Travel deserves to be remembered beautifully. Whether you’re hoping between European Christmas markets, road-tripping through coastal towns, or jetting off for a tropical escape, the way you document your adventures can elevate the entire experience. And today’s travel content isn’t just about snapping quick photos – it’s about storytelling, aesthetic visuals, and capturing the feeling of being there.
Here’s your guide to taking better travel pictures and videos, no fancy equipment required – just intentionality, creativity, and a phone or camera you already own.
Chase the light
Lighting will make or break your content.
Golden Hour (one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset) is your best friend.
It gives you:
- Softer shadows
- A warm, dreamy glow
- Natural skin smoothing
- Cinematic backgrounds
If you’re shooting midday, look for shade – building corners, trees, shop awnings – to avoid harsh shadows and overexposure.
Pro tip: When filming video, face the sun but angle your chin slightly down. It keeps your skin evenly lit with no squinting.
Clean your lens
It sounds basic, but fingerprints ruin more travel content than bad weather ever has.
A quick swipe with your shirt instantly improves clarity and sharpness.
Compose with intention
Level up your framing with these simple rules:
Rule of thirds
Enable grid lines and position yourself or your subject along the lines or intersections.
It creates balance and makes your images instantly more editorial.
Foreground and background
Add depth – a coffee cup, railing, flowers, or your hair blowing in the wind. Your photos feel more lived-in and cinematic.
Leading lines
Use roads, hallways, staircases, or shorelines to direct the viewer’s eye toward your subject.
Negative space
Minimalists, this is your moment. A big blue sky, ocean backdrop, or neutral wall makes your outfit or silhouette pop.
Capture movement
Travel is dynamic and your content can be too.
Try adding movement:
- Walking through a street market
- Running your fingers along a wall
- Flipping a page of your travel diary
- Hair or clothing blowing in the wind
- People passing by
For videos, movement adds authenticity and aesthetic flow – especially in montage-style edits.
Tell a story, not a slideshow
The best travel content makes viewers feel like they’re there with you.
Think of your trip as a narrative:
Establishing shot: The plane wing, airport, hotel room opening
Mid-story shots: Food, street scenes, landscapes, textures
Hero shots: You experiencing the moment
Ending shot: Sunset, closing door, city lights
When you edit, weave it together like a mini travel film.
Use angles that flatter the scene
Different angles create different emotions.
High angle: Shows surroundings or flatlays.
Low angle: Makes buildings, cliffs, and architecture look grand.
Eye-level: Best for natural lifestyle travel shots.
Over-the-shoulder: Instant aesthetic + POV storytelling.
Pro tip: For photos of yourself, shoot slightly from below the waist for longer, more elegant proportions.
Make use of burst, live photos & 0.5x
Burst mode: Perfect for movement shots. One of them will be perfect.
Live Photos: Great for picking the best mid-motion frame.
0.5x wide lens: The influencer favourite. Captures more scenery and adds an editorial, travel-mag feel.
Edit for cohesion
Editing isn’t about changing the moment – it’s about enhancing what’s already there.
To build an aesthetic travel feed:
- Keep your colour palette consistent
- Avoid over-smoothing your skin
- Boost brightness and shadows
- Lower highlights for sky details
- Slightly increase clarity or texture for landscapes
- Use gentle warmth for sunsets or neutral tones for minimalism
Apps to try: Tezza, VSCO, Lightroom Mobile, CapCut, Prequel.
Don’t just take photos – Capture sounds
For video creators, natural audio adds depth like waves crashing, street chatter, morning birds, clinking glasses or your footsteps on cobblestones
Mix ambience with music for a polished, documentary-style feel.
Put yourself in the moment
The best travel content comes from genuine experience.
Let your camera roll while you:
- Laugh
- Look up at architecture
- Try a new dish
- Spin around in excitement
- Walk through a new city
Candid energy always translates better than posed perfection.
Better travel pictures and videos aren’t about having the most aesthetic destination, they’re about how you view the world. When you slow down, look for details, and capture the moments that make you feel alive, your content reflects that authenticity.
Take your time. Take fewer random photos and more intentional ones.
Your travel memories – and your camera roll – will be so much richer.
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Featured Image: DupePhoto
