Previously we've featured Singapore-based, Canadian photographer Scott Woodward for his win at the 11th edition of the iPhone Photography Awards™ (IPPAWARDS). His passion for photography and adventure had rewarded him with the first place in the competition's Portrait Category. After this accomplishment, the photographer continued to roam the world in search of both inspiring creative and reportage imagery.
Woodward set his sights on Bhutan for his next photography adventure and the trip yielded remarkable results, some displayed on the gallery carousel above. Want to capture images to similar effect? Take a leaf from Woodward's book as he goes in detail with techniques to grasp travel photography on an iPhone.
Tip #1—Be A Tourist in Your Own City
People don’t necessarily have to travel to take “travel photography”. There are fascinating places, colourful characters and meaningful stories everywhere—even in our own backyards.
Bhutan is an exotic destination to someone who lives in Singapore, just as Singapore is an exotic destination to someone who lives in Bhutan. So be a tourist in your own city; Explore your familiar surroundings and you will find wonderful photographic opportunities.
Besides, practice makes perfect, so the more experienced you are with your camera, the better your photographs will be when you finally take that dream trip.
Tip #2—Do Your Research
Do a little research about where or what you will be photographing ahead of time. The more you know about your destination or subject, the better prepared you can be.
Try to have some ideas for the types of photographs you want to create beforehand. There is no shame in looking at other photographers’ interpretations of a location or scene. Use others’ work—there is an endless stream of imagery from photographers across the globe on Instagram and Flickr and Twitter—to be inspired and help get your creative juices flowing so you can create your own unique photography.
Tip #3—Light My Way
The most critical ingredient in all great photographs is the lighting. The best images always make interesting and powerful use of light.
Dramatic light can make even the most mundane subjects appear outstanding, so be on the lookout for beams of light peeking through clouds, filtering through trees or shining through windows.
Make use of long shadows cast during the golden hours, and try to use backlighting to silhouette your subjects.
Tip #4—Get Experimental
An iPhone is much easier to handle than a DSLR. It is lighter and more compact, which means that you can use it to effortlessly make more interesting photographs. Use this to your advantage and be on the lookout for dynamic and creative angles.
Hold it high and shoot without looking at the screen or put it on the ground and tilt it up. The more creative you get, the more you’ll learn about what works and what doesn’t work, and the better your photographs will be. Or maybe you’ll just get lucky and make a beautiful accident.
Tip #5—Take it to the Streets
Because of its compact (and ubiquitous) nature, an iPhone is a fantastic tool for street photography. Because it’s small, people are less likely to stop what they’re doing or pose for you when shooting with a mobile phone, so use this to your advantage to make candid, more evocative street photography.
Tip #6—Add Life to Landscapes
Beautiful landscape shots can be breathtaking, but if you’ve ever been subjected to a friend of a family member’s holiday snaps, you know how dull they can become after you’ve looked at dozens of them in a row.
Try adding people to your landscape photographs. Even if they occupy just a little bit of space within your frame, a human touch helps make a more powerful photograph: it gives scale to an image, offers perspective and adds drama.
All images are courtesy of Scott Woodward (@scottawoodward)
