Photo Challenge

I found this blog today and I think I want to take the photo challenge that she describes! When I visit places on my many travels to come, I want to learn more about the culture and document it through photography. (I'm sure CouchSurfing through Europe will help with that!) 

Do you know anything cool about my previously mentioned locations that I can use to document? In case I don't find anything that is.

Travel Photography Tip: Document Your Discoveries!

by Melinda Eliza Sabo - Global Snapshots

Did you know that in Italy, when you dig in your basement you’re very likely to come across ruins? Makes sense if you think about it, but it was a new concept for this Ohio girl. :D What’s awesome is that the Romans have a law that says you have to incorporate a part of what you find in your cellar into the facade of your building. As soon as I discovered this I set out to capture snapshots of these ancient echos.

 

No matter who I show my Italy photo albums to, they love this story and these images best!

 

Photo Challenge: Talk to the locals about their history; they’re likely to proudly recount amazing details to you. When something inspires you follow your creative instincts and document your discoveries!

Top 3 Tips for Becoming a Travel Photographer (in Your Hometown)

1) Don’t leave something for another day

If you were in Cairo, Beijing or Athens (or insert name of far-flung destination that you daydream of visiting) would you pass by a photographic delight, vaguely deciding to come back ‘another day’?

I don't think so! So, don’t do it with your own neighborhood. Photograph what’s there now. It stops you building up long mental ‘to-do’ list of places to photograph, which tends to be dampen rather than fire up my photographic enthusiasm.

And the truth is that, like so many other things in life, your photographic subject won’t always be there for another day. Take grafitti for example, I love it and I always want to take pictures of it. If I don't do it now though, there's a good chance that when I do get around to it, it will be gone. That favorite building of yours? What if it burned down tomorrow and you don't have a photo of it?

Just do it now!

2) Slowly explore a familiar place

Explore slowly, there's bound to be a place that you see every day but have yet to visit. Even a graveyard, children's park, heck even a parking lot, can be great places for photos. Take time to look at things from different perspectives and to go up close, notice the details.

3) Go for a camera-less seeing walk

Yes, this might sound a little bit counter-intuitive to some of you.

Every so often I go for a walk somewhere photogenic, and leave my camera at home. Why? There are two main benefits.

First of all, no matter how great your kit is, or how extensive your technical skill, what makes a photograph come alive is how you see. Secondly, inevitably sometimes I’ll see something and wish so hard that I had my camera. But I don’t – and you know what, the world doesn’t end.