People often make a lovely addition to your shot. If they agree to be photographed, you can really convey the atmosphere of a place. Think of an elderly woman at her market stall with herbs in colorful jars, or a fisherman in a harbor, concentrating as he prepares for his trip.

The wonderful underwater world

Many travel destinations have stunning waters and dive sites – the perfect opportunity for a great travel photo! You can capture these original shots not only with a waterproof action cam, but also with your own mirrorless or DSLR camera in a suitable underwater housing. Other options are waterproof and shockproof compact cameras. These cameras don’t take up much space and are lightweight, which makes them ideal for travelling.

Packing for my trip: an action cam!

The big advantage of action cams is that they are very compact and light. So there’s always room in your suitcase to bring one along. When we travel, we’re often more active than at home and try all kinds of water and extreme sports. An action cam is perfect for capturing those experiences.

In this Travel Theme of the Month, kitesurfer Roderick Pijls explains how he shoots the coolest videos and photos with his action cam. Read the interview with Roderick.

GoPro HERO10 Black

GoPro is an established name in the world of action cams. The HERO10 Black captures stunning footage in 5.3K at 60 fps and 4K at no less than 120 fps! Don’t forget the upgraded HyperSmooth 4.0 image stabilization for the smoothest footage. With 23 megapixels and a 45 fps burst mode, every photo is spot on and of fantastic quality, even up to 10 meters underwater. Go for action!

DJI Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo

This powerful, versatile action cam shoots 4K footage at no less than 120 fps. Its body is dustproof and waterproof to 10 meters, so it’s ready for any adventure you take on. What’s more, thanks to HorizonSteady your 2.7K footage always stays level, no matter how much your camera shakes and vibrates.

VIZU Extreme X8S action cam

Smaller budget? No problem! The VIZU Extreme X8S also records beautiful 4K video at 30 frames per second, and takes photos at a resolution of 16 megapixels. With the waterproof housing you can dive down to 60 meters! The wrist-worn remote control is really handy, letting you operate the camera easily from a distance.

Packing for my trip: an underwater housing!

If you don’t want to buy an action cam but would like to take underwater photos with your DSLR or mirrorless camera, an underwater housing is the answer. We’ve selected three different options that will give you the most beautiful underwater shots – for amateurs and professionals alike. Always test your housing in shallow water or a swimming pool first. That way you can be sure it’s properly sealed.

Aquatech

Aquatech underwater housings are designed for more professional photographers who like to take their camera into the water. Aquatech makes a custom housing for almost every DSLR and mirrorless camera. Depth ratings range from 5 to 10 meters. You keep plenty of control over your settings, even underwater.

AxisGo

You can take stunning underwater photos even without bringing a camera. AxisGO’s underwater housings for smartphones fit the iPhone 6 through to the iPhone X and come in lots of colors. You can shoot photos down to 10 meters, and the touchscreen keeps working thanks to the special glass. The lens is even interchangeable, giving you more flexibility.

DiCAPac

The most affordable option for beautiful underwater photos is a DiCAPac. It’s essentially a waterproof bag that holds your DSLR or mirrorless camera. Special finger holes let you keep operating your camera, and a standard zoom lens can even keep zooming underwater. The bag is waterproof to 5 meters and suitable for snorkeling, among other things.

Images to drone on about

Look at your destination from a different perspective – from above, for example! Drone footage is a wonderful addition to your travel photography portfolio and gives a completely different view of a location. From above you can play with the lines and colors of the landscape, which makes for the most beautiful shots.

Regulations

Planning to take your drone abroad? Check each country’s regulations online first. The rules vary enormously from country to country, and in some countries you’re not allowed to bring a drone in at all – it will be confiscated at customs. Fortunately, there are also plenty of places where you can fly freely, but always take care when flying near densely populated areas, airports, and military and government buildings.

Transport

There are also rules for transporting your drone. Many airlines, for example, don’t allow drone batteries in checked luggage. Taking them in your hand luggage? Always discharge the batteries and use a LiPo bag to prevent the battery from catching fire due to temperature changes. You may also be asked to tape over the contacts. So always check the rules of your airline before you fly.

Packing for my trip:

DJI Mavic 3

Thanks to its Hasselblad 4/3 CMOS camera, the Mavic 3 shoots drone footage in stunning 5K resolution. This camera delivers higher resolution and greater dynamic range than its predecessor. The drone also features Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing for safe flights and ActiveTrack 5.0, which lets your drone follow your subject with ease.

Case Logic Backpack

This stylish Case Logic backpack has plenty of room for at least one DSLR or mirrorless camera, several lenses and your DJI Mavic or Spark drone. There’s also space for a 15” laptop. The backpack has a padded lining and movable dividers, so your gear always stays well protected on the go.

DJI Mavic 3 Battery

The Mavic 3 comes with this Intelligent Flight Battery, which gives you a flight time of 46 minutes. But when you’re out and about visiting several locations, you don’t want to be limited to 46 minutes of flying. That’s when a spare battery comes in very handy. All you have to do is land, swap the battery and you’re ready to hunt for that perfect shot again.

Curious about more travel photography tips? You’ll find them here!