Travel Photography Tips for Turkey

Turkey is a fascinating country full of contrasts and contradictions. It carefully balances East and West, past and present, secularism and Islam, wealth and poverty, chaos and tranquility. These fascinating contrasts, combined with thousands of miles of Turkish coastline, beautiful beaches, abundant sunshine, rich history and excellent Turkish cuisine, make Turkey an increasingly popular tourist destination.

The diversity of culture, food, people and traditions of the country of Turkey impresses everyone but also offers a variety of themes for the perfect holiday photo album. Fascinating opportunities await novice and seasoned photographers alike on every street and in every city. Picturesque landscapes, friendly locals, ancient architecture and native animals make Turkey a top destination for travel photography.

Research and Explore the Best Locations Ahead of Time

The best travel photography tips for beginners undoubtedly include research and scouting as well.

To put it simply, don't expect to find the best photo spot right away when you appear in a scenic spot. Some tourist hotspots — like the Pyramids of Giza or Machu Picchu — have preset photography vantage points, but these aren't always the best spots. Add to that the fact that you have the same photos as other visitors, making it difficult for your photos to stand out.

So how do we find unique, lesser-known places? The best way to do this is to research the sights before you actually visit them. For example, before you head to Istanbul, find the best spots to photograph the Hagia Sophia.

Next, do some reconnaissance before taking the photo. Many of us arrive at a location with a passion for photography and immediately turn on our cameras. Because we didn't spend enough time evaluating the best positions, we couldn't identify them. That's why a 15-30 minute walk to find the sweet spot is good advice for beginners. It may take longer to photograph a place, but the results will show up in your images later.

Manual shooting, also can use automatic

Many professionals can only shoot manually. While you can indeed get the best results manually, only if you master your camera's settings. So one of my top travel photography tips for beginners is switching between manual and automatic.

Auto mode lets you know how your camera is set up - modern cameras are smart. You'll get some acceptable but not perfect pictures that can teach you how to better manually adjust your camera. So you can use the auto mode as a baseline, then slowly adjust your camera settings - especially ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Here is a simple explanation of all three:

ISO is Brightness;

• Aperture is the amount of light passing through the camera lens to the image sensor; and
• Shutter speed is the amount of time your camera takes to capture an image.
• Once you understand the relationship between the three, you can operate them in manual mode - this will help you capture the best images possible.
• develop editorial style

Image editing is an essential part of photography. Most photographers use Lightroom and Photoshop to enhance their photos, but there are other options as well.

The most important parts in post-processing are the exposure, shadows, noise and tone of the image.

If your image is technically satisfactory—good exposure, good highlights, shadows, and noise reduction—you can go ahead and use filters or presets in Lightroom. The more you edit, the more you develop your own style and the better your final image will be.

So one of my top travel photography tips is to master your editing software before investing in new equipment. The better your image is enhanced, the more you can get out of your camera.

Ask the Locals for Permission

When it comes to photography tips for traveling alone, I don't believe in letting other people take your photos. If you have a sophisticated camera, most passers-by won't be using it, and you'll be disappointed with your photos. Of course, there are exceptions if you're in a unique place - and you really want to get a photo of yourself there.

Therefore, as a solo person, focus on the scenery and ask the locals if they can take pictures. The prospect of photographing locals sounds daunting at first - but for the most part, it's a rewarding experience.

Here's the best way: Start the conversation first. Ask for directions, local tips or advice. Show interest in their culture or profession. If there is a language barrier, please use Google Translate. Once they realize you're genuinely interested, they usually don't hesitate to show up in your photos.

Patient and Willing to Make Mistakes

Finally, when you think about how to improve your travel photography, accept the fact that it takes a lot of patience to get a good photo.
Most photographers spend years perfecting their craft, sometimes five hours of work on a single image. No matter your gear, skills, or editing skills, you'll need to put in hours and sometimes just luck to get the best scenes.

Finally, remember to be patient and have fun as you delve into the art of photography.

General Photography Tips for Traveling in Turkey

1. Research the places you will be visiting and learn about the culture, traditions, cuisine, etc. to get an idea of ​​possible subjects for your photos. Keep in mind that most historical sites have opening and closing times, and some museums, such as Dolmabahce Palace and Goreme Cave Church in Istanbul, prohibit indoor photography.
2. Prepare the equipment. As silly as it sounds, I once left a hotel without batteries in my camera. Don't forget to bring a charger if necessary and a backup of your photos at the end of each day. If you're traveling without a laptop, buy some memory cards and use a different one for each place or day.
3. Ask for a view when booking accommodation. While hotels don't guarantee them, they do make a difference.
4. The great thing about modern cameras is button erase. So take multiple photos of the same subject in different modes. At the end of the day, review photos and remove low-quality images.
5. Most cameras have an automatic mode with an A, P or S setting. The landscape view looks much better when shooting with the aperture setting (A). This setting ensures that photos have a large depth of field and everything is sharp and sharp.
6. A tripod is great for night shots and fast-moving subjects, but be realistic.
7. We usually only shoot what is in front of us, but if you are hiking, turn around and look behind you. For artistic shots, hang your camera around your neck and balance it at waist height. The results can be impressive.