Photos are a Key Component of the Travel Experience

Taking a river cruise vacation is the ultimate reward for hard work, planning, and preparing. Documenting your experience is the story, the validation, and the documentation that you will bring home with you to reflect back on your trip joyfully. Living in the 21st century, travel now includes the expectation that you will take hundreds of photos for your enjoyment and share them through social media.

Selfies are all the rage and really do offer the photographer complete control of what they are photographing. Your smartphone is an amazing tool for taking photos, editing, and sharing them on the spot and the best part is it is always ready to go.

How do you take fantastic postable travel photos? Ones that include yourself and everyone in your travel party?

Here are some suggestions to make you a star photographer in no time. 

1. Prepare for the shot – When you are taking travel photography this is the most difficult part. Decide what your goal is in the picture that you are about to take and then set up your camera accordingly. For example, by traveling the rivers you will enjoy some unimaginable and stunning landscapes. You will get some quality photos by using the panorama tool. If you are taking a selfie in front of the landscape, don’t use panorama, instead take three to four shots from various directions. One of them will offer you the perfect lighting that you were hoping for. Remember to let others in your photo know how many photos you are going to take. Nothing is worse than reviewing your photos at the end of the day to find out you had the perfect shot with the best lighting but someone wasn’t ready for the photo. 

2. Less is more – some of the best photos are the simplest ones. Trying to get too much crammed into the photo can lose focus on what you are trying to capture. Try taking shots from a few different perspectives, like shooting low to high. This technique will add unique details to the photo and it will make your subject stand out. Choosing a low angle will also not make it appear that you have grown a chateau or a statue on your head. 

3. Avoiding obstructions – your best photos can be taken in the busiest locations filled with people walking behind you and taking photos next to you. A selfie will provide you with your target, shoot up to what you are wanting to capture behind you and don’t be afraid to zoom in. This will provide more focus on you and less on what is happening around you. As a general rule, you want to avoid shooting directly into the sunlight for the best quality. The exception is during sunrise or sunset when the lighting can help you to create some amazing silhouette photos as you travel the river that will definitely get you likes and comments. 

In a world where people arrange their travel online, BucketList Travel Advisors matches travelers’ lifestyles to help them choose, plan and book river cruises to amazing destinations. Download our Guide to Get to know the European Rivers to take shareable photos.