These days, with the internet and social media saturated with high quality, epic photos of the outdoors, it can be overwhelming to try and compete or make your photos stand out. This last weekend we went out to Joshua Tree with adventure photographer Travis Burke and 12 others for a photography workshop. Travis is, without a doubt, one of the best in the business and has over eight years of experience traveling the world to shoot. Over the course of the weekend Travis taught us a lot, but we outlined his five main takeaways.
1. Take time to discover and develop your own unique style
Whether it’s the subjects you shoot or the way you edit your photos, develop a style that YOU like, not what you think others will like. Think about what you enjoy shooting most, this will keep you from getting bored or burnt out if you’re not having fun while doing photography. And on the post-production side, what sort of emotion do you want to feel when looking at a photo? Take the time to figure these things out, and once you do, make sure to incorporate this foundation into every photo you take, thus building your own style.
2. Move around. A lot.
Don’t just stand there and point and shoot! Find something to climb onto or lay down on the ground. Different angles and heights will give your photos a unique perspective that no one else will have.
3. Get something in your foreground.
Whether that's a plant, a person, or a person holding a plant, having an object in your foreground gives your photo depth and interest. It helps viewers draw their eyes to the subject of the photo and makes your overall composition more dynamic.
4. Communicate with your subject.
This rule mostly applies to when you’re shooting people. Tell your subject what you’re looking for and give them ideas for poses that would work well with your vision for the photo. Don’t be afraid to ask your subject to make small adjustments, you’ll be happy you did in the long run.
5. Use wide angle lenses.
By shooting with wider angle lenses, you open yourself up to a more diverse photo. 50mm and zoom lenses will allow you to experiment with different style images.
As always with photography, these are general guidelines, not rules you have to follow. The only way you're going to improve is by getting out there. Grab your camera, go outside and have fun experimenting.
We put together a short video of the weekend, you can check it out on our YouTube channel. Want to join in on the fun next time? Sign up to get notifications for the next workshop here.