Vacation Reviews

Capturing a Thousand Words

Traveling offers innumerable opportunities to take pictures. While traveling, you will no doubt want to immortalize those many moments, both for friends and family back home, and perhaps to sell. Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, several rules of thumb apply when traveling.

Be as discrete as possible. If you are going to travel with more than a compact camera, carry your equipment in an inconspicuous camera bag that is easy to conceal. The reason for being discrete is twofold: Firstly, you do not want to attract the attention of a thief, and secondly, as a traveler, you are trying to blend in as much as possible. The idea is to cross the line between “us” and “them”, and flaunting lots of camera equipment sometimes makes this difficult.

Be sensitive to local beliefs about photography. If the locals believe that you will steal a part of their soul by taking their picture, like in Tanzania, avoid taking their picture. If they see you aiming at them through your lens, their belief will make it a reality for them. This means that, in essence, you will be taking a part of their soul.

The best shots are taken in natural settings, with the subject unaware that his or her picture is being taken. It is a tough call to make. If you are spotted and the subject starts to get upset, quietly put your camera away and try as best as possible to make friends.