Matador’s Top 4 Photo Tips: Enter Your Pics in the AppUp Challenge

1. Incorporate action

The travel photographs that really work portray some sort of action.

It could be something as subtle as a glance over a steaming coffee mug or an aggressive rugby match on a muddy pitch. Capturing action in your photographs adds atmosphere that an otherwise straight-on shot lacks.

The same concept can be applied to landscapes. A photograph depicting a lush green meadow can easily transform from boring to interesting if you capture a couple grazing white sheep as well. Including action elements in your landscape shots also adds a sense of scale.

More: Learn the A-B-C-D-E of travel photography.

2. Switch vantage points

Change your perspective on the subject. Chances are the more common angles you’ll come across are the full-on shots with people smiling (and sometimes waving) towards the camera.

Try a more unconventional approach by photographing buildings or landmarks at an angle or from a different perspective than you normally would.

More: Learn how to take better photos of landmarks.

3. Focus on one person

If you happen upon a group of people who you want to photograph, you know you’re instantly going to get a busy shot. By focusing on and connecting with just one individual in the group, their intense portrait can invite viewers to join the party.

More: Learn how to take better travel portraits.

4. Learn a few basic editing strategies

While using certain polarizing and UV filters can help adjust composition in the field, such equipment can be pricey for someone still contemplating whether to get into travel photography more seriously. Also, investing in the latest photo processing software may be overkill at this stage.

Instead, consider free photo editing software to enhance your shots. By learning a few editing strategies such as adjusting contrast, lighting, and saturation, you can improve the visual impact of your photographs.

More: Learn essential tips for the budding travel photographer.

Now that you know the ropes…

…head over to the Intel AppUp Travel Photo Challenge and make us proud.

[Editor’s note: This post was created in partnership with Intel.]