Tbex 2013 Toronto Telling Your Stories Through Travel Photography featuring Lola Akinmade Akerstrom. Content track.

1. Telling Your Stories Through Travel
Photography
Lola Akinmade Åkerström

2. Telling Your Stories Through Travel Photography

3. Quick Intro as a Photographer
Sweden-based photographer
www.akinmade.com | @LolaAkinmade
Represented by National Geographic
Stock Image Collection
Was on assignment for National
Geographic Channel filming “Through The
Lens” in South Africa
Contributor to Sweden’s Image Bank and
was their official photoblogger for 2 years

4. What we will cover
[1] “Next Step” tips for photographing:
People +children, landscapes,
animals/wildlife, lowlight + night
scenes
[2] Shooting creatively during
blog/press trips
[3] How to choose photos to illustrate
your stories

5. What we won’t cover
Specific camera gear – Ask me later!
Hard-hitting photojournalism
≠
Travel photography
* Chances are most of us aren’t looking to be war photographers

6. [ 1 ]
“Next Step” creative tips for
capturing photos that start telling
stories

7. Assumptions
You guys already know a few basic technical
and composition rules of photography
…such as:

8. My assumption – RULE OF THIRDS

9. My assumption – DEPTH OF FIELD

10. My assumption – LEADING LINES

11. [ 1A ]
“Next Step” creative tips for
photographing
PEOPLE

12. TIP 1 – INTERACT

13. Interact and try to avoid sneaking shots of people all the time
People want to be acknowledged first
HOW?
Nonverbal cues
Eye contact and smiling
Lifting camera as a question
Dialogue – If you speak a common language
Light but engaging conversation - What did you do today?”
Intense and deeper conversations

14. WHY?
Your subject is momentarily comfortable
with your presence

15. Examples
Dieter,
Busker in Edinburgh

16. Market Vendors,
Durban, South Africa

17. Per, Sámi Elder

18. Interacting gets
you closer.
Closer gets you
better travel
photographs.

19. “Befriend people first, and then take the
picture. That makes the encounter into a rich
and rewarding experience. “
National Geographic,
Guide to Travel Photography

20. TIP 2 – VISUALLY ELEVATE THEM

21. Getting a few
inches lower
consciously &
subconsciously
elevates your
subject.

22. Lets people draw their own
conclusions especially
when photographing
“poverty”

23. TIP 3 – BE AN OPPORTUNIST

24. Once you’ve got their attention, always have
your camera on burst mode/multiple frames per
second.

25. TIP 4 – BE PATIENT
(if you have time)

26. Observe how
they’re interacting
with their
environment.
Observe how light is
flowing through
their environment

27. MUNDANE INTERESTING

28. [ 1B ]
“Next Step” creative tips for
photographing
CHILDREN

29. TIP 1 – GET REALLY LOW

30. Not Low Enough LOW

31. TIP 2 – FOCUS ON GROUP FIRST

32. Then,
single out
the subject
you’re
most
interested in.

33. Applies to candid
shots as well.

34. TIP 3 – INTERACT WITH GUARDIANS

35. Guardians grant access

36. TIP 4 – STAY AWAY IF SOLO
Reinforce “no talking to
strangers” lesson by
parents

37. [ 1C ]
“Next Step” creative tips for
photographing
LANDSCAPES

38. TIP 1 – INSERT LIFE

39. Provides scale
and context
--
Brings
landscape to life

40. Also tells story
of interaction

41. TIP 2 – ISOLATE

42. TIP 2 – ISOLATE

43. Isolation makes
the mundane
seem more
interesting

44. [ 1D ]
“Next Step” creative tips for
photographing
Animals/Wildlife

45. TIP 1 – MAKE EYE CONTACT

46. Capturing eyes/eye contact
adds life to the photo and
automatically makes it more
interesting

47. TIP 2 – GET THEM IN ACTION

48. Okay shot
with eye contact
Disturbing
but cooler shot

50. [ 1E ]
“Next Step” tips for photographing
Night + Low-light scenes

51. TIP 1 – FOCUS ON SINGLE LIGHT SOURCE

52. Shows how light source is
interacting with its
environment

53. In general, sweeping night
scenes are fine.
Next level -> Isolate a
subject and light source
and shoot that in relation
to its environment
It adds an element of
“drama”

54. TIP 2 – TURN YOUR BACK TO SUNSETS + SUNRISES

55. GOLDEN GLOW
How light is interacting
with the landscape

56. GOLDEN GLOW
Light interacting with
people

57. What is called –> GOLDEN HOUR

58. [ 2 ]
Shooting creatively during
blog/press trips

59. Five types of
photos we all
bring back from
press or blog trips

60. Close-ups of yummy expensive food

61. Photo of the property

62. Photo of your host
and/or chef

63. Photo of other bloggers
photographing stuff

64. And…photo of yourself
doing something cool

65. TRUTH IS:
These are all
mundane and a
bit boring even
though they’re
well composed
and “pretty”
shots.

66. Your challenge?
(Should you accept!)
Make the mundane
interesting
HOW?
By sharpening your
observational skills

67. FOOD
- How is it
interacting with its
environment?
- Shoot everything
around the food

68. Food in its
domain

69. Take more
environmental
portraits
of food

70. Characters
interacting with
food

71. PROPERTY
- Focus on unique
angles
- How are people
interacting with the
property?

72. Chances are your hosts
already have the most
attractive angles on file

73. Focus on human
interaction

74. How people are
interacting with the
property

75. HOST / CHEF
- As the group moves
on, linger for a few
moments
- Focus on what others
aren’t focusing on

76. Focus when
others are gone
Closer candid
shots

77. Linger for a bit…
or awhile
People are more
relaxed one-on-one

78. Other Bloggers + You
- Switch your angle
- Catch them when
they’re NOT
photographing
More self-portraits

79. At play

80. Self-portraits

81. Takeaway
Improving your press/blog trip
photos with unique perspectives
offers the DMO and your host(s) a
fresh angle on their destination or
property.

82. Similar to how my relationship
with Sweden started

83. [ 3 ]
How to choose photos to
tell your stories

84. You’ve improved your photos
You’ve taken creative shots
Now what?
How do you “kill your darlings” and choose
which photos illustrate your story?

85. Your photos should answer
the following questions:
What?
When?
Why?
Who?
Any unique details?

86. The more
questions a
single
photo can
answer, the
better.
And that should be your leading shot in a photo essay.

87. Example

88. What?
River scene
Who?
Women
When?
Daylight
Details?
Fish + Boats
Why?
Heavy lifting?
Going to sell?
Example 1

89. What?
Pier
Who?
Women
When?
Daylight
Details?
Buckets
Why?
Negotiating?
Interacting?
Arguing?
Example 2

90. Strongest
Your strongest image in a photo essay
answers the most questions
Stronger
Strong Details
Strong
Open-ended
Stronger

91. What?
River scene
Who?
Woman
When?
Daylight
Details?
X
Why?
X
Example – Open-ended question

92. Did you notice the common thread
of interaction throughout these tips?
You interacting with your subject?
Your subject interacting with its
environment?

93. Your progression as a
travel photographer?
How well you can
interact with and
observe interactions
within your
environment to tell its
stories.

94. In Summary
Most people can take pretty decent pictures
So how do you stand out and make people notice?
Technical prowess IS NOT the #1 reason. Creativity will
get you there especially with travel photography.
Your creative challenge -> Make the mundane interesting.

95. “Amateurs worry about equipment,
professionals worry about money,
masters worry about light…
I just take pictures… ”…Vernon Trent

96. Questions?
@LolaAkinmade