15 More Profit Boosting Photography Tips for Travel Writers

By freelance travel writer, Jennifer Deng-Pickett

Last week I attended Great Escape Publishing’s Ultimate Travel Photographer’s Workshop where I picked up innumerable tips to help me add photos to the articles I already publish.

If you missed my ten tips from last week, you’ll find them archived here: www.thetravelwriterslife.com

Today, I’m offering up 15 more…

• The best night shots are not taken at night at all. More often than not, they are taken at twilight (the 20 or so minutes after sunset before the sun is completely down). I got some great pictures of Union Station, the Capitol Building, and the Washington Memorial. Luckily the Iwo Jima Memorial was well lit, otherwise it would have been too dark when we got there. Scope out where you want to take your night shots and try, instead, shooting at twilight.
• When using a higher film speed or ISO, you may encounter more digital “noise” in your photograph. Check out Neat Image, a Photoshop product that will help clean up that noise.
• Tripods do not guarantee focused photographs. Just the wobble in your finger when depressing the shutter button can make your shot blurry. Consider putting your camera on a timer to ensure minimal camera shake.
• Get people in your pictures. Not only are they easier to sell, but they spice up an otherwise average shot. One attendee took a picture of kids crossing the street with the Washington Memorial in the background. What a great shot!
• If it is hazy out, consider using a UV Haze Filter. It will help eliminate the spots that show up in your photos on those hazy days.
• Look for patterns. One of my fellow snappers shot all sorts of patterns – watches for sale at Eastern Market, the grates around the trees in Chinatown, Maryland blue crabs steamed and ready for sale. These all made great fine art shots.
• Look for patterns interrupted – at the Fish Wharf here in D.C. one of the attendees shot a display of gray scaled fish with one red fish thrown into the bunch.
• When shooting reflections, be sure not to get your own reflection in the picture!
• 100% of professional digital photographers use Photoshop. If you don’t know how to use it, you should learn. It’s worth the investment.
• Be simple with what you do in Photoshop. It is easy to turn a pretty good shot into a disaster if you over manipulate the photograph.
• Don’t rely on photo-editing software to fix all your photo problems. Try to get the best picture possible with your camera first. Cropping and adjusting can cost you picture quality and time.
• Your best way into the photography market is your local newspaper, even if you have to offer your photos there for free. It helps you establish your track record for getting more of your photographs published.
• The best way to package great photographs is in a Photo Essay (also known as a round-up article). There isn’t a whole lot of writing involved, and this is a sure-fire way to get your foot in the door as editors love round-ups.
• Look for the Editorial Calendars of a variety of publications. These will give you plenty of advance warning about what pictures editors want and when.
• Most importantly, CREATE THE NEED! It does you no good to have a beautiful photo that no one needs. Research photography guidelines, dialogue with editors, offer ideas, listen and ask questions. If you know what pictures people want to pay for, you’re more than halfway to turning your pictures into cash!

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]