Travel Photography How To

The September 25, 2016, issue of The New York Times Magazine was titled "The Voyages" Issue, and it featured an impressive collection of images. In the introduction to the issue, the writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus talks about the idea of the image as document or experience: this is what a place looks like as opposed to this is what it feels like to be there. He notes the cliché of “the traveler so busy with documentation that he misses out on some phantom called the ‘experience itself.’”

French photographer Aurelien Buttin has traveled the world, from Europe and Asia to the ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. He recently made a road trip across California with some friends, and did some really nice photography along the way.

About five years ago, travel photographer Jack Hollingsworth was on a resort shoot in the Caribbean. There’d be stills and video, lots of locations, and the client keeping an eye on everything. Nine cases of gear loaded on the plane.

Nighttime is often the right time for making dramatic images, especially if you know how to utilize long exposures to your advantage. And if you need some inspiration to give this technique a try, feast your eyes on these gorgeous shots from a British travel photographer.

The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta offers one of the more extraordinary photo opportunities anywhere, and if you need a reason to attend this year’s event just watch the incredible time lapse below. The 2016 Festival runs from October 1-9, so you have plenty of time to plan a trip.

Whether you’re traveling the world, going on a family vacation, or just taking a quick weekend trip, you want to come home with images that are just as amazing as your memories. Our friends at Macphun teamed up with four top pros who, in their own words, provide the following advice for capturing the travel images of a lifetime.

While nothing beats practice and time spent in the field waiting for perfect light, there are a few essential tools that should be found in every landscape photographer’s bag. These photo accessories might not be as exciting as that new camera we all dream of, but they will help you take your photography to the next level much quicker than upping your megapixel count.