Travel photography tips: Create impressive travel portraits with the Leica

Anyone who has ever been on a longer trip and regularly sent their impressions home in the form of travel reports to take their loved ones back home with them on their journey has certainly experienced first-hand how difficult it is to convey all the new impressions in a realistic, authentic and interesting way. As we all know, a picture can say more than a thousand words, but conveying the experience is a particular challenge in travel photography too. In order to succeed, it can be useful to start planning individual stages and possible photo motifs or interesting locations before the trip. Well prepared and, above all, familiar with your own Leica, you can travel in a relaxed manner and be sure to take captivating shots of your adventures back home with you.

The special thing about a travel portrait

The genre of travel portraits was developed to facilitate and support the communication of special moments on journeys and the people who make them up or symbolize them. This is a sub-area of portrait photography and not, as one might assume, star street photography.

A significant difference is that, in contrast to street photography, the people at the center of a travel portrait were asked for their consent to be photographed beforehand. Especially when traveling to foreign cultures, it is photo etiquette not to simply photograph people without their knowledge and consent. For a travel portrait, the person can be photographed in front of a chosen background that best emphasizes what is special about their surroundings, their facial expression or their character.

Travel photography with Leica

Traveling with a Leica camera opens up a whole world of possibilities for motivated photographers to try out new things, perfect familiar ones and, above all, to find unusual and surprising perspectives time and again. Leica cameras are characterized by their excellent image quality, their reliability and their compact design, which makes them ideal companions on trips and adventures. Whether on an excursion through picturesque streets in southern Italy, on a discovery tour of foreign cultures in Asia or on a nature adventure in the jungle of Brazil, a Leica camera enables photographers to capture the unique moments and encounters on their travels in a completely individual and authentic way.

You can also find the right camera bag for your equipment and everything you need to protect your camera in our Oberwerth Shop. From classic camera bags to modern sling bags up to noble photo weekenders and backpacks. Of course you will also find hand straps and shoulder straps. Finest craftsmanship made from the best materials. Take a look around and find the bags & accessories that best suit you and your equipment!

Small Leica travel photography guide

To create truly stunning travel portraits with Leica, there are a few things to keep in mind when handling your camera and choosing your photographic setting. With these simple Leica travel portrait tips, you can further refine your work with the camera and create authentic travel portraits with confidence.

- The right place at the right time

To take particularly impressive photos on your trip, the background is just as important as the subject. Choose locations with interesting textures, colors or architectural features that reflect the atmosphere of the place.

To ensure that the photos are ideally exposed, it's best to use natural light. Plan in advance for special subjects in the soft light of the early morning hours and the last light of the evening. Generally avoid bright sunlight and look for diffused lighting conditions, such as in the partial shade of a tree or on cloudy days, to achieve softer and more even lighting.

- New angles create interesting images

Vary the perspective and angle of view to create interesting and unique portraits and capture the interest of your viewers in a particularly sophisticated way. Try out different shooting heights with your Leica and play with the composition to achieve visually appealing and surprising results. By using a wide aperture, you can also create an interesting blur effect in the background that highlights the main subject.

- A joy shared is a joy doubled

Sharing your trip can serve as an incentive to take even more exciting and unique photos. During the trip, you certainly won't have time to spend a lot of time selecting and editing the photos, but just one special photo a day can take your loved ones back home with you on your trip and give you lots of positive feedback. After your trip, use social media and online platforms to share your travel photos and stories with others and get inspiration and advice from the photo community.

Well prepared for the photo trip

You can organize and prepare a lot in advance of an exploration tour with the Leica in order to enjoy the trip and take great photos. Above all, it is important to familiarize yourself with the Leica of your choice and get to know the camera and all its functions. Should it be exclusively travel portraits that reflect the journey or would you prefer to work in the genre of street photography? Depending on your choice, you will ultimately use your Leica. It's best to practise all the possible functions of the camera so that you can adapt its use to the situation.

A little planning can also go a long way when it comes to accessories. In order to know what you might need on your trip, it is always helpful to plan your itinerary in advance, at least roughly, and to research potential photo subjects and locations. This way you know which camera is best suited and which lenses you might need. Your photo luggage should also contain sufficient batteries and memory cards. If you like to take long exposures or landscape shots as well as travel portraits, you may also benefit from a good tripod. This should be light and handy, stable and suitable for the camera and your own requirements and plans.

Travel well with light luggage

You can save a lot of space in your suitcase and save yourself headaches and back pain, and not just by wearing suitable, functional clothing for your trip.

Travel with minimalist equipment to maximize your freedom of movement and avoid weighing down your travel experience with heavy luggage. A Leica camera and one or two lenses are often enough to allow you to enjoy and exploit a lot of creative freedom when traveling.

Conclusion

When you go traveling with your Leica in search of unique motifs and very special experiences, you are on your way to impressive adventures that are just crying out to be captured on camera. With the Leica, you have a great tool at hand to take pictures with exceptional sharpness and clarity. To ensure that your photo trip is a real success, you should pay attention to small details in your planning and, above all, familiarize yourself with the camera of your choice. This will put you on the way to taking very special photos that are sure to be admired at home!