Travel Photography How To

Photographing the ice caves underneath the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, can be a challenge. First of all, the caves, while beautiful, are a treacherous place to shoot. “There is danger involved in going inside, particularly at the entrance, as ice falls regularly and the caves are sometimes closed and some become impassible,” photographer Blaine Harrington explains.

Namibia, located in Southwest Africa along the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the least populated countries in the world, second only to Mongolia. Its diversified, arid, and stark landscapes of desert, sand dunes, rugged coastline, mountains, and salt pans provide a home for some of the last nomadic tribes in Africa, and offer a unique blend of desert flora and fauna. For photographers, Namibia is the ideal destination in Africa to travel overland on a self-drive excursion to find the many photographic possibilities this desert country has to offer.

The first thing I do in a new country is get a prepaid SIM card for my phone. Sure, this means that I’m still connected, but the ability to address Google Maps, TripAdvisor, or Foursquare at any point far outweighs the negatives of being sucked back into the infinite void that is Facebook. Pre-paid SIM cards are available everywhere, and let you use your phone to research photo opportunities and share your next masterpiece in every corner of the globe. 

There is no place on the bucket lists of more landscape photographers than California’s Yosemite National Park. Nowhere else in the world can a photographer find such a concentration of waterfalls, dramatic rock formations, enormous trees, great light, and easy access shooting. Who hasn’t seen amazing shots of El Capitan and Half Dome and thought, “I need to shoot there someday.”

Getting work as a travel photographer has never been easy. Today, factors of the economy and technology have added obstacles that require even more knowledge and planning. The five travel photographers we interviewed work with clients ranging from editorial to corporate and advertising.

If you’re looking for a destination offering unlimited photo opportunities, great history, amazing food, and a bit of debauchery, look no further than New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

Midway in my talk with Daryl Hawk about his travel photography, he mentioned that it was relatively easy for him to approach people and get their okays for impromptu portrait sessions. “I’m polite, I know something of their culture, and I spend time with them,” he said. Then he added, “And I speak a universal language.”