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THE LESSON BEHIND THE PHOTO: MAKE EACH PICTURE COUNT

In 2005, the early days of digital photography, Toronto-based travel and street photographer Ren Bostelaar decided to go on a photo trip to Istanbul, where he would be shooting with a digital camera for the first time. But as soon as the plane landed, disaster struck: His single large memory card corrupted. Unable to find a compatible card in the Grand Bazaar, he’d have to use the tiny memory card that came with the camera—meaning he had just 30 shots for a five-day trip. “Incredibly, this became an eye-opening experience,” says Bostelaar. “It forced me to get each image right before I pressed the button.” In the end, he took less than 30 photos during the trip—including this shot of a children’s playground in the shadow of Hagia Sophia. “These pictures turned out to be some of my favourites that I’ve shot.” Here are Bostelaar’s top travel-photo tips:

GET UP EARLY. “The best light is going to be in the hour after sunrise.” USE THE EQUIPMENT

YOU HAVE. “You can take great travel photos with virtually any camera—just look at the iPhone 6 billboards.” USE A SELFIE STICK, BUT NOT FOR SELFIES. “They’re great for shooting pictures over a crowd or finding new angles.” TAKE A

CHANCE. “Get a city map and divide it into 12 squares. Then roll some dice to determine your next photo-taking locations.”