10 Tips for Taking Better Travel Photos

We see them in the news, in magazines and on social media all over the internet-the perfect travel photos. Having good photos is especially important for those promoting their businesses. If you think you need expensive equipment to capture the perfect moment, you're wrong. With these few tips, you can ensure your final product is an image the rest of the world will be envious of.

The best camera is one you can have with you at a moment's notice. If you're able to always have it handy, you'll be ready for those unexpected moments that often afford you the best pictures. And, unless you're planning a photo shoot, you're not going to want to lug around a heavy DSLR. For convenient yet still breathtaking photos, get a small point-and-shoot camera or simply start practicing with your phone camera. Luck plays a large role in travel photography and when you stumble upon that perfect moment, you're going to want to take a picture.

The rule of thirds is the first lesson in most photography courses and for good reason. With proper alignment, any photo is instantly improved. Imagine that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. Think about aligning your scene, regardless of whether you're photographing people, architecture or landscapes. Most phones have an available grid setting and you should keep it on all the time.

You want to stand out, don't you? If you're hiking in nature, wear a bright colored jacket. The most dramatic color to use is red because it's such a hard color to find in nature. The effect works best if the area of contrasting color is relatively small and not centered. If you're traveling to the city, bring a fun patterned outfit to highlight a scene. The high contrast will enhance most compositions and make your subject separate from the background.

Don't settle for the standard photo. How many times have you seen a photographer move around, crouch down, or reach their camera overhead? He's probably looking for a unique angle. You don't need to climb a tree to vary your composition. Simply shooting horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) can help change it up. If you can't move around, use some camera zoom.

Add a person to give a vast landscape scene some size. If you're photographing a mountain, find something small and easily identifiable to help showcase just how imposing the landscape really is. The tiny people in the frame emphasizes how big the landscape really is, especially if the people are far away from the camera.

'Golden hour' can produce awesome colors, but generally, the best time of day to shoot outdoor photography is during the few hours following sunrise and the few hours before sunset. During that time, shadows are softer and the light is more flattering. Avoid shooting midday because the light can often be overpowering. If you are taking a portrait midday, find some shade to work in your.

To add some background blur, "bokeh", lower your aperture. To achieve a high level of bokeh in an image, you need to use a fast lens. And the faster, the better. If you are using a phone, make sure you shoot in portrait mode to lower the aperture. Also, the best blur is achieved when your subject is far away from the background, so get close to your subject to separate the foreground and background.

This tip may seem self-explanatory, but it is often overlooked with new photographers wanting to be "artsy." You may find a ceiling fan or door handle interesting at the time, but save the contemporary photos for time spent at home. While traveling, you're going to want to remember the interesting sights, tasty food and spontaneous laughs, so remember to save that memory space for something that matters.

There is a common myth that editing your photos is "cheating." If you had the ability to make an image more pleasing, why wouldn't you? It used to be the darkroom, and now it's the computer. All pros use post-processing software to fix small details on their images. Learning how to process images after you've taken them is just as important as choosing a camera. Also, most phones offer photo editing apps for fast touch-ups.

Gone are the days of film and a limited amount of photos. If your scene looks good, but something seems off, keep shooting. Most pros don't get it right the first time. Subscribe to photo magazines and follow some new photographers on social media for inspiration. Remember that photography is fun and practice makes perfect!