Hi, everybody. Welcome to Episode 38 of the Photography Explained Podcast. In this episode, what is travel photography?

I’m your host, Rick, and each week I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes without the irrelevant details. My aim is to explain things in just enough detail to help you and me with our photography, and no more.

I’m a professionally qualified photographer based in England with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you on my podcast.

Yes, I’m on episode 38. And I’m still having to read that out. Anyway, this is a good one. One of my favourite things.

What is travel photography?

Travel photography is the art of capturing all aspects of a place to inspire others to go there. Travel photography captures and conveys the physical location, landscape, people, and culture. Travel photography educates people not able to visit a location by providing interesting and informative photographs that convey what a place is really like.

Travel photography should make you want to be in that place. This is what travel photography is to me. Okay, all my own words there.

I did have a look on Google to see how people define travel photography, and mine’s better, even if I do say so myself.

Anyway, travel photography is one of my favourite genres of photography. So I’m excited to talk about this in my podcast.

You can listen to the episode here

Or keep on reading. Or do both. Entirely up to you!

1 What is travel photography used for?

As with landscape photography, all sorts of publications and websites use travel photography – it is potentially anywhere you look. I mean, any photo you’ve seen on any holiday brochure, any travel magazine, or anything about travel really.

That’s travel photography.

Travel photography images are also used a lot in stock where there is a big, big demand these days for travel images. And if you go on Instagram, places like that, spoiler alert, I’ll get on to that later, you will see endless, wonderful examples of travel photography.

2 What is the difference between landscape photography, and travel photography

Now then, this is one of those things I had to think about for a bit. Landscape photography is about capturing the physical environment of a place. I’m using the word place because there are lots of other words you can use, but I’m trying to keep it simple and to the point, so place works for me.

Why not?

Landscape photography is about capturing the physical environment of a place.

Travel photography is about capturing that plus the whole essence of a place. Travel photography is about capturing the physical environment, and also the soul and heart of a place.

As I said before, excellent travel photography makes you want to be there. That is the difference for me.

3 Why do I love travel photography?

I just do.

It’s not a good enough answer. Of course, it’s not. Well, travel photography combines two of my favourite things which are travel and photography.

Sunrises

One of my favourite things to do on holiday is to get up early and photograph and video the sunrise. I do this on every holiday, not every morning but a couple of mornings in a two-week holiday is fine.

And what this has done, it’s got me out and I witness things that others do not. Quite often there’s nobody else there. It’s just me watching that sunrise.

Now if I wasn’t into my photography, I wouldn’t see these things. So it’s given me things to see on holiday that others don’t see. It also gets me out into less obvious places, rather than going to the obvious tourist locations.

I hire a car, drive off into the middle of nowhere, park up somewhere and go and wander. Very rarely do I see other people on my own travels.

No, I’m not a loner. I’m comfortable with my own space. So travel photography gives me freedom and exploration and a reason to do it.

4 Who do I take travel photos for?

Just me?

Not strictly true. I have some other websites. Yes, more websites. More on this later.

5 Can you make a living from travel photography?

You can. And you could probably make a very good living from travel photography. But I would imagine it’s a very, very competitive space. It’s such a broad space, so many people doing it. As you’ll see on Instagram, the endless endless scrolling of amazing travel photographs is quite incredible.

6 Do you need specialist knowledge?

No, you do not. Anyone can do this. knowledge will help you, knowledge of taking photos, processing, the outdoors, and travel locations.

But more importantly, in my book, the determination to find new places as in, get off the beaten track, find new things, and photograph new things.

7 Do you need specialist gear?

No, you do not. Anyone can do this, I would recommend a lightweight camera, I use a Micro Four Thirds camera for my travel photography. And it’s fantastic. It’s an Olympus EM5 Mk 2. No, I’m not being paid to say that. I bought it. And I love it.

And that’s what I use to travel.

Another thing I would say is you don’t need specialist gear necessarily, but the right camera bag will make a massive difference. I use a backpack for my camera stuff, which I also use for hand luggage, funnily enough.

Again, not being paid to say this is – it is a Peak Design Everyday Backpack – had it for a few years and love it.

8 How’d you process travel photos?

With freedom and creativity. Do what you want to do. That’s something I love doing, having the freedom. Like I’ve said before, I love doing my commercial photography work. But when I get the chance to just process photos for myself in Lightroom I just love it.

It’s just great. It’s liberating it’s freedom. Do what you want. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again no harm in it. I get a technically correct photo of something first. And then I, well, I might not always, but sometimes I will go and do something different something a bit funkier have a play, enjoy. But I get the good photo first.

9 How do I start as a travel photographer?

Go out and take photos. It can be where you live as well. Now when we think about travel photography, or maybe it’s just me, I think about that as being me being abroad.

But if you think about it, if I took some photos on my local beach, that’s travel photography, because not everybody lives where I do.

So why not? Travel photography can include where you are nothing wrong with that.

Okay. But as I said before, try to take different things. Don’t do the same as everybody else. Find your own little techniques, and compositions, and photograph things from different viewpoints.

And also share them everywhere. Get yourself and your photos out there in that mad world of Instagram, Pinterest, and all the other social media places of inspiration.

10 Do I need to be qualified?

Or do you need to be qualified? Depending on how you look at this? No, you do not.

11 A word from me about my travel photography.

Well, as it happens, I have two travel photography websites. One of them is called Photos of Santorini, which is quite literally a travel photography website where I write about the photos I took on this wonderful Greek island.

I also have Paxos Travel Guide (not pack sauce travel guide.com as the transcript heard it!) this is more of a travel guide than a photography guide. And I haven’t even managed to add on the photos, yet which is a shame, another job on my list.

But there you go.

That’s two travel websites I have already created. So as you can see, this is something that well, I don’t just love doing it. I have done it and done it a lot. And I also have lots of photos from lots of other fantastic locations which I’m very grateful for

Okay, a quick recap

My one-line summary. Great travel photography makes you want to be there. That is it for me.

So, what do I want you to do now?

1 Do this one thing.

Go out and take some travel photos. Try to convey the meaning of a place in one photo.

2 Let me know how you get on

On Twitter @rickphoto. Share a photo if you want. I’d love to see them.

3 Subscribe to my podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode. This helps me.

4 Rate and review my podcast.

Again, only if you enjoyed this episode. This also helps me.

5 Tell someone you know about my podcast. This also helps me very much.

Okay, next episode.

I’m going to learn to speak before the next episode where I’m going to try to do street photography. Now, I don’t know much about street photography, I don’t really know what it means – I tend to dismiss it, wrongly.

So I’m going to do some work on this one, which I’m going to do right after I finish recording this and then we’ll see what I find out and learn, which I’m looking forward to sharing with you.

Photography Explained Podcast Episode 39 – What Is Street Photography?

Thank you

Thank you very much for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast. Check out my website Rick McEvoy Photography where you can find out all about me and my architectural and construction photography work as well as my weekly blog.

And check out my other websites Photos of Santorini and Paxos Travel Guide . You can also check out the Photography Explained Podcast website where you can find out how to ask me a question, find a list of episodes, and also things I’m going to explain in future episodes.

Over time so badly

This episode was brought to you by a very nice cheese and pickle sandwich and a bag of cheese and onion crisps.

I’ve been Rick McEvoy. Thanks again very much for listening to me and for giving me 12 minutes of your valuable time. I’ll see you in the next episode.

Cheers from me Rick (not Eric as the transcript thinks!)

OK – that was the podcast episode.

Want to know more?

Head over to the Start page on the Photography Explained Podcast website to find out more.

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Let me know if there is a photography thing that you want me to explain and I will add it to my list. Just head over to the This is my list of things to explain page of this website to see what is on there already.

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And finally a little bit about me

Finally, yes this paragraph is all about me – check out my Rick McEvoy Photography website to find out more about me and my architectural, construction, real estate and travel photography work. I also write about general photography stuff, all in plain English without the irrelevant detail.

Thank you

Thanks for listening to my podcast (if you did) and reading this blog post (which I assume you have done as you are reading this).

Cheers from me Rick