10 Tips for Taking Great Photography
Here are a few suggestions for taking publishable, prize-winning photographs quickly with little effort to
enhance and publicize our bus trips. This guide will suggest who and what to take pictures of, and when and
where to take them.
1. Take a “Title” shot, especially when you are visiting a number of places. Title photos indicate, what,
when and where the picture was taken. They save time, keep records, and help when writing captions.
Most public places have a sign or lettering identifying them near the entrance – shoot this.
2. Take pictures holding your camera in different positions or angles.
Horizontal: groups of people, buses, landscapes and seascapes
Vertical: one or two people, tall buildings or narrow landscapes
Angled: through trees with colorful leaves, statues and people
From above or below: parades, city scenes, canyons, mountains statues
3. Take pictures of drivers, guides and passengers. The most important part of any trip is the group of
people on it, regardless of their role. Photos of your drivers and guides doing their jobs and interacting
with travelers and the public are a must. Candids are better than posed shots. Take pictures of
passengers on and off the bus enjoying the various aspects of the trip. They need to look happy, but
not all photos should show them looking or grinning at the camera. Note: when photographing minors,
be sure it is okay with the chaperone or parent to do so. These photos are sometimes best taken from
the side or back of the subject so that their identity is protected.
4. Take (or have taken) a group picture. Group photos are often planned for each trip, however here are
a few tips. Ideally, the shot should be in open shade without sunlight in their eyes. If not possible,
take in sunlight but insure everyone has an even amount of light. Don’t forget to take a photo of them
beside and inside the bus. Make sure everyone’s face shows and they’re smiling. Take several shots to
make sure all can be seen and their eyes are open.
5. Take close ups. Plants, flowers, animals and foods not found in your area, hands holding objects or
doing tasks, etc. Food shots are best taken before the food is eaten or after the table is cleared. If the
photo is taken during a meal, let this be an action shot rather than everyone sitting with their hands in
their lap.
6. Take scenery pictures (including bus pictures or unique forms of transportation). Using something in
the foreground to frame it such as a tree branch, or flowers; something in the background such as the
creative use of water reflections, waterfalls, cloud formations, rivers, mountains, large buildings, boats
and trains. Remember not all scenery photos need people.
7. Take pictures of natives or re-enactors in costume doing something. For example a Scottish bagpiper
piping, an Alaskan Eskimo bouncing on a blanket, a cowboy riding a bucking bronco, etc. It is usually
better to ask permission for close-up photos. Do not take a photo if forbidden for any reason.
8. Take pictures at dawn and sunset for captivating lighting effects. A unique picture at sunset is to
have a couple in the foreground with the sun behind them. Take the picture into the sunset without a
flash for a dramatic silhouette. Some large structures such as homes, buildings, and ships are better
when the sun is directly on them thus requiring morning and evening shots.
9. Know when to turn your flash on or off. Turn your flash off when taking pictures out the bus window,
and places like museums, mansions and cathedrals where no flash photography is allowed. Turn your
flash on when it is dark, or inside shots which have a lighted window behind the people being
photographed. Keeping the camera set to automatic might be a good idea, then you can switch to
flash or no flash to get the look you want.
10. Take a picture of your bus. The typical bus photo is a view with the front and curb side showing.
Buses may be moved at the driver’s discretion to take advantage of the sun or a particular background.
The best shots show the bus in front of a famous landmark or situated in a beautiful setting. Take the
photo with the sun behind you and over one of your shoulders to reduce getting your shadow in the
pictures. Avoid getting things in your picture that detract from it such as garbage cans, inappropriate
signs or stray people. If the bus is extremely dirty (bugs, mud, dust, etc.), wait until the driver has had
a chance to clean it up. Concrete, grass and gravel are non-obtrusive foregrounds.