DIY project Make a postcard

Become a sightseer on a walking tour then turn your snapshots into postcards, says Lauren Scott

SoMetiMes, it can be really liberating to embrace your inner tourist and head to the same popular sights as everybody else. You can discover more about an area and get postcard-worthy shots by joining an organised walking tour.

You don’t even have to be on holiday to think like a sightseer – we found a walking tour in our local city of Bath. Not only did we learn a few new facts about familiar spots along the way, we also started to see the places we were photographing in a fresh light. The camera settings you’ll need will depend on the weather. We started with an aperture of f/5.6 and an ISO of 200, as it was sunny for most of the tour. Using Aperture Priority mode made it easy to fine-tune the exposure.

To avoid getting the unwanted heads of other tourists in your shots, use a telephoto lens to zoom in and create tighter compositions. Working handheld with a camera that has a tilting screen will help you find interesting viewpoints.

Once you’ve had your fill of famous landmarks, think about different subjects you could shoot that would also capture the character of a place. This could be a few shots of locals, street signs, or even the wildlife. Elements that are specific to your location are effective here.

Once you’ve shot a range of images, don’t fall into the trap of letting them sit untouched on your hard drive. While you’re still in tourist mode, edit your images and create a few postcards. There are plenty of printing companies that will print postcards for you. You could send them off, use them as note cards for family and friends, or even sell them.