How do you take each kind of travel photo?

How is this guide organised?

Each section covers one kind of shot: what it is, the settings or technique the cited sources describe, and the mistakes they warn about. Every technical point comes from a camera or phone maker's own teaching page, a recognised institution, or an astronomy reference. Where a popular tip had no source we could cite, we left it out.

Settings are the sources' starting points, and several sources disagree with each other. Where they do, we give both. Makers are cited for technical facts only; this page does not recommend any camera, lens, phone or accessory.

Researched, not travelled. We have not taken or tested the techniques below; we summarise what the cited sources say.

How do you take a wide landscape or establishing shot?

What it is. A wide view that tells the viewer where they are. National Geographic's travel guide calls it the sense-of-place shot: usually a wide view of the setting or skyline that gives a feel for the whole place.²¹ Nikon suggests mixing these wide establishing shots with pictures of single subjects to tell a fuller story of a trip.¹

• Horizon. Nikon says most pictures look better with the horizon above or below the middle of the frame, not through the centre; the exception is a reflection.¹
• Foreground. Foreground elements are often low to the ground, so you may need to squat or lie down to place them in the frame.²²
• Focal length. Nikon UK says wide-angle focal lengths make the foreground look bigger and add depth, which suits sprawling landscapes.¹⁴
• Depth of field. A landscape photographer interviewed by Nikon USA says he uses f/11 or so for most landscapes to get more of the scene in focus.¹⁰
• Phone panoramas. On iPhone, Pano mode builds a wide view: pan slowly in the direction of the arrow, keeping it on the centre line; turn the phone to landscape orientation to pan vertically.³²

Common mistakes. A view with no point of interest: Nikon UK suggests choosing a focal point and says close details will beat landscapes that lack one.¹⁴ Tilting a very wide lens down or up to fit in the foreground or sky can make trees and mountains at the frame edges lean in or out, the same Nikon USA photographer notes.¹⁰

How do you photograph a city skyline, day into night?

What it is. A picture of a town's setting, landmarks or streets. National Geographic's guide says covering a city means, at a minimum, a wide sense-of-place view, the landmarks it is known for, and the life of the people who live there. It also suggests checking postcard racks to see which views are considered the classic ones.²¹

• At dusk, handheld. Nikon suggests wide apertures, slower shutter speeds such as 1/15, 1/8 or 1/4 second, and a higher ISO; at those speeds you need stabilisation or a tripod.²
• On a tripod. Exposures of 1, 10 or even 30 seconds at small apertures give light trails and reveal detail, according to Nikon.²
• Traffic that disappears. At very slow speeds, around 20 seconds or more, passing cars leave only their head and tail lights in the frame.³
• Timing. The PhotoPills authors describe the end of civil twilight as the time street lights come on and the sky turns an intense blue, and suggest it for city photography.²³ Civil twilight officially ends when the centre of the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.²⁴²⁵

Common mistake. Leaving vibration reduction (image stabilisation) switched on with the camera on a tripod: Nikon says to turn it off.²

What is golden hour, and how do you shoot in it?

What it is. Photographers' name for the soft, warm light when the Sun is low. There is no official definition: the US Naval Observatory and NOAA define sunrise, sunset and three kinds of twilight, and neither defines a golden hour.²⁴²⁵ The authors of the PhotoPills app, writing in PetaPixel, say the magic hours are a looser idea than twilight because there is no mathematical definition.²³

Their app's own convention runs from the centre of the Sun 4 degrees below the horizon to 6 degrees above it. That is one app's choice, not a standard.²³ For calculated times at a named place and month, and the band we use, see Golden hour by place and month.

• Why bother. Nikon UK says the low sun is softer than harsh midday light and gives a warm glow, and suggests being out shortly after sunrise or just before sunset.¹⁴
• Backlight. Face the Sun with your subject in between and the Sun mostly hidden, then adjust exposure compensation (EV +1 brightens, EV -1 darkens); you can also shift white balance warmer.¹⁴
• Sun stars. With the Sun partly in view and the aperture around f/11, the light splits across the aperture blades into a starburst.¹⁴
• White balance. Nikon's Sunny setting fixes the colour temperature at 5000 Kelvin, typical of midday sun, while Cloudy adds a bit of warmth.¹³

Common mistake. Assuming it always lasts an hour. The PhotoPills authors say the start and length of each light phase depend on where you are, and that the light also varies with weather and particles in the air.²³

What is blue hour, and how do you shoot in it?

What it is. The deep-blue part of twilight just after sunset or before sunrise. Like golden hour it has no official definition; the PhotoPills convention is the Sun between 4 and 6 degrees below the horizon, which in the evening comes just after their golden hour.²³ That band sits inside civil twilight, which ends when the centre of the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.²⁴²⁵

Why the sky is blue then. A study in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2023) confirmed an earlier estimate that, with the Sun at the horizon, absorption by ozone causes about two-thirds of the blue of the sky overhead and scattering by air molecules about one-third.²⁷

• Support the camera. Nikon calls a tripod a great idea for night shots and says to switch stabilisation off on one.² With no tripod, National Geographic suggests resting the camera on your bag with a bundled-up jacket as a cushion.²²
• Subjects. The PhotoPills authors suggest blue hour for cities, because buildings are lit and street lights are on while the sky still holds colour.²³

Common mistake. Packing up at sunset. In the evening, blue hour follows golden hour rather than overlapping sunset.²³

How do you take night and long-exposure photos?

What it is. Keeping the shutter open long enough for moving things to blur while still things stay sharp. Nikon explains that a slow shutter lets action blur, and very slow speeds of 20 seconds or more can make moving subjects seem to vanish.³

• Support. For advanced night shots Nikon says a tripod is necessary; long exposures of 1, 10 or 30 seconds with small apertures give light trails and depth of field.²
• Don't touch the camera. Nikon's fireworks guide suggests a cable release or wireless remote, because the less you touch the camera the better.⁷
• Noise. Nikon's night-sky guide suggests turning on long exposure noise reduction.⁶
• Dim natural light. The PhotoPills authors note that in nautical twilight the light is dim enough for long exposures without neutral density filters.²³

Common mistake. One very long exposure where several shorter ones would do: the Planetary Society says the longer the exposure, the more the sensor heats and adds noise, and recommends stacking many shorter frames for star trails.²⁸

How do you photograph stars and the Milky Way?

What it is. Night-sky photos show stars either as points of light or, with longer exposures, as trails caused by the Earth's movement.⁶

• Nikon's starting point. The widest aperture your lens allows and about 20 seconds, raising ISO as needed; much longer and the stars begin to blur. It suggests a white balance between 2800 and 4000 K and checking the histogram.⁶
• The Planetary Society's ranges for the Milky Way. Aperture f/2 to 2.8, exposure 10 to 30 seconds, ISO 1600 to 6400, colour balance 4000 to 5000K, with manual focus set to infinity.²⁸
• The 500 rule. The Planetary Society gives maximum exposure in seconds as 500 divided by the focal length on a full-frame camera, or by the focal length times 1.5 on a crop-sensor camera, and calls it a starting point only.²⁸
• Moon. The Planetary Society says the Milky Way is best photographed at new Moon or up to a week either side.²⁸ Nikon suggests clear moonless nights away from big cities and towns.⁶
• How dark is dark. Astronomical twilight ends when the centre of the Sun is 18 degrees below the horizon; after that, scattered sunlight is fainter than starlight.²⁴ Japan's national observatory describes this point as the limit at which 6th-magnitude stars can be seen with the naked eye.²⁶
• Cold helps. The Planetary Society says colder temperatures give cleaner images because the sensor heats less during long exposures.²⁸

Common mistakes. Treating one number as exact. Nikon notes that beyond about 20 seconds streaking may not be noticeable with a very wide lens, but it shows with normal or telephoto lenses.⁶ Forgetting spare batteries: long exposures and cold nights drain them quickly.²⁸ For phones, see Night and star photos with a phone.

How do you take street photos?

What it is. Nikon UK describes street photography as capturing daily urban life: natural, spontaneous images that show people in their surroundings.¹⁵

• Focal length. A standard 35-50mm focal length gives a natural view close to the human eye and fits people and their surroundings in the same frame.¹⁵
• Height. A crowd looks different from hip level than from eye level; try above head height too, angling the screen to check the composition.¹⁵
• Patience. Be ready to wait and watch for an interesting moment; start somewhere you know well.¹⁵
• Motion. A longer shutter speed can blur passing traffic, while aperture controls how much background is sharp.¹⁵
• Wide scenes. National Geographic's guide says people generally do not mind wide street or market scenes; it is being singled out that makes them uncomfortable. If people get nervous, ask or move on.²¹

Common mistake. Taking close candid portraits without asking. Nikon UK's advice is to ask permission, smile and be polite.¹⁵

Can you photograph people you meet, and should you ask?

What it is. Portraits of people you meet on the road. Whether to take one is etiquette; whether you may publish it can be law.

• Ask first. National Geographic's guide says it is best to ask permission, especially when working close, to engage people before bringing out the camera, and to learn at least how to say hello and ask to take a photograph in the local language.²¹
• Official advice. The UK government's travel advice for Türkiye says Ask for permission before photographing people.⁴² Kyoto City lists a manners campaign against photographing maiko without permission.⁴¹
• Germany. Section 22 of the Art Copyright Act (KUG) says pictures of a person may be distributed or publicly shown only with that person's consent, subject to exceptions in the law.⁴³
• France. The data protection regulator CNIL says of the right to one's image: Chacun peut s'opposer à la reproduction ou à l'utilisation de son image sans autorisation préalable⁴⁴

Common mistake. Treating local people as scenery. National Geographic notes that where many tourists do not ask, local people can come to feel abused and exploited.²¹

This is not legal advice. Rules on taking and publishing photos of people differ by country; check with the national data protection authority before publishing.

How do you photograph food when travelling?

What it is. Pictures of dishes, drinks and markets. Nikon USA's food guide is written for restaurant and home settings.⁹

• Light. Window light is large and, when diffused, wraps around the subject; if the window light is harsh, work the shadows into the composition.⁹
• Background. Limit distractions behind the plate; a shallow depth of field throws the background out of focus. Turn the plate to find its best side.⁹
• In a restaurant. Be polite to staff and other diners, stick to available light, raise the ISO and use wider apertures, and work quickly.⁹
• Small things. The photographer in Nikon's guide removes cutlery from the frame, partly to avoid reflections, and finds food looks better on small plates it fills.⁹
• Markets. She finds local produce markets good for food photos: people are relaxed and light is often filtered through umbrellas or trees.⁹

Common mistake. Disturbing other diners. The same guide notes most restaurants cooperate if you are quick and do not upset other customers by standing up.⁹

How do you photograph buildings and interiors?

What it is. Photos of buildings, monuments and rooms. National Geographic's guide suggests thinking about what a building represents, then choosing the weather, light and angle that best say it; people walking past a facade add scale and life.²¹

• Converging verticals. Tilting the camera up to fit a tall building makes its lines appear to converge, an effect called keystoning. Nikon explains that perspective-control (shift) lenses avoid it by keeping the camera parallel to the building while the lens shifts.¹⁰
• Focus. The same page says tilting such a lens does not add depth of field; it moves the plane of focus.¹⁰
• Museum rules. The Louvre allows photos and videos in its permanent collections for personal use, but not selfie sticks, flash or lighting; some works in temporary exhibitions may not be photographed.³⁹
• Sacred sites. Ise Jingu, the shrine in Mie, refuses long sessions on a tripod in one spot, drones, live streaming and commercial shooting in its grounds.⁴⁰

Common mistake. Using flash or a tripod where the venue's rules forbid it: check each site's own rules before you go.³⁹⁴⁰

How do you photograph details and texture?

What it is. Close views that fill the frame with one thing: a basket of fruit, a sign, footprints in sand. Nikon suggests zooming in to fill the frame, and photographing signs so you remember where each picture was taken.¹

• Small subjects. Nikon UK lists grains of sand, rock pools, footprints and drawings in the sand as details that lift a beach set.¹⁴
• Snow and seasons. Fresh snow hides clutter and gives graphic simplicity, and patterns such as tracks make abstract images.¹¹ In autumn, the forest floor and close-ups of plants can be as rewarding as the trees.¹²
• Low light for texture. In a Nikon Japan example, low, coloured light just after sunrise brings out shadows on a wind-sculpted snow surface, shot close with a 20mm lens at f/11 and -1.0 exposure compensation.²⁰

Common mistake. Shooting only wide views, or only close-ups. Nikon suggests both, to tell a more complete story.¹

How do you photograph reflections?

What it is. Water or glass doubling a scene. Nikon notes that calm water acts as a mirror, and that placing the horizon in the middle then gives a symmetrical picture.¹¹

• Colour in water. Nikon's autumn guide describes standing in shade across a stream from a sunlit tree: the water reflects the tree's yellow while the rest reflects blue sky.¹²
• Polarising filters. A polariser can reduce, and sometimes remove, unwanted reflections from water, glass and leaves, and often increases colour saturation. It costs 1.5 to 2 f/stops of light.⁵
• Where it works. Nikon's rule of thumb: make a pistol with your hand, point the barrel at the brightest part of the sky, and the thumb shows the area the polariser affects most.⁵ A Nikon Japan autumn example uses one to add contrast.¹⁷

Common mistake. Leaving a polariser on all the time: Nikon says to take it off when you are not after reflections or saturation, because it darkens the view.⁵

How do you freeze or show movement?

What it is. Choosing whether moving things look frozen or blurred. The shutter speed decides it, and the right speed depends on how fast the subject moves.³

• Freezing. Nikon suggests 1/500 second as a good starting point for fairly fast motion; a bike might stop at 1/250, helicopter blades may need faster than 1/1000.³
• Panning. Follow the subject with the camera during a slow exposure so the background blurs. Nikon's panning guide mentions starting around 1/30 or 1/20 second and adjusting from there, and moving with the subject before and after you press the shutter.⁴
• Distance. Distant subjects appear to move more slowly and are easier to follow; a subject close to its background gives a stronger sense of speed.⁴
• Focus. Pre-focus on a spot the subject will pass (zone focus), or use continuous autofocus when movement is unpredictable.⁴

Common mistakes. Nothing sharp at all: the guide says something in the frame should be sharp, because all blur may be read as a mistake. Giving up early: expect ten, 20 or 30 attempts for one good pan.⁴

How do you shoot a silhouette?

What it is. A dark outline against a bright background. Nikon says the key is backlighting: expose for the background and leave the subject in shadow; the stronger the shape, the better the picture.⁸

• Metering. Meter and expose correctly for the background, then check the screen and adjust.⁸
• Automatic shadow lifting. Turn off features that brighten shadows (Nikon calls its version Active D-Lighting), because they try to expose for the subject.⁸
• Focus. Focus manually, or on the edge of the subject where the contrast is greatest, and use a small aperture for more depth of field.⁸
• People. Photograph people in profile, where the outline is most recognisable.⁸
• Landmarks. National Geographic suggests a distinctive feature of the place against a rising or setting sun, and warns the Sun itself is too bright to photograph unless haze or an object masks it.²²

Common mistake. A subject facing the camera: with little or no light on it, only a clear outline tells the viewer what it is.⁸

What should you know before taking drone photos?

What it is. Aerial photos from a small unmanned aircraft. This is the shot type where the rules matter most; our drone rules for the EU and Japan page covers them in detail. A few headline points:

• EU open category. EASA's summary says to keep below 120 m above ground, and in the A1 subcategory not to fly over assemblies of people.³⁵
• Local zones. Under the EU rules, before flying the pilot must get up-to-date information on any geographical zones published by the country where they will fly.³⁶
• Japan. Japan's transport ministry says drones of 100g or more must be registered under the Civil Aeronautics Act.³⁷ Unless flown with approval, or by a certified pilot with a certified aircraft, the Act requires daytime flying and forbids flying over events such as festivals and fairs.³⁸

Common mistake. Flying without checking the national zone map where you are.³⁶

This is not legal advice. Check the national aviation authority of the country you will fly in; rules change.

How do you photograph beaches and water?

What it is. Coasts, waves, lakes and rivers. Nikon UK suggests using the line of the water to lead the eye, getting low near the sand, and framing with palm trees, rocks or driftwood.¹⁴

• Exposure. Cameras can underexpose on auto when sun, sky and sand are bright; use exposure compensation (EV +1 brightens).¹⁴
• Freezing waves and gulls. Nikon UK gives 1/250 second as fast enough to freeze action.¹⁴
• Water as texture. Nikon's autumn guide notes that with long exposures, streams give texture as well as reflections.¹² A Nikon Japan example shows cherry petals flowing on water at a 1/2 second shutter speed.¹⁶
• Under water. NOAA explains that red light is quickly filtered out as depth increases, while blue light penetrates best.³⁴
• Sand. Nikon suggests shielding the camera when changing batteries, cards or lenses on a beach, as anywhere dusty.¹¹

Common mistake. Shooting at midday. Nikon UK says harsh midday sun and shadows make beaches hard, and suggests fill flash for shadows on faces.¹⁴

How do you photograph festivals, fireworks and crowds?

What it is. Events, parades and displays, often at night and in a crowd. National Geographic notes you cannot ask everyone in a street or market scene, and suggests getting ahead of your group to photograph them in the setting.²¹²²

• Fireworks. Nikon's guide calls a tripod essential, suggests a remote release, Bulb mode to cover whole bursts, manual focus at infinity, and a starting point of ISO 200 at f/11, adjusting after the first shot.⁷
• Position. Arrive early for an unobstructed view and include foreground reference points such as buildings or trees.⁷
• Drones. Flights over assemblies of people are excluded in the EU's A1 subcategory, and Japan's Aviation Act restricts flying over festivals without approval.³⁵³⁸

Common mistake. Leaving autofocus on for fireworks: Nikon says it may struggle to lock on, so focus manually at infinity.⁷

How do you photograph in rain, fog and snow?

What it is. Bad weather can make better pictures. National Geographic's guide suggests some subjects look better in fog than in bright sun.²¹ Nikon notes mist and fog soften and mute colours but add mood.¹²

• Wet leaves. Nikon Japan says autumn leaves look vivid while it rains or just after; its example uses -1.0 exposure compensation against a dark background, and ISO 1600 at 1/640 second to avoid shake.¹⁸
• Keep the lens dry. A lens hood keeps raindrops and snowflakes off the front element. In a pinch, Nikon suggests a large zip bag or a shower cap held with a rubber band as a cover.¹¹
• Snow exposure. If snow looks grey, Nikon suggests exposure compensation in steps: a third of a stop, then two-thirds, then a full stop. A Nikon Japan snowfall example used +1.3.¹¹¹⁹
• More detail. See Snow and cold-weather photography for batteries, condensation and white balance.

Common mistake. Using flash while it snows: nearby flakes light up as bright spots in the picture.¹¹

How do you photograph cherry blossom and autumn leaves?

What it is. Seasonal colour, especially in Japan. For average dates by prefecture see our cherry blossom and autumn leaves pages.

• Cherry blossom light. Nikon Japan suggests an overcast day, because sunshine makes the contrast too strong, and a simple background.¹⁶
• Cherry blossom exposure. Its example brightens with plus exposure compensation against a hazy sky, at f/4 for a blurred background, and notes slight overexposure keeps colours clean rather than muddy.¹⁶
• Autumn light. Nikon USA's autumn guide says overcast is best, because you can shoot all day in soft, even light; sunlight helps only early and late, as side light.¹²
• Autumn settings. A Nikon Japan example uses a circular polariser for contrast and f/8 for overall sharpness in early-morning side light; a backlit variation uses +1.3 exposure compensation.¹⁷
• Viewpoint. Getting higher shows how much colour an area holds; late in the season, look down at the forest floor.¹²

Common mistake. Big areas of blank white sky: the autumn guide says a little grey sky is fine but to avoid expanses of it.¹²

What phone camera techniques help when travelling?

What it is. Using the phone's built-in modes rather than fighting them. Phone makers document what each mode does.

• Night mode on iPhone. Available on iPhone 11 and later, it turns on automatically in low light; hold the phone steady or place it on a solid surface or tripod, and choose Max for a longer capture.³⁰
• Night Sight on Pixel. It turns on automatically in low light in Photo mode; for the night sky, set the phone down on a steady support and it switches to Astrophotography.²⁹
• HDR. iPhone takes several photos in quick succession at different exposures and blends them for more highlight and shadow detail; by default it does this when it is most effective.³¹
• Long Exposure effect. A Live Photo records 1.5 seconds before and after the shot, and the Long Exposure effect can be applied afterwards.³³
• Panoramas. Pan slowly in the direction of the arrow, keeping it on the centre line.³²

Common mistakes. Handholding night-sky shots: Google's instruction is to set the phone down and not use your hands.²⁹ Turning on flash or Live Photos on iPhone switches Night mode off.³⁰ More in Night and star photos with a phone.

What this page cannot tell you

• Starting points, not rules. Every setting here is a source's starting point for a typical scene. Your camera, lens and light will differ; check the result and adjust.
• Maker bias in the source list. Many technique pages cited are Nikon's because several other makers' education pages blocked automated reading when we checked. Their techniques apply to any camera; the page does not recommend any brand.
• Golden and blue hour have no official definition. The bands quoted are one app's convention.
• Rules change. Drone, museum and privacy rules were last checked on the date shown at the top of this page. Check the official source before you go.
• Not tested by us. We have not taken these photos; this is a summary of cited guidance.

Related: Cherry blossom dates in Japan · Autumn leaves dates in Japan · Sea temperature by month · Public holidays calendar 2026–2027.