Written by Rex Vogel, RVing with Rex explores North America one meaningful place at a time through destination guides, history, slow travel, and thoughtful storytelling. Drawing on years of RV travel and firsthand experience, the site helps readers move beyond simply seeing places to truly experiencing them.
A primer for budding photographers and a refresher for those looking to improve their skills
One of the most fulfilling aspects of traveling in an RV is taking photos, sharing them with friends and family, and reliving your memories. Capturing beautiful and engaging photos is a skill that takes time to master but it’s not hard to learn. Plus, practicing is really fun.
Every photograph tells a story re-creating a three-dimensional scene in two dimensions. This means the entire scene from near to far is made up of objects that relate to each other in terms of their relative size, position, and clarity. The layout of a photo is called the “composition” of the image and it is arguably the most important aspect of photography whether you use a cellphone or a top-of-the-line camera.
With that in mind before whipping out your phone to take a pic pause and think about what you want to emphasize in the image. Larger objects dominate the composition. So, if you are taking a photo of a person, a close-up that fills the picture is all about the person and not about the place where they are located. In contrast, an image with tiny figures in a vast landscape is all about the setting; the people are accents.
By the same token, you also can highlight either the people in a scene or the landscape around them if they face toward or away from the camera. We are instinctively drawn to the eyes and facial expressions of people looking at us. So, if you want to emphasize the people, have them face the camera. If you want to draw the viewer into the landscape, have them turn away from the camera, looking at the vista. This encourages the viewer to look at the landscape along with them.
The relative proportions of the objects in a photo also accentuate the subject. If you are witnessing a stunning sunset where the sky appears to be on fire, most of the image should feature the colorful sky. If you find a dazzling field of wildflowers that seems to go from horizon to horizon, fill the image with flowers. You can anchor the location with something iconic to the region, like cacti or mountains.
Capturing the majesty and immensity of America’s best national park landscapes can be challenging. Looking out across the layers of rocky ramparts that make up the Grand Canyon or staring down into the fairytale turrets of Bryce Canyon takes your breath away. However, it’s difficult to come away with photos that are as dramatic as what you saw.
Sometimes simply adding a measurable object in the scene—a person, animal, or tree, for instance—can give the viewer a way to quantify the size of the surrounding landscape. A tiny figure walking between massive rock formations or standing atop a towering precipice emphasizes the enormity of the scene in relation to the person.
Another way to draw the viewer into a scene is by using “leading lines” especially diagonals and curves. Set up the shot so the diagonal lines come out of the lower corners of the image and head toward the main subject. These lines are easier to spot in a two-dimensional photo than in our three-dimensional world.
However, the edge of a road or lane lines painted on a road are an easy place to see them. Curvy roads make great leading lines, too. A winding road or trail leading to something alluring makes a great shot. We read from left to right so positioning the diagonals to come in from the lower left corner catches our eyes and we follow those lines into the center of the image.
Positioning the subject slightly off-center in the image can also add some spice. The “rule of thirds” suggests you place the major components of the image one-third and/or two-thirds of the way across the photo vertically and/or horizontally. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, however, and I find that just shifting the subject slightly off of center can make a huge difference.
Similarly, a subject can be framed in an image by shooting through a window, under an arch, or between two trees. Framing one object between two others results in three primary things in the image and often a great balance or “tension” in a photo is achieved by the triangle that is formed between them.
Applying these concepts takes practice. One of the best ways to improve your skills is to study the work of great photographers. Many excellent photo galleries can be found online. For example, search for “best online photography galleries.”
Another way to practice composition is to take photos from the passenger’s seat as another person drives. This works best in national and state parks and along country roads.
The most dramatic natural colors occur at sunrise and sunset. It is worthwhile to continue taking photos after the sun has risen and to begin taking photos an hour before the sun goes down as the landscape is bathed in a golden glow with deep shadows at these times. The exact same photo shot at noon will be far more appealing when it’s taken during either of these “golden hours.”
Early morning is also a time when the air is still allowing for beautiful reflection photos at lakes and ponds because the water is like a mirror. Delicate wildflowers stop wiggling, too. Another huge reward for climbing out of bed before you really want to is that animals are active at dawn. Thus, it’s a great time for wildlife photography.
You can lure hummingbirds to your campsite by hanging a suction-cup-mounted hummingbird feeder on your RV window and then shoot through the window from inside. Other critters and small birds will stop by if you place a shallow dish of water on the ground away from your RV where they feel safe. Many chipmunks in campgrounds are experienced beggars and may treat you to great photo ops when they stop by for a drink.
Above all, have fun taking pics. Photography is a rewarding lifelong endeavor, and an ideal hobby to accompany your RV travels.
Here are a few great articles to help you do just that:
Here are a few tips to help take your photos to the next level when you’re on the road
With cameras on our phones, everyone is a decent photographer these days. It’s easy to grab a snapshot or a selfie at a moment’s notice. But sometimes it’s difficult to capture mementos of our travels—nature shots seem ho-hum and boring. So here are 12 tips to help take your photos to the next level.
When you take a photo, you are really just capturing light, so you need to be able to pay attention to all your light sources and understand how they will interact with the mechanics of your camera.
Beautiful, sunny days look gorgeous but cameras can struggle with the harsh shadows cast by the midday sun. If you’re shooting portraits, place your subject in the shade to get the same exposure on their face and body. You can always bump up the brightness using a photo editing app to get it exactly how you want it to look as long as the light is even.
If you’re shooting a landscape photo, try angling your body so that the sun is at your back, shining on whatever you’re shooting. Unless you’re into artsy stuff, in which case, I love the look of bright, dappled sunlight coming through tree branches with just a hint of a lens flare. This technique works especially well for Spanish moss, the silver garland that hangs from live oak trees in the Southeast especially in the Low Country where it is just about everywhere you turn.
Here is a brief summary of the three parts of your camera’s exposure. ISO: This sets how “sensitive to light” your camera becomes. A higher ISO number means the camera will be more sensitive so you can use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture, but will also be progressively more grainy with higher and higher numbers.
Shutter Speed: This sets how long your shutter will stay open, letting light hit your sensor. Slower shutter speeds will produce motion blur if anything in your image is moving but they let in much more light allowing for a lower ISO or tighter aperture. Faster shutter speeds can “stop time” and make even quickly moving objects appear to be frozen but they let in much less light, so you’ll need to compensate with a larger aperture or a higher ISO.
Aperture: The “aperture” of your lens is much like the iris of your eye—it can be opened very large to let in a lot of light or it can be opened only a tiny bit to let in only a very little amount of light. As I discussed above, a wide aperture will produce a very shallow depth of field while a smaller aperture will produce a much deeper field of focus.
It should be obvious that ISO, shutter speed, and aperture all affect each other. If you open your aperture, you’ll need to speed up your shutter or use a lower ISO. If you change your ISO, you’ll need to adjust either your shutter or aperture (or possibly both) to compensate to get the right exposure. Once you have mastered the exposure triangle, you can leverage the parts of the triangle to more accurately capture what you see.
An hour or so after dawn and an hour or two before sunset is what photographers call “golden hour.” It refers to the special golden quality the light takes on during those periods when the sun is low in the sky and its rays are slanting through the atmosphere.
Golden hour makes any subject look a little more magical whether you’re shooting a mountain at dawn or a late afternoon desertscape. If you’re looking to capture some really special keepsake photos, plan your best shots for golden hour and watch as Mother Nature gilds your subjects with light. And if you’re shooting a sunset, don’t forget to turn around as the scene before you might be even more amazing.
One common photography pitfall is shooting a subject from too far away. But getting closer and filling the frame can make for more dynamic shots whether you move physically closer to your subject or zoom in a bit. You can still shoot “wide” or from further away but adding a handful of close-up shots will imbue your photo story with rich context and detail it may otherwise be missing.
To build off that, sometimes it’s not possible to get closer to the subject of our photos. In which case, why not rethink the subject? Instead of shooting a photo of the sunset, try focusing on something nearby instead. A stand of saguaro or a row of palm trees, a bee on a flower, or a sandcastle casting a long shadow on an empty beach. You’ll still get the benefit of that beautiful sunset light but a shot of a smaller detail is more likely to bring back the feeling of that place and time as opposed to a generic photo from further away. Sometimes specificity just makes our memories stronger.
We’ve all seen funny pictures online of people who were unwittingly photo-bombed by their surroundings. Animals popping up unexpectedly or a background object captured at just the right moment to make it look like it is part of something else. When you’re intently focused on capturing your subject, it can be easy to overlook unwanted elements in other parts of your photo. Like a shirtless guy drinking beer just behind your smiling partner’s shoulder or a dog in the middle distance picking that exact moment to heed nature’s call.
So take a second to scan your photo composition and look for unwanted elements. Sometimes it pays to wait a few extra seconds for tourists to clear your shot, giving the illusion that your surroundings are more serene than they really are.
A hiker in Arizona recently slipped and fell 700 feet to his death after trying to take a selfie on the Flat Iron Trail in Lost Dutchman State Park. Time and again, the smallest misstep, distraction, or lapse in judgment has resulted in severe injury or death. To help raise awareness, the National Park Service published a guide to safe photos. “Be aware of your surroundings whether near wildlife, thermal areas, roads, or steep cliffs,” the website says.
Stay focused on your surroundings, not your shot. Tripping, slipping, and falling whether into water or from great heights have all led to selfie deaths. One moment of inattention or distraction could mean the difference between life and death.
Keep your eyes focused on where you’re going and where your feet are more so than what’s in the viewfinder of the camera especially if you’re trying to take a selfie. Make sure your feet are planted firmly before you line up the shot and then don’t move once you do that.
Sure, they’re kind of silly and we all had a good time making fun of selfie sticks when we first heard about them, but the thing is, they can be useful. For one thing, you can take more than selfies with them. They’re perfect for capturing group shots without leaving anyone out. No need to set the timer and dash to get in your own family photos. It’s like having an extra-long arm to help you angle your camera perfectly, so you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope a stranger has good photography skills and the patience to get your shot just right. And if you happen to be in an area where there’s no one around to take your photo, well, then nobody will judge you for using a selfie stick, will they? It’s goofy, it works, I don’t have one but you can embrace it. I won’t laugh!
In case this isn’t obvious, tripods are perfect for setting up things like long-exposure photos, videos, and group shots. Monopods also provide support for cameras and help photographers steady their shots and are less cumbersome to tote than tripods. But if you’re a casual photographer, you might not want to lug a tripod (or monopod) around with you.
Keep your eyes peeled for flat surfaces where you can prop up your camera to capture shots that require total stillness. For instance, you might set the self-timer and then run into the frame to capture a cool portrait shot on a solo hike. Or maybe you want to do a time-lapse of fog moving across the water or the moon rising. Get creative with your surroundings to help get the shot you want.
And if like most of us, you’re using your phone as a camera, there are some very cool, bendable mini-tripods you can get online to help position your shot.
10. Use a BlueTooth remote
Another easy hack is to buy an inexpensive BlueTooth remote control to trigger your shutter. Rather than using a self-timer, you just keep the small control in your hand and press the button to signal to your camera or phone to take a shot. It’s great for self-portraits or setting up your camera to capture skittish birds while you hide behind a tree. Or, shy, small, peaceful wildlife, like rabbits. Don’t do this with bears.
Burst mode is when a camera just automatically takes shot after shot of stills in a row. You can typically trigger this function by holding down the shutter button on your camera or phone. It’s great for capturing quick-moving action, like someone doing a cartwheel or a cheetah going for a run. But it is just as handy for getting selfies or group shots because you’ll capture twice as many photos as you typically do, allowing you to sift through the stills for the perfect moment.
You can also use burst mode to create really cool stop-motion effects, almost like a movie, since there are subtle changes from shot to shot. There are a million ways to experiment and play with burst mode, so let your imagination fly.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a perfect position to capture a truly memorable image but had my camera in my bag, or turned off, or on the wrong settings. Some shot opportunities only last a second or two and if you don’t have your camera in your hand, turned on, and set to reasonable settings you may miss it. When I’m shooting, I’ll frequently double-check my camera settings. I’m constantly adjusting the exposure triangle (see above) to fit what I’m shooting so I can be ready when the opportunity arrives.
We’ve all heard that practice makes perfect but I prefer the adage that perfect practice makes perfect. Photography is an art form that requires a lot of mental thought be put into every shot. I’d recommend practicing each of the previous tips one at a time until they all become second nature and you can easily do them all at the same time. Then you’ll be armed with the tools you need to truly capture what you see.
Worth Pondering…
We don’t take pictures with our cameras. We take them with our hearts and we take them with our minds, and the camera is nothing more than a tool.
Use the mode that helps you capture the image you want
Are the settings on your camera really so hard to understand? Of course not, but it can seem that way at the start, especially if they are not explained to you in simple terms you can understand.
For some photography snobs, shooting in manual mode is a badge of honor, shunning any other mode as something akin to cheating. I do shoot in manual mode, but I use Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority as my preferred modes of choice.
Typically represented by a capital A (or sometimes Av, short for Aperture Value) on the camera mode dial, aperture priority allows the photographer to dial in this specific exposure setting—the ƒ-stop—and asks the camera to calculate the correct corresponding shutter speed in the instant before the shutter is released. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s back up just a moment for a better understanding of how aperture priority mode works.
A camera has three primary exposure modifiers: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The aperture (also called ƒ-stop) is the size of the opening in the lens which modifies the amount of light that’s let into the camera.
The shutter speed modifies the duration that light is let into the camera.
And the ISO (or film speed, back in the old days) represents how sensitive to light the sensor will be. A higher ISO is more sensitive to light (and produces more noise) while a lower ISO is less light sensitive but produces a cleaner signal and better image quality. These days, though, sensor technology is so good that even high ISOs still look great.
It’s by adjusting these three settings in combination that proper exposure is established. If you allow in less light with a smaller aperture, you’ll need to balance it with more light from a longer shutter speed. Add to one, take away from the other. Simple, right?
Well, sometimes it’s not so simple, particularly in situations in which the light is changing. This could be when I’m photographing in full sun then moments later in shade. These changing situations make automatic exposure modes more convenient than continuously recalculating the correct manual exposure.
But rather than turning over all the control to the camera, modes such as Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority allow the photographer to retain manual control over one specific setting. In this case, it’s Aperture Priority, where the photographer sets the ƒ-stop and the camera calculates the correct shutter speed to accompany it.
Aperture Priority mode is particularly helpful in situations where the photographer wants to set a specific depth of field and have that setting take priority over the shutter speed.
Aperture Priority is my mode of choice with landscape photography. To create a sharp image area through greater depth of field the photographer can dial in a tiny aperture such as ƒ/22, and in Aperture Priority the camera will determine which shutter speed will produce the correct exposure. Be warned, though, that in this case, a tripod may be necessary if low light requires a long shutter speed that’s too long to handhold.
Now that we understand the way Aperture Priority mode works, we’ll look at its counterpart on the automatic exposure spectrum: Shutter Priority exposure mode.
Often represented by an S or Sv on the camera mode dial, Shutter Priority mode sees the photographer dialing in a manual shutter speed and leaving the selection of the appropriate aperture to the camera’s brain.
As with any automatic exposure mode, Shutter Priority is particularly helpful in changing light situations, though it’s useful in any situation in which it’s the shutter speed you primarily want to control.
For instance, when I’m shooting birds I want at least 1/500th, I can set the shutter speed in Shutter Priority and let the camera pick the correct aperture to accompany it.
Be aware though if your shutter speed is too fast for the available light you may end up with underexposed images. This can be corrected by dialing in a higher ISO.
Worth Pondering…
Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.
From just-starting-out to novice to experienced, there’s something we can all learn to improve our photos
Photography is a beautiful journey, filled with adventure, and an occasional killer photo. Regardless of where you are on that journey—just starting or embarking on a professional career—these 20 quick little tips will help you and your images stay in focus.
1. No matter how pro you get, it’s still a passion play
Don’t lose the spark that got you into photography. Your passion for creating beautiful images of things that interest you is the underlying motivating force behind every shot you take. When that spark goes out, it also leaves your images. So, treat your inspiration and creativity as the most vital skill you have. Honor it, cultivate it, and nurture it.
You can always get to know light better. Whether it’s landscape photography or birds, lighting is the most important part of photography. Try different ways of capturing light.
Whether it’s an adherence to the rule of thirds, a love of circles, filling the frame, dramatic lines, or repeating patterns, your choices in how you frame a shot defines your photography.
5. Zen and the art of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Here’s what you need to know about the big three: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Each is designed to give more light with a payoff. Understand what each element takes away as it increases light:
A larger aperture gives more light but takes away the length of your depth of field (blurrier backgrounds)
Slower shutter speeds give more light but make your images blurry with camera motion or subject movement
Higher ISO offer more light but adds noise to your image
When shooting in manual, know what the controls take away as well as what they give you.
As lines recede in space, they converge. We know it as perspective. Photographers use leading lines to engage the viewer by drawing their attention into and through an image and to create a dynamic feel. Experiment with the height of your camera, how you position it to look down a road or meandering stream, and where the lines all lead. Kneeling down can dramatically change the way a photo will feel. Likewise, looking down from a high point will alter the perspective. And don’t forget to turn around. A stellar shot may be behind you.
As the legendary photographer, Robert Capa used to say, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” To get the composition you need, sometimes you need to get close—really close. Moving in close to foreground subjects adds incredible depth to a photo. In most cases, you’ll want to shoot at a small aperture to maximize the depth of field in the resulting image.
Put your camera in an unassuming backpack or another option, and keep it near at hand—just in case. You can’t take a photo if you don’t have your camera handy.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who says “That’s a great scene, but I’m just too tired, or I’m in a hurry. I’ll return later when there’s improved quality of light or come back another day.” There’s rarely a next time—and if there is, conditions have changed.
In the beginning, you go out and shoot, and some images look good and some don’t. Then you adjust and get a higher percentage of good images. As you move on from there, never stop those little adjustments. That one step closer to the subject, a slightly steadier hand, experimenting with leading lines—these little things will improve your photography one small adjustment at a time.
Once the amateur’s naive approach and humble willingness to learn fades away, the creative spirit of good photography dies with it. Every professional should remain always in his heart an amateur.
Exploring a new destination from behind a lens or camera is one of the most rewarding aspects of travel
Welcome to the summer of 2020: the season of the road trip. After months in quarantine to slow the spread of coronavirus, you’re likely eager to get outdoors and find healing and rejuvenation in nature. Isolated roads, refreshing rivers, desert vistas, towering trees, and rugged coastlines wait as we safely venture out in RVs and cars. You may not be comfortable to board planes this summer but the open road is calling and, with that, the need to capture the beauty that surrounds us.
No more virtual escapes; you can now set out on a journey in real life (following social distancing protocols, of course) and chronicle your travels in photos. Your camera can document your location, record your experiences, and provide you with incredible creative interpretations. It can capture the expressions as you discover something new and record unforgettable moments and stunning panoramas on your adventures this summer.
It’s always helpful and fun to research areas where you plan to travel. Look for iconic or off-the-beaten-path locations that will make your summer trip special. When planning a road trip, think about a specific location and being there at the time of day that will give you the best light. Google Earth, maps, tide charts, weather apps, and general location searches are helpful. Destination apps can also help identify great shooting locations.
Create a photo goal checklist of what you might see and do along the way. If you are in an area that is inhabited by animals and birds, download nature guide apps and review checklists for spotting wildlife and keeping everyone safe. Guidebooks for locations, wildlife, and local history will help you get the most out of an area.
Great photos can happen any time of day especially when you engage friends or family to be part of the photo experience. Think of new or unique ways to include everyone in an interesting visual narrative. Put yourself into the composition at beautiful locations to tell more of the story and to create memories for life.
Photograph in the amazing golden light of sunrise or sunset. Sunrise on the east coast is a beautiful experience only matched in magnificence by stunning west coast sunsets. Use a wide-angle lens to capture any developing cloud structures in the vast expanse of surf and sun. Arrive early to capture vibrant color before sunrise and stay after sunset to enjoy a brilliant sky.
Any road trip to the beach should include a picnic lunch, photography, exploration, hunting for shells, and time for a swim. A boulder-covered beach creates interesting foreground elements. As summer clouds build, your photos will look more dramatic.
Use a telephoto or telephoto zoom lens to photograph wildlife. A beautiful animal or a small bird can get lost in a composition otherwise.
Keeping your distance is respectful for wildlife and keeps you safe at the same time. A 72-year-old California woman was recently gored and injured multiple times by a wild bison at Yellowstone National Park after repeatedly approaching the animal to take its photo. If you are shooting from your car, a beanbag resting on your window will help you stabilize shots while using a long lens. Patience is a key in capturing a unique gesture that shows the beauty of wildlife.
Research the area and find out when and where wildlife is likely to be spotted. Guidebooks help on identifying the species you may encounter.
Have fun with your camera but make enjoying the overall road trip experience and beauty of your location the biggest priority. The sights, sounds, photo ops, and family time will be great memories forever.
Now, go and have a fabulous summer!
Worth Pondering…
We don’t take pictures with our cameras. We take them with our hearts and we take them with our minds, and the camera is nothing more than a tool.
Though COVID-19 has stalled a lot of travel plans, we hope our stories can offer inspiration for your future adventures—and a bit of hope.
Many people work their entire lives for that day when they can pack all of the time they have left in the world into an RV and leave everything behind.
Some travelers draw up a meticulous plan, map a route, schedule events for each day to keep super busy and fun-filled with the camera being just another record keeping tool. Some pack to the max and travel heavy bringing all the comforts of home on the road—the armchair traveler who shoots from the armchair. Those who travel lightly with only a small bag with room for camera give evidence that they have roamed beyond their comfort level.
RV travel can be high art. The journey, like life, will always end and I must reassure myself that I was here and will be leaving some day. Was I here? Let me look at my photos. Time is running out—moments few and far between, only photographic memories to carry me through to the end.
What does it mean when we capture a moment or scene that we want to remember? Perhaps it’s a wish to stop time in that moment and repeat the most pleasant experience at a future time.
What is real—the landscape or bird we photographed or the facsimile of its moment created with our camera? Which is more enjoyable—the moment we snap the shutter or the moment we revisit that captured moment?
In the pursuit of a timeless photo, it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees. That is, to miss the moment for the photo. While focusing on the image we miss the grandeur of the scene before our eyes. We can scrutinize over every detail while neglecting the people who are there with us sharing in nature’s spectacle.
Yet, over time, we begin to discover that the endearing value of nature photography lay not in the final image itself but in everything behind it and beyond it. In the effort—the effort we exert to be in the right spot to capture the image. In the memories forged along the way; the memories preserved decades later through the photo. The lasting value lies in the process itself.
In landscape and bird photography, the means do not merely justify the end. The means are a worthwhile end in and of themselves.
The classic adage states that it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s of greater importance. With that in mind, the next time you find yourself on a drive along a scenic byway or on a hiking trail…stop. Stop to appreciate the effort you’ve put into arriving at that moment. Stop to appreciate that you’re in the thick of life, capturing the scene in front of you through your camera. Stop and take a moment, to appreciate the moment.
What do we remember most about our RV travels? Creating little pieces of realities with our magic box, or breathing, seeing, and experiencing a moment-in-time so different from what we see in our daily experiences?
Is reality so tenuous that we have to question whether or not we have even experienced it? There is a rainbow—let me confirm it—click. Our experience of the rainbow and the captured moment are two separate and distinct events. Or possibly three or four and many more since recalling the experience and revisiting the image are all different points in time.
Before the camera, we sketched, painted, or wrote about our travels. Before the written word, we sang and spoke of it in verse—like photographs, language stood in for reality and represented what we saw and experienced.
We have spent less than 200 years perfecting the modern camera. It has come a long, long way. It is time now to turn our attention to what is ultimately responsible for the making of photographs—the photographers themselves.
Picture it in the camera inside your head. Yes, your mind is a camera. Back up your images and check your reality—take your camera along on your next RV trip.
RV travel photography is no different than any other type of photography
A good RV travel photo isn’t necessarily about the place in the camera’s frame but instead it is about how the subject existed in that specific moment in time. It matters little whether you are in an RV park or in a location of exceptional scenic beauty it simply comes down to a moment in time and how you choose to capture it.
In this post I’ll discuss travel photography tips that you don’t usually hear and they’re focused on RV travel. The tips come from years of my own experiences combining photography with the RV lifestyle.
Photography is the study of light and a photograph is a moment in time—a moment that has passed and is unique. It’s a moment that will never and can never be duplicated. You can’t rewind time and make it happen again—all you can try to do is capture it.
That moment is where the beauty and magic of photography lives. It’s up to you, the RV travel photographer, to feel and find that moment and translate it into pixels.
I’d say that the knowledge I’ve accumulated from years of RV travel has helped. And, these tips may help you too.
When we think RV travel photography we anticipate sunny blue skies and dread dark, cloudy skies and grey, wet scenes. Unanticipated thick fog that envelops the entire landscape can provide some great photo opportunities which aren’t your typical post card shots. The above photo in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after leaving Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina is an example.
Be prepared regardless of the weather.
Shoot a well-known place but shoot something that it’s not known for
OK, this photo isn’t typical Sedona but that’s why I’m featuring it here. Often when taking photos in a well known location you can end up with the same pictures everyone else.
Sedona is a magical town known for its healing powers and beautiful red rocks that surround the city. Everyone on earth can agree that the red rocks are amazing and that’s why everyone that visits Sedona takes pictures of them. I’m not saying you shouldn’t take photos of the tourist attractions and the beautiful landscapes in the area, but while you’re there also try to find something else that is unique—something that other people are simply missing.
On our last visit to Sedona, I did take photos featuring the red rocks from all the popular tourist vistas but it was this image that really stuck with me because I knew no one else would have this exact photo. While it captures the area’s famous red rocks it was much more that captured my interest. It is beautiful, different, and pure Sedona—and it quickly became one of my favorites.
Don’t forget all the little details that made your RV trip memorable. Whether it’s the fabrics, the food, the architecture, the souvenirs or even the raindrops—be sure to shoot the small details that make that location unique. These things are important and easily overlooked when taking photos. During a recent visit to the Temecula (California) area we stayed at the new 5-star Pala Casino RV Resort. Visiting the nearby Santiago de Pala Mission I was intrigued by the features as shown in the above image.
When you’re reviewing your photos you will be happy that you took those pictures because they will specific memories of your journey.
“If you are not having fun, you are doing something wrong.”
On your RV road trip, focus on having a ton of fun. The more fun you have, the more you’ll enjoy your photo experience, which will result in a high percentage of “keepers.”
In order to have fun, you need to be flexible, because as much as you plan, things can happen—with the weather, traffic, road construction, and so on.
When things don’t go just right, take a deep breath and don’t freak out. “Smile, be happy,” as the Bobby McFerrin song goes. Be happy that you are on the road doing what you like to do: Make photos.
Worth Pondering…
The beautiful scenery is there, but it cares not for pleasing composition or the quality of light at any moment in time. This is where the artist comes in, arranging in a frame the scattered elements into a story, anticipating and chasing the light, bringing it all together to create an evocative image capable of communicating the visual experience and impressing the grandeur of a fleeting moment on viewers for generations to come.
Slightly unusual tips for travel photography you don’t usually hear
You may have seen countless posts about travel photography
tips online. Most of them touch on more or less the same stuff, which is fairly
obvious or pretty commonplace.
In this post I’ll discuss travel photography tips that I
would consider fairly unusual. They aren’t something you commonly hear and
they’re focused on RV travel. The tips come from years of my own experiences
combining photography with the RV lifestyle.
I try to create photos that are unique to the place but different from the masses of images out there in cyberspace and elsewhere. I’d say that the knowledge I’ve accumulated from years of RV travel has helped. And, these tips may help you too.
The main “event” is
often not the main thing photographically
The main event can be a festival, an RV rally, a bird
sanctuary, a special event, even a market day. Sometimes these main events are
amazing, but other times shooting “around” them and without the crowds makes
for much more interesting and engaging photos. The above photo is just one
example.
It was taken at 6 a.m.—before the major events of the annual
Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge started. Just
the sunrise, the sandhill cranes as they prepare for flight and a few avid
photographers that brave an early morning November chill.
There won’t be a next
time
I’m sure I’m not the only one who says “That’s a great
scene, but I’m just too tired, or I’m in a hurry. I’ll return later when
there’s improved quality of light or come back another day.” There’s rarely a
next time—and if there is, conditions have changed.
I photographed this Rocky Mountain goat in Jasper National
Park one afternoon while traveling on the Yellowhead Highway to points west. I
saw the goats while driving our motorhome—a rare sighting as these sure-footed
beasts are more commonly seen at precipitous heights in alpine regions. I took
advantage of the opportunity right there and then. I’ve driven this route
dozens of times over the years and have seen wapiti (elk) and Rocky Mountain
sheep without another sighting of goats.
This tip involves putting yourself into interesting
positions. Sometimes eye level is boring and switching things up can help
dramatically—get high, get low, or get sideways.
Try actually lying on the ground and taking some photos. The world looks really different from down there and your photos will be completely different too. Really intrigued by an insect pollinating a wildflower? Get down on the ground and shoot from their level as I did in the above photo of Mexican poppies along the Pinal Parkway near Coolidge, Arizona.
Going high and low is a fun way to photograph any scene.
Yes, you may get some strange looks but who cares—you’re the one with the
memorable photo.
Aim to have the action
on your doorstep
By action, I mean whatever you came to photograph. Desert
flora and fauna? Early morning or late day light? National or state park?
Whatever that is, you want to be close to it—and you can be by careful and
insightful choice of campgrounds or RV resort.
The photo I’ve included is of early morning light at Usery
Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, Arizona. Camping in the park enabled me to
shoot early every morning when the place was buzzing with energy.
When we think RV travel photography we anticipate sunny blue
skies and dread dark, cloudy skies and grey, wet scenes. An unanticipated snowfall
along the road or at your camping site can provide some great photo
opportunities which aren’t your typical post card shots. The above photo at
Angel Lake RV Park in Wells, Nevada is an example.
No matter how advanced your camera you still need to be
responsible for getting it to the right place at the right time and pointing it
in the right direction to get the photo you want.
Is there such a thing as too much enhancement, and does it make a difference?
Viewing photos in tourism brochures, travel magazines
(think, Arizona Highways), and
Internet sites such as Instagram can be uplifting. Some images are downright
stunning. As a photographer, I can tell you that quite a few of those stunners
have undergone their fair share of editing.
For instance, the starry night photos you may see of certified
Dark Sky Places such as Canyonlands National Park (Utah), Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park (California), and Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona) are
composites of two or more images blended together. Some photographers will
state how many shots it took to create that composite, while others remain
silent about it.
Is it a beautiful image? Yes. Is it an honest image, true to
the original scene? Well? The photo was taken at an honest location as opposed
to a Hollywood backlot and the photo portrays what you will see in that
specific location during a visit to the park. But the photo itself has been
manipulated beyond the average contrast, brightness, saturation, and sharpening
adjustments.
While the shot was captured at a beautiful location, there
were numerous enhancements made to the image allowing the natural beauty
of the scene to really pop out and catch the viewer’s eye, even in the dark of
night. Does that matter to you? Is a beautiful image a beautiful image,
manipulated or not?
I believe most of us like our landscape images to look
natural. But, what is natural? If the image is dull, do we
think that is what the natural landscape looked like? If the image is
colorful, do we automatically assume it’s overdone, simply because there is so much
saturation?
When you visit Arches National Park with its
already-colorful rock formations set afire by the glow of early morning or late
afternoon sun, do you think that’s overdone? I’m not kidding when I
tell you that the brilliant hues of gold and orange are indeed that deeply
saturated on a clear, sunny morning or late afternoon.
I believe every photo needs some degree of editing. The
camera captures all of the data it sees, but the resulting image doesn’t always
deliver what you originally saw due to issues with lighting, color, or exposure
settings. The quality of the camera and lens and skill set of the photographer
are also key factors. The data is there, and it’s up to the photographer to
bring out the beauty of the composition. In my opinion, though,
there is such a thing as overprocessing an image.
In “The Art, Science, and Craft of Great Landscape
Photography,” Glenn Randall recognizes “there are significant
differences between viewing the real world and viewing a photograph of
it.”
I, personally, dislike landscapes that are heavily edited to the point of being unnatural. Of course, photography is a subjective art, and what I think is overdone, others might think of as state-of-the-art. Also, my views on the appropriate amount of saturation in post editing have changed over the years. I no longer feel that more saturation is necessarily better.
Removing extraneous objects from an image is called “cloning
out” and is accomplished via Adobe Photoshop’s clone tools. With a simple click
of the mouse, cloning removes sensor spots as well as objects and people that
got in the photographer’s way.
When is it OK to clone something out aside from sensor spots
(those round blobs you see on your photo when your camera’s sensor has dust
particles)? I believe that unless it’s to be showcased as artistic fine arts the
photo should be left as-is. It is my opinion that scenic vistas and other
landscape images should remain true to the scene.
OK, so back to my original question: Is there such a thing as too much enhancement and does it make a difference? My personal opinion is that you can edit an image too much.
Whether it makes a difference is really up to you. If you think the image is beautiful and it entices you to visit, then no matter how much it’s edited, that photo has accomplished the goals of getting you to like the shot and to go see the beauty of that particular location firsthand. Any alteration is inconsequential. The caveat is that you might be disappointed upon your arrival at a specific view to discover it’s not what you had expected based upon others’ shots.
As an aside, the “Share The Experience” photo contest hosted
by the National Park Foundation, in partnership with six other federal
agencies, stipulates in their guidelines that images entered must not be
“altered or manipulated except for minimal cropping, red eye removal
and/or adjustment of contrast, brightness or saturation.”
Worth Pondering…
…painting is something you do. You
make a painting. You don’t make a photograph. You see a photograph. Photography
is seeing only, you see it, you release the shutter, you use your aperture,
your machine and once you’ve seen it, that’s it. It’s done.
In the December 2013 online edition of Discover Magazine, an
article written by physicist and cosmologist Dr. Max Tegmark proposes that
“everything in the universe is made of math.”
I’m not a mathematician. Finding math challenging I gravitated toward history and geography in college. So, while most of Dr. Tegmark’s article sailed over my head, I did get the gist that there is mathematics in nature, everywhere we look, even if we don’t necessarily recognize it as such at the time. Now, that, I understand.
As a photographer, I look through my camera’s viewfinder and
use math to compose visually and see natural and man-made objects in the form
of geometry. My eyes are grabbed by circles, angles, lines, arcs, ellipses,
rays, and spirals created by beaches, bridges, rivers, rock formations, trees, canyons,
waterfalls, and other things I see in the landscapes around me.
The rule of thirds states than an image is most pleasing
when its subjects or regions are composed along imaginary lines which divide
the image into thirds—both vertically and horizontally. The rule of thirds
divides a photograph into vertical and horizontal thirds. Important
compositional elements are placed at the intersection of the vertical and
horizontal lines.
The golden ratio is an ancient mathematical concept used to
design everything from the pyramids in Egypt to photographs in popular fashion
magazines. The ratio is 1:1.618.
Also known as the Golden Mean, Phi, or Divine Proportion,
this law was made famous by Leonardo Fibonacci around 1200 A.D. He noticed that
there was an absolute ratio that often appears throughout nature, a sort of
design that is universally efficient in living things and pleasing to the human
eye.
Since the Renaissance, artists and architects have designed
their work to approximate this ratio of 1:1.618. It’s found throughout the
Parthenon, in famous works of art like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, and
it’s still used today.
It is actually quite amazing that a rule so seemingly mathematical
can be applied to something as varied and subjective as photography. But it
works, and surprisingly well. The rule of thirds is all about creating the
right aesthetic trade-offs. It often creates a sense of balance—without making
the image appear too static—and a sense of complexity—without making the image
look too busy.
I use that geometry to create scenic images filled with
natural frames, leading lines, and orderly or abstract patterns. When you
compose a landscape photo, you probably don’t realize you may have chosen that
scene based upon geometry. You just know there is something about that
landscape catching your attention and worthy of a spot on your memory card.
Bryce Canyon National Park screams large-scale geometry with its arc-shaped scoops of land. As I stood at the view area at Sunrise Point, I noticed the triangle created by the tree trunk and the hanging branches and included them in the composition. In retrospect, I could have used a slightly wider angle to include more of the tree.
Featuring similar geometric shapes, Cedar Breaks National
Monument sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic
amphitheater.
Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in
addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins, and giant balanced
rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations and inspire
you with its sunsets.
Natural Bridges National Monument features three majestic
natural bridges that invite the viewer to ponder the power of water in a
landscape usually defined by its absence.
The landscape in these Utah parks may seem static but the
powers of wind, water, and time constantly sculpt new worlds. Arches and
bridges are both fragile, natural rock sculptures. Both are formed with water
and time but with different processes. Seeping moisture and frost shape arches
while running water carves natural bridges.
Go back and look at landscape images you’ve captured. Do you
see the natural geometry in your photo compositions? You’ve actually seen
and photographed the mathematics of nature.
