The Psychology of Travel Photography: 12 Unique Tips For Better Travel Pics

Quick, think about your earliest childhood travel memories. What pops up in your mind? If you’re like me and many others, the first travel “memories” you have are actually based on travel photos. Early childhood brains have not fully developed to maintain memories. So, that means that travel photography can be crucial in assisting with recall of those early travel experiences.

How about when you think of your next travel destination or bucket list spot? More than likely, you’ve seen a beautiful picture of that location rather than simply a verbal description. Inspiration often greets us through pictures and imagery, and the same is true for travel photography. So, let’s take a closer look at the psychology of travel photography and why we take travel photos.

Travel Photography for the Memories

For the amateur travel photographer, what is the number one reason for why to take travel photos? The answer is to help capture the moment for later recollection. In other words, for the memories! Psychologically, we don’t want to miss capturing special moments. We hate to think that we may forget an important aspect or that it ever happened at all.

One way to help with this is to anticipate the moment. Before you set up the tripod, take a deep breath and take in the scene in front of you. Importantly, notice the emotions you feel in that moment. What catches your attention about the landscape or the people?

Use that emotional observation to guide your photographic intuition. Frame the scene in a way that focuses attention to the things with the greatest emotional relevance. This will make it more likely that others will be attracted to the photo as well.

“Frame the scene in a way that focuses attention to the things with the greatest emotional relevance.”

-Psychology of Travel

It’s not just the image…

Research has shown that photographic images can evoke emotion. These feelings are something that our brains automatically connect with visual imagery. This is awesome, as we can help recall emotion intentionally by taking photographs!

This is why people are more likely to appreciate and remember your use of emotion in your work. So remember, it’s not just the image you are trying to catch, it’s the memory and “feel” of the moment.

However, sometimes we end up missing the special moments because we’re too focused on taking a photo. We get so busy trying to get out the camera rather than being mindful of the wonderful experience itself. Have you ever gotten frustrated trying to get your family to smile for the camera and it resulted in increased anxiety rather than appreciation of that special moment?

So relax, capture what you can with the camera, and pay more attention to the experience rather than the image. You’ll find yourself taking better photos that way. Plus, you’ll have more positive memories connected to those moments that you got to truly enjoy!

Travel Photography for Social Connections

I’m reminded of the outdated experience of showing your family slideshow to the neighbors. Picture them drifting off to sleep going through hundreds of your family travel pictures. However, there’s also a not-so-antiquated version of that same experience you may be guilty of as well. I’m referring to the vast social medial uploads of recent vacations for our virtual neighbors to see.

With image-heavy social media options like Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, we can show the world our travel photography like never before in history!

Still, how often do you go through all 462 photos from the recent trip of a friend on social media? Perhaps a better question would be, how often have you been the friend uploading 462 photos from your vacation, expecting the world to be as enamored with the captured images as you are?

It’s all About the Context…

One reason for this sharing behavior is because the travel photos are related to your memories, not just still images with no context. You remember why you were smiling in that moment as the dolphin brushed past you and tickled your leg. You bought that special outfit just for that very romantic dinner on the snow-capped mountain. The kids were laughing about their very first time trying an exotic food. These are special images that we like to share because they are special memories.

The bottom line here is that you can add social value to your travel pics by sharing the pictures that demonstrate a story. People want to know more rather than swiping past because it is evident that something important is happening. Or perhaps, that even the landscape itself has a noteworthy tale to share (think, ocean waves or jagged peaks!).

Aim for taking or sharing pictures that encompass a story, an emotion, or both. You will find that you build better social connections this way.

Travel Photography for the Professional

Professional travel photographers, on the other hand, may have less vested interested in preserving memories. For the pro photographer, the creative influence or laser-focus on branding often take center stage. Alignment, exposure, framing, F-stops, editing, and other tools of the professional travel photographer showcase the uniqueness of a particular location.

Professional photographs are often meant to inspire, whether to travel to that place or to highlight a travel brand. This is not a bad thing. In fact, professional photographers are responsible for the amazing content in travel magazines and travel blogs. They also contribute in more subtle ways like still-shots on travel television shows or travel industry advertisements.

There’s a reason all of those media outlets pay a premium for high quality travel photographs. Put simply, people notice these images above the white-noise of many other photography specializations.

“It’s hard to not imagine yourself “there” when looking at a beautiful landscape, beach, or entertainment venue.”

-Psychology of Travel

Think about it, it’s hard to not imagine yourself “there” when looking at a beautiful landscape, beach, or entertainment venue. We owe gratitude to these professional photographers, as very few of us have not been inspired at some point by their work.

We may not all be able to be professional travel photographers. Still, we can learn from them to upgrade our camera skills. For example, I would recommend the Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography or the National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography. Also, check out the video below for a great overview on travel photography basic tips.

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Easy Ways to be a Good Travel Photographer

Now that we’ve explored some of the basic psychology of travel photography, we turn our attention to how to get the most out of it. By this, I mean getting the most out of taking photos and out of enjoying them after your trip. Here are 12 unique tips for taking travel photography and for sharing your travel pics.

Tips for Taking Travel Pics

• Buy a good travel camera and good travel gear (like travel-friendly camera backpacks, hard-shell DSLR camera cases, and don’t forget the travel tripod for selfies and family photos!). It doesn’t have to be expensive. However, if you don’t have the basic gear you may miss out on the main reason you’re taking the picture. Blurry family photos don’t sit well on the mantle.
• View photos by professional travel photographers for inspiration. I would recommend the Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography or the National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography. Notice the composition and subject matter. Have fun trying to take similar photos, even if it does not turn out quite as polished as the pros.
• Do some research on travel photography techniques. Check out expert resources on travel photography from the professionals such as National Geographic and Expert Photography.
• Relax, capture what you can with the camera, and pay more attention to the experience rather than the image. You’ll find yourself taking better photos that way, with more positive memories connected to those moments.
• Set shortcuts on your smart-phone like setting your camera app on your home screen. The fewer clicks or swipes to get the camera on, the more likely you will be able to get a quality “quick shot” when you need it.
• Identify why you’re bringing a camera in the first place. Preserving memories? Expressing your creativity? Professional work? Wanting to share with family and friends? If you think through this ahead of time, it will guide you in bringing the most appropriate gear and taking the most appropriate photos.
• If you’re not particularly photography-minded, find ways to remember to take photographs often. This may seem obvious, but not all of us remember to take photos consistently! One way to help you remember is to spend time with someone that loves to take pictures frequently. This will provide a natural cue for you!

Tips for Enjoying & Sharing Travel Pics

• Only upload your top 5 to 9 vacation photos to social media at a time. Research indicates that most adults can store around 7 items in short-term memory. The attention spans for your viewers may run out before they get to that epic shot way down a huge image list.
• Actually schedule time to look back at the photos you took. One idea is six months or one year later, put it on your calendar to go through the pics again. Some people have a tendency to never really look back and appreciate those photographed moments unless it’s on the schedule.
• Email one or more of your favorite travel photos to yourself with the subject “Read When I Need a Smile”.
• Aim for taking and sharing pictures that encompass a story, an emotion, or both. You will build better social connections in this way.
• *Bonus: This one seems to be forgotten the most often. You are getting to travel and take pictures…have fun!!! It will shine through in the photos you take and share.
• Submit your photograph to a travel photography contest!

See the Psychology of Travel post taking an in-depth look at the mental health perks of travel for more. Plus, remember to sign up for the free Psychology of Travel Newsletter for more travel tips and updates!

Happy Travels,

Dr. L
Founder, PsychologyofTravel.com

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