Once you have learnt the basics about photography it is very easy to get in a routine in terms of what you photograph and how you photograph it, particularly when you are travelling. While travelling we are trying to capture a moment, the people, the culture, the landscape,… and we sometimes forget to try new approaches or ideas.

This post aims to inspire you to try something different next time you are out and about taking photos and to give you some ideas of how you can get inspired to try something new.

1. Go see a travelling exhibition of award winners

In 2015 we happened to be in London when the Sony World Awards exhibition was on at Somerset House. There were so many categories of entrants, from professionals to amateur teenagers, and every possible subject matter you can imagine. We couldn’t help but be inspired by the artists who took photos of similar subject matter to what we do but also by those who ventured into different areas to us.

For example, I am not very good at taking photos of people but after seeing this exhibition I was inspired to make more of an effort to photograph people, with their consent of course, and research about techniques.

This exhibition travels around the world and is run every year. Check out their website to find out more details here.

Who knows, maybe you will be so inspired that you decide to enter yourself next year!

Another great travelling exhibition I have visited a number of times is the World Press Photo exhibition. This showcases the best of the best in the world of professional photojournalism and multimedia storytelling. It also travels all over the world throughout the year so click here to see if it is coming to your home town or a city you are planning to visit.

Perhaps it even provides a good excuse to visit a particular city, though who are we kidding, we don’t need an excuse to travel.

Who better to learn from, than the professionals.

2. Do a photography walking tour

In most major cities you will be able to find photography tours catering to a variety of needs.

Some tours will teach you about photography, they are more like a photography course. Others will take you to the major sites of the city, which is fine if you’ve never been there before and want to get orientated with the city before going off exploring on your own.

And then there are the alternative tours that take you off the beaten path and aim to inspire you to look at the world differently.

On a recent trip to London we discovered a fabulous company called Hairy Goat, not the most obvious name for a photography walking tour but fabulous nonetheless. They run a number of different types of tours, you can check them out here, from mystery tours to night tours. We partook in the mystery tour, which they claim to be different every time.

Shooting different angles in London

Corinna from Hairy Goat gave us some great tips in terms of trying to focus on the out of the ordinary or looking at objects from different perspectives. Even though David and I had been to London many times before, Corinna revealed parts of the city that we would never have discovered on our own.

Playing with reflections in the steel and glass buildings in London

After three hours we both felt like we had learnt loads of new things and felt inspired to go out into the big wide world and try our newly acquired tricks on our own.

3. The Olympus Photography Playground – Day and Night

This is not an exhibition as such, more as the name implies, a playground for you to experiment with a camera in an environment that pushes the boundaries of the imagination, which is on its own a work of art.

Ok, it is also a promotional campaign where you have the chance to play with an Olympus camera. Hey, their subconscious marketing worked with me, I actually bought an Olympus mirrorless within six months of visiting the spectacle!

You are encouraged to explore the incongruous aspects of day and night through the medium of photography.

We had a great night with friends who are also into photography but I think anyone would enjoy this because it is so different. This exhibition seems to only be around Europe but hopefully they will expand and continue to run it every year. Click here to learn more.

The best part of it was that you got to keep the memory card and all of the photos you had taken for free! Plus it was free entry! What more could you ask?

4. Visit a photography gallery or exhibition

Most major cities have a photography gallery or hold photography exhibitions in the major art galleries, you just need to check out the local guides.

When in London we discovered the Getty Images Gallery, I’m sure you’ve heard of Getty images before, probably more linked to stock photography. It is more of a gallery that sells work but you are able to browse what is on offer.

We also checked out a special exhibition at the Modern Tate. Even though this exhibition wasn’t about subjects we would normally photograph, it was still interesting and educational to see techniques used by pioneers of the past.

5. Get out of your photography comfort zone

This really takes someone to either push or challenge you or some serious self-discipline.

Most people have a preference or speciality regarding what they photograph the most. On the photography walking tour we recently took (see point 2) one of the first things our guide asked us what we liked to photograph. It soon became apparent that she then tried to encourage us to do something different.

Playing with the light in the modern structures of London

For me, as I have already mentioned, I don’t feel confident capturing people.

Capturing people in London

It was a rainy, windy English spring day and our guide suggested I try capturing people with umbrellas. Once I started looking I realised all the colours of the umbrellas, the ones the wind was blowing inside out and the ones with funky designs.

All I needed was someone to point that out to me. I wasn’t overly successful at capturing the moments with umbrellas as I was always distracted by the 101 other interesting things in the surroundings but will definitely work on it the next time I’m out and about in less than ideal weather.

6. Read travel photography books

When I first decided to bite the bullet and invest in a DSLR I wanted to not only learn the basics of digital photography but I wanted to specifically improve my travel photography.

Lonely Planet’s Guide to travel Photography

One of the first books I bought was Lonely Planet’s Guide to travel Photography. I found this incredibly inspiring as it is broken into sections about different types of travel photography, different subject matter and different environments.

The first thing I did was read about landscape photography as this is what I enjoyed photographing up to this point, but as I began to peruse the many other chapters I became interested in trying to capture other subjects.

Two Christmases ago David and I, without knowing, bought each other the same santa sack present. Yes we are sad photography geeks.

Lightbox Photography Cards

It was the Lightbox Photography Cards. They are a set of 52 cards, one for each week of the year, and each card is meant to arouse creativity in your photography and encourage you to concentrate on capturing the weekly challenge. 

I must admit they have sat on my bedside table for quite some time but every now and then I get them out and have a flick through for motivation.

7. Go out and take photos in all weather

When we did the previously mentioned photography walking tour it rained for a large majority of the time. I have to be honest, if we had not pre-booked the tour I probably would have suggested to David that we go and find a cosy cafe or a museum to visit instead.

Reflections in puddles

I am so glad that we made the effort to battle the elements as I learnt a lot about the surprising effects that are naturally created when it rains. There are the reflections in puddles, the wet streets creating some interesting atmospheres with the light bouncing off the damp pavements and the raindrops that are left can make for some nice macro photography.

Reflections on the wet pavement

Don’t get me wrong, having the perfect blue sky for the quintessential landscape is great but sometimes having it too sunny can create burnt skies that even the best editing software can’t repair. Having tumultuous clouds as your backdrop can really add to a stunning landscape.

Brussels, Belgium

Paradise in Thailand

My challenge to you here is to brave all sorts of weather and find something positive with each weather condition. Discover how each weather condition can add to your photos.

Well I hope something I have mentioned above has inspired you to try something new or provoked you to do or see things differently next time you take your camera out with you.

One last thing, the best thing to arouse and improve your travel photography is to travel!

Let us know if you have other ways that help inspire your travel photography. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any other questions.