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Travel Writers' Guide to Creating Quality Photographs
and Other Illustrations
Updated:
Have you ever
seen a travel article without pictures? Do you think a travel
article or feature without pictures will bring big cash rewards for
you? If you do then travel writing may not be your forte, but if you
do agree a picture is worth a thousand words then the following tips
will help you make a good living as a travel writers.
* Read as much as you can before you go
so you know the best places to go for quality illustrations. Get
information from tourist boards and travel agents. This way, you’ll
know the type and style of pictures the travel trade prefers; you
can then supply them accordingly. Look out for unusual places,
interesting events, popular myths, and so on.
* Check your photographic equipment before you go. It’s no fun
finding out your camera is faulty once you arrive at your
destination; even less so when you don’t discover the fact until you
get home! If possible, take a spare camera and several rolls of
film.
* Remember that not everyone likes being photographed, sometimes for
cultural, religious or superstitious reasons. So don’t photograph
people without their permission, unless you are doing so from a
distance and won’t be noticed. Ask permission first. And don’t
expect all your subjects to smile; some cultures view smiling at
strangers as antagonizing and potentially dangerous, so respect
their views and expect a warm welcome to take more photographs later
in your trip.
* In some countries it is absolutely forbidden to take photographs
of military installations, docks, airports, religious shrines, and
numerous other sites. Make sure you know in advance what you are
prohibited from photographing. Ask at tourist offices; buy a
selection of good travel guides that make this point quite clear.
And remember, journalists have lost their lives doing things they
shouldn’t.
Avril Harper is a successful freelance writer and
author of
HOW TO BE A FIVE MINUTE WRITER.
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