Capturing Wanderlust: Best Travel Destinations for Photographers and Essential Tips for Stunning Shots

The yearning to set out on a journey and photograph the heck outta a destination can strike at any time–just ask Bilbo Baggins! It doesn’t care about the season or whether you have work. It just is. And who says you have to wait until summer to visit the best places to travel? We sure don’t!

And that’s why, we’re here to populate your travel calendar with ideas to help you see the world–no matter what time of year it is. Want to discover the best places to travel in winter? We’ve got your back. Need to be a part of something spectacular in September and immortalize it through your lens? Now, you can!

Below, you’ll find a list of places you, an avid photographer, can travel to scratch that urge and click away. By season! We’ve also added our best photography tips so you can capture the true beauty of each place.

Let’s begin:

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When to Go & Where?

Spring

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Here’s what’s blooming in this season:

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• Kyoto’s cherry blossom season begins in late March and continues well into April, making it one of the best places for couples to travel
• Why are the Netherlands on so many must-see lists? Because that’s when the tulip blooming crescendo reaches its peak. Start with Keukenhof!
• Texas’s Hill Country is among the best places for couples in the US in Mar-Apr during the bluebonnets season

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Summer

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The best places to travel in summer are:

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• Santorini in Greece. Awaiting your camera there are iconic white-washed buildings and Aegean Sea stunning sunsets
• Want to walk through entire fields of lavender in full bloom? Head to Provence. Lavender season lasts till August,
• Looking for the best places to travel in August? Dry season in Tanzania lasts from June to October. Get to Serengeti National Park to capture diverse wildlife and witness the Great Migration

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Autumn

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If there’s one thing all photographers know, it’s how crucial timing is. So, go traveling in autumn to capture the best colors:

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• New England’s fall foliage. Witness the vibrant autumn colors of the maple trees in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire
• Japan, which remains on the list of best places to solo travel. Make the most of fall by journeying to Fuji Five Lakes for stunning autumn foliage and tranquil lakes
• But if you’re not a fan of reds and yellows, visit Patagonia, for its breathtaking landscapes. Towering peaks, glaciers, and golden autumn hues–the Torres del Paine National Park has it all!

Winter

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Create incredible photographic opportunities in:

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• Iceland with the mesmerizing aurora borealis dancing across the night sky. It’s not just one of the best places to travel in the winter, you can also head there in March!
• An ethereal ice cave formed within a glacier inside Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
• One of Europe’s Christmas Markets, such as Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The festive atmosphere and colorful decorations make and the best places to travel for Christmas

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What to Look for?

Don’t just start snapping once you’re on the ground. Instead, we recommend:

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Scouting the Right Locations

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Do some research on exactly where to go. For instance:

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• You’ll find the densest bluebonnet fields in parks and by the highways. 
• You can also choose a meadow for a picturesque backdrop. 
• Similarly, the cherry blossom trees of Kyoto's Maruyama Park or Tokyo's Meguro River look ethereal at night
• There are various lavender fields in Provence, such as Valensole Plateau, Sénanque Abbey, and Luberon
• Picturesque vistas and fall foliage at its most vibrant will be at Green Mountains (Vermont) or White Mountains and the Kancamagus Highway (New Hampshire)

Seeking Interesting Compositions

Great pictures result from visually appealing compositions, so look for unique angles, patterns, and perspectives, whether you’re photographing tulips or the wildlife in Patagonia. 

Similarly, Oia has been photographed to death. Create diverse and picturesque opportunities by exploring the other lesser-known parts of Santorini, such as Fira and Imerovigli.

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How to Shed Light?

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The main thing that the local weather affects are the lighting conditions. For instance: 

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• Overcast weather, soft light or drizzle can add a magical touch to your photos in tulip season
• Foggy conditions can create a moody and atmospheric backdrop enhancing the beauty of fall foliage
• Patagonia’s unpredictable weather can change at the drop of a hat. So, use the dramatic clouds, mist, or stormy skies to add drama and atmosphere to your images

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As a photographer, you’d already be familiar with the importance of natural light and the golden hour. Utilize that time to the max in Santorini, for instance, which is famous for its captivating sunsets. Get to your vantage points early and fiddle with compositions until you find a combination that works for you.

At the same time, when photographing the interior of an ice cave, you may want to experiment with off-camera flash for selective lighting. You can also shine a flashlight to emphasize specific elements.

Similarly, while Iceland is among the best places to travel in September, you won’t be able to capture the true intensity of the Northern Lights if you don’t head away from the city lights and light pollution.

Finally, the blue hour, the patch just after sunset, is when the lights and decorations at Christmas markets are at their most magical and atmospheric. Make good use of it!

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What to Bring?

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No photographer will risk visiting the best places to travel  without the right gear. So, here’s what you should be packing:

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• A sturdy tripod stable for long exposures and low light conditions
• Polarizing filters to enhance colors and reduce glare
• Graduated neutral density filters to balance exposure, whether it’s between the bright sky and the natural vegetation or for photographing in an ice cave

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You would also need a variety of lenses, including: 

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• Telephoto lens (300mm or longer) can capture close-ups of animals
• A wide-angle with a low aperture is ideal for photographic the vastness of cave interiors, fields, night skies, and landscapes and taking pictures that focus on your main subject while blurring the background into a pleasing bokeh
• Macro lenses for the intricate details of blooms and leaves

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What Else?

Even the most expert photographers know it’s not always enough to be present at the best places to travel. If you want to show the true essence of a place while preserving its authenticity, the images will need a little bit of post-editing and processing. We have two recommendations in that regard. Firstly, always shoot in RAW format since it allows greater flexibility during editing. Secondly, keep dropping all your work in your DropEvent folder as you go. Find out how to do that here. That way, it will remain safe, easily and immediately accessible, and shareable via a QR code. 

Happy travels! 

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FAQs

1. What is a destination photographer?

Wedding photography has evolved and expanded to birth a whole new subdomain, i.e., destination photography. If you’re planning to get married in another country, you can hire a destination photographer to document your event. 

2. Why is travel photography important to tourism?

Besides giving you the opportunity to travel to new places and marvel at nature, travel photography also opens the way for you to meet new people and learn about other cultures. 

3. Where to start travel photography?

Budding photographers can follow these steps to kickstart their careers:

• Read up about photography, its concepts, and techniques
• Choose a niche you’re passionate about
• Start practicing so you get better and have content for your portfolio
• Set up a portfolio–it can be a blog or a website
• Reach out to friends and family for your first clients
• Keep adding your best work to your portfolio
• Create professional travel social media accounts to cast wider nets

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