Series from 2017
Great travel photographs require the ability to tell a story. It’s the same skill National Geographic photographers use to get their breathtaking shot…
Start thinking of yourself as a visual storyteller - not just a photographer. Here, learn what every travel photographer needs to cover to tell a complete story, including geography, people, culture, wildlife, food and lodging, and history. Then, see how it all applies to a National Geographic assignment in French Polynesia.
What makes light "beautiful"? What makes it "ugly"? Mr. Krist takes you on an in-depth exploration of the many facets of natural light and how to use them in your own landscape photographs - just like the pros. You'll cover side lighting, back lighting, twilight, and more.
Explore great lighting options for photographing the people you meet while traveling. There's backlight, which you find in fashion photographs. There's open shade (the quality of light on the shadow side of buildings on a sunny day). You can even take good shots lighting your subject from the front.
Study composition through wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Learn why 28mm-300mm is such a popular focal length and an ideal travel lens. Explore some of the useful properties of a wide-angle lens. See why the telephoto lens' compression of perspective is a useful property once you learn how to use it.
Go out in the field and join Mr. Krist on assignment in Central Mexico to see how he puts some of the techniques you've learned into practice. By witnessing a travel photographer at work, you'll discover why a proactive approach to travel photography yields much better pictures than mere inspiration.
A hot topic in travel photography is what you bring with you and what you leave behind. From gear to clothes to preconceptions, learn how to find the coveted middle ground between preparedness and mobility so you can focus on what matters most: telling a visual story of your travels.