My storytelling rules

Why is it that when we pull out our cameras or smartphones, our photos are never as good as the postcard?

And there’s a simple reason to the postcard question. Those photographers took their shots at the optimal time, either early in the morning or the magic hour of sunset, when the light is at its richest and softest. You’re probably snapping away at the worst time – the middle of the day, when shadows are harsh and people squint a lot.

Smartphone cameras are great. They get terrific snapshots in perfect light, and do a better job than some cameras of adjusting for poor light. What they’re missing are optical zoom, to bring you closer to the action, and manual controls.

But smartphones can’t make magic happen, unless you work the system.

There are two key ingredients for great travel photos – lighting and storytelling.

Even with a smartphone, shooting when the light is optimum can make a world of difference.

So try to get out there for early morning or late afternoon light. And if you can’t, well, good news, shutterbugs. There are many amazing apps that can pretty up a photo and make it look just as good – if not better – than a postcard.

My photo app of choice is Snapseed, which is part of Google’s Nik collection, and it’s free.

There are many other great ones as well, (VSCO Cam, Enlight, Camera Awesome,) but none with as many options that I’ve come across.

Fine tune, add drama, black and white, adjust selectivity – they’re all there, and you can add frames to the photo, which will make it stand out against so many of the poorly lit and composed shots you see on Facebook and Instagram.

The art of travel photography is telling a story. This is where I went, this is what makes it special and why I think it’s cool. You’re subjectively saying all of this with images instead of words. – Jefferson Graham, TNS ❚ Start with the ‘‘welcome to’’ sign. If you can’t get that, walk around town and get it from somewhere else – the local pharmacy, ice cream shop, chamber of commerce, bus stop, you name it. ❚ I like to capture fun signs, places and things that remind me of the town. ❚ Homes. Every place you visit has distinctive homes that fit the character of the area. Get some shots of those. ❚ People. What is travel photography without candid shots of folks having a good time. Here they are frolicking in the water, surfing, riding their bikes in the sand, you name it. A camera with a good zoom lens will come in handy, but if you’ve only got the smartphone, that’s OK, too. Just get in a little closer.