Chapter 4. A Good Attitude Makes Good Pictures
Taking a camera with you on a trip lets you capture those special moments, and it can be a tool for opening doors into other people’s lives. (Photo by Kevin Gilbert)
Taking a camera on your trip can help open up new worlds of possibility and make you welcome in the lives of strangers, or it can make you appear as an outsider, distancing you from those around you. The difference depends not on your choice of travel destination, but on your choice of attitude.
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling for vacation or if you’re on a photographic assignment for a magazine or newspaper. All successful travel photographers know the same cardinal rule: Respect the people around you and you will end up constantly surprised by how your trip, and your pictures, turn out.
Travel photography should be about enjoyment and about great experiences. If you’re on a vacation with your camera, don’t let the desire to capture every event spoil having fun. And if you’re on assignment in some foreign place, remember to let the newness of what’s going on turn your work into something happy rather than a chore.
Figure 4.1. While photographing outside a Sikh temple, Blue Pixel’s Reed Hoffmann and his group were invited in for a tour, which finished with a baking lesson given by women working in the temple’s basement. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
When in Rome
The easiest way to capture great photographs is to understand your subject. That’s true in everything from candids to portraits. When you’re photographing a subject, the more you know about the subject, the more your photographs are going to capture what is fascinating about it.
Figure 4.2. Kids love to be photographed, and parents are usually obliging. Always ask permission first. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
In the previous chapter we talked about trip planning and how vital that is to good travel photography, but there are some aspects of your travel voyage that are more subtle than simply knowing what the local attractions are, and what time the sun sets. Some of these topics can be found in books, but some you might need to feel out as you go. Be aware of and sensitive to the nuances of customs and laws in every region and area as you go.
Religion and Politics
There are no thornier topics to discuss than religion and politics. Miss Manners would tell you to avoid them at any fancy dinner party. The photographer, though, needs to be keenly aware of both topics as they form the undercurrent of everything that happens in a country.
Here in the U.S.A., thanks to the right to free speech afforded by the constitution, I can go around willy-nilly taking pictures of things just about anywhere. But I can’t invade someone’s privacy and I can’t break other laws while I’m taking my pictures.
As a citizen of the United States, I have a good instinctive understanding of my photographic boundaries. Standing on the corner and taking a picture of someone walking down the street is allowed, but standing in the bushes outside their house photographing them through their window is not.
These boundaries are different in different parts of the world. Most countries have no right of free speech, meaning that it can be considered impolite or illegal to photograph certain things. In many countries, it is illegal to photograph government buildings, and in some places it is illegal to photograph people without their permission.
Most guidebooks have information on things like this, but you’ll want to take cues from your surroundings and from the residents of the areas you’re shooting. If you’re on a trip with a tour guide, ask about local laws. And you can probably get a lot of help on the subject from a taxi driver; in most countries they’re a great source for local information.
Always be alert to the situations you put yourself in. As a former photo-journalist, I have a habit of walking toward any commotion or sirens, just to see what’s going on. As a result I’ve stumbled onto some interesting photographic scenes, but I’ve also found myself in the middle of riots and protests.
Figure 4.3. Be alert. Photographers sometimes find themselves in the middle of tense situations that can quickly spin out of control. When this picture was taken at a Teaneck, New Jersey protest march, someone in the crowd of bystanders had just shouted a racial slur at the protestors. The police officer is restraining one of the marchers. (Photo by David Schloss)
You might not work for a newspaper, but if you’re caught up in a political demonstration with a bag full of camera gear, you’re probably going to be treated like a member of the press. Sometimes this will work to your benefit, but often the police will be nicer to people they think are tourists in the country to vacation rather than foreign journalists in the country to stir up trouble.
Find out about any special laws regarding photography in the area you’re visiting. Major tourist destinations, such as France, Italy, Spain, and others are very tolerant of travel photographers, but some regions are decidedly less so. The U.S. State Department maintains a list of problem areas, and can provide contact numbers for embassies in foreign countries. All U.S. embassies have their own Web sites. It’s a good idea to keep at hand the phone number and address for the embassy in the country you’re visiting.
If there’s any topic that has the potential to be thornier than politics it’s religion, though in many countries the two are so intertwined they should be considered parts of the same issue. As a general rule, taking pictures during any religious service is a no-no, but there are few priests, imams, rabbis, or clerics who would be offended if you respectfully asked them about their customs and requested permission to take photographs. It’s unlikely that you’ll get permission to photograph a service, but such conversations can be both photographically and spiritually enlightening. And the religious leaders may be willing to put you in touch with parishioners who are happy to share their customs.
In many parts of the world the state religion and the state government are the same thing, and there are strict rules about what can and can’t be photographed. There might even be strict rules about who can photograph and when.
Figure 4.4. There’s usually no problem shooting photos in a church when no service is taking place. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Figure 4.5. Most churches in Europe are accustomed to having tourists visit and take photos, and are very tolerant of it. In return, be polite, quiet, and respectful of worshippers. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Gimme Some Space
Every culture has its own idea of personal space, the invisible boundary between me and you. Infringing on that personal space can make some-one very uncomfortable. In some areas you might be welcomed into someone’s home with open arms, invited to dinner, and offered a place to sleep. In other locales you may find people hesitant to even talk to you. Most good guidebooks will talk about personal space, and give you a heads-up about what issues and behaviors are taboo.
Figure 4.6. Try using a telephoto lens to take a close-up shot without making the subject uncomfortable. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Always, always, always ask permission before photographing a person. Don’t worry if you don’t speak the language. Simply point to your camera, then point at the person and look for the reaction. If there’s a smile and nod, you’re good to go; if there’s a frown or a negative head shake, or hand waving, don’t even think of taking the picture. Put your camera down and nod your head in a “thank you” gesture to acknowledge that you respect personal space.
Figure 4.7. On a trip to Costa Rica, Reed Hoffmann’s group stopped at a shop with beautiful carvings out front. “We asked to meet the carver,” Hoffman said, “and got a complete tour of the workshop. We had a great experience, made some nice photos, and bought some fine carvings to go with our photos.” (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Different people have different ideas about personal space and privacy. This is influenced by cultural norms, but there are always people out there who don’t like to be approached by strangers, or who are so gregarious they seek out new personal experiences. The extroverted people of the world love to be photographed, but the introverts often have more interesting stories. Spending time talking to people, without your camera involved, will often help make them more receptive to being photographed.
Choose your Shots Wisely
Many first-time travel photographers develop a condition I call Copius Snaperitis Syndrome where the experience of taking pictures in a new place is so interesting that they take photos of everything they see. Symptoms include thousands of shots of doorknobs and poodles, the inability to put one’s camera down, and a lack of actual “relaxation” due to the constant click, click, click of the camera.
If you’re on an assignment for a client, then your job is to take photos and you shouldn’t goof around until you’ve completed your assignment. But if you’re on vacation, you’re traveling to vacate, so don’t’ forget to occasionally put down the camera and head to the beach.
Figure 4.8. During a visit to Morocco, Reed Hoffmann came upon an official ceremony including mounted guards with rifles. “It was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Hoffmann recalled, “so I asked if it would be OK to take pictures. When you don’t know the local customs, it’s smart to ask before shooting.” (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Photographs provide a lasting impression of your trip, but they’re not the most important facets of your experience. Your memories, the things you’ll carry with you forever, are priceless, and sometimes you can best capture those when you’re not even thinking about photography.
Accidental Photography
You’ve done a ton of research on your trip and you know every sight to see, every destination to photograph, and all the cool must-have pictures. Now forget them. Sure, you should see all there is to see, but more often than not you’ll find your favorite travel photographs by accident.
When I hit a new town, I like to wander around on my first day and get the lay of the land. In fact, on most of my trips I just wander around from place to place, experimenting with the public transit system, asking people for directions, and discovering wonderful things. You get a great feeling for an area by walking the streets with no agenda and no itinerary.
Figure 4.9. “I found La Placita Village in Tucson while taking a walk from my hotel after arriving,” Reed Hoffmann said. “Great colors and light—I spent many hours shooting there.” (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Ask a hotel concierge where the hottest spots in town are for photography. Go into a pub and (after a few pints) ask around to see what places people in the town think are worth checking out. Or just wander around and see where you end up. I can’t count the times I’ve taken a stroll around a town or village and stumbled upon something fascinating.
Never underestimate the power of chance to guide you, both in travel photography and in photography in general. Sometimes mistakes and “happy accidents” produce the best results.
The hub of many European cities is the main train station, an excellent place to look for photographic opportunities. Even better, many larger cities offer a walking-tour book, produced by the local tourist board, which are almost always sold at the train station’s bookshop. Available in most languages, these walking tours showcase everything a city has to offer. (I once saw one that said, “This area has all the amenities a good red light district should...”) The English translations are usually good for a smile, and the tours comprehensive.
Figure 4.10. Taken while walking home from dinner in Queenstown, New Zealand. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
Be on the lookout for street fairs, open-air markets, bazaars, parades, festivals, celebrations, and public exhibits. The mix of colors, activities, and interesting people offers endless photographic possibilities. Better yet, at most of these events people not only let you take their picture, they’re looking forward to it.
Going on Safari
In the last chapter I discussed photo junkets—trips designed to give the photographer unfettered access to photographic settings while immersed in a total photo experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the African veldt or the canals of Venice, a photographic safari is designed to offer shooting opportunity after shooting opportunity. You’ll spend days taking photographs without worrying about planning your travels; most junket itineraries are prearranged. A well-organized junket stops at all the most photographically appealing spots. And you’ll be surrounded by a group of like-minded people (or at least those who share your hobby).
Figure 4.11. “On a trip to Tombstone, Arizona run by American Photo magazine,” explained Reed Hoffmann, “the organizers hired several models so we could photograph some old-time western characters.” (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
The leaders of these trips will often work with local residents to help scout out both locations and people to photograph—people who are happy and willing to show off their skills, job, or cultural practices for outsiders. It can make taking pictures a lot easier. And if you really are on the plains of Africa, it’s much more convenient (and safer) to photograph a rhino from the safety of your Land Rover than while walking alone through the bush.
Though preplanned photographic trips can take some of the spontaneity out of travel, as Bill Durrence discovered (see “The Lucky Trees” on page 89), they can also work to your advantage. Still, an approaching pack of photographic tourists can scare away the locals, make people more closed and reserved, and change the dynamics of an event. It’s very hard, for example, to walk up to a lone food vendor on the streets of a European town and ask to take her picture when there are 20 people with cameras standing behind you.
In some cases these trips have a set schedule for each shooting activity, forcing you to linger too long at some subjects you find unappealing, but rush past others that you find fascinating.
On many occasions, however, the special access made possible by these trips more than outweighs their downsides. It’s best to find a photographic trip that allows for free time, enabling you to combine the shooting setups provided by the instructors, but also to find your own scenes and shoot at your own pace.
From the hardcore photographic junket to the free-and-easy wandering style of photography, it’s essential to be receptive to the random opportunities travel offers. Make plans and schedules if you must, but be willing to drop them at the first sign of an interesting conversation or an intriguing detour. Travel is about personal growth, and a camera can often help you uncover some of the world’s secrets. Sometimes, though, you have to interact with the world around you without the benefit of your camera in order to get a truly rounded travel experience.
Most of all, if you’re traveling for vacation, don’t be a slave to the camera. Remember to have fun, relax, and enjoy your trip. After all, that’s a big reason you’re on the road in the first place.
Figure 4.12. Don’t forget that part of taking a vacation is relaxing. Follow the tips in this book and you’ll find plenty of good photos without turning your vacation into work. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann)
