Creating Perfect Memories

For all its risks and sorrows, we still live in a wonderful world, and with modern transport we can be whisked within hours to new and exciting places. Whether we are intrigued by ancient monuments or astounded by magnificent landscapes, foreign travel rarely disappoints those who journey with both mind and eyes open.

One of the greatest things about travel is sharing special moments on our return. We want other people to see what we saw, to know that, yes, it really was as beautiful as we described it, as awe-inspiring, colorful, serene. After time, when memories begin to fade, we want these reminders for ourselves as much as for others.

This is surely why one of the first items in a tourist's travel bag is a camera. It's such an essential part of any journey that many of us don't even need to write it on our packing list, it's already right there next to the passport.

Of course, even today's cameras with all their wizardry can only do so much, they still need a photographer to seek out scenes and objects that tell the tale of the journey. And even then, there is an additional step, one that we sometimes forget and which results in a sinking feeling once we view our photos and find none of the magic that we saw with our own eyes. This step is the composition of the photo and is about framing the elements of the scene in a way that looks as great in a 2-dimensional image as it did when we were right there.

Fortunately, this can be learned. I was delighted to find a fantastic guide to composition put together by Sibelius. His article is entitled Learn Techniques of Travel Photography for GREAT Vacation Photos and is full of top tips for getting the perfect shot. Photography is of course a visual art, and this helpful tutorial is packed with images that show us composition in action. Read it before you travel, or even on your next day out with your camera, and banish those photography blues with images that really do live up to your memories.

Visit: Learn Techniques of Travel Photography for Great Vacation Photos

Image Credit: Palenque, Mexico by AndyPo