Are your travel photographs usually just snapshots of interesting places you visited? Would you like your travel photographs to show more than just beautiful views? I have come to think of holiday photographs as more than just a memory to show family and friends. Like street photography, they tell a story of a time and a place, and of the people who were present in that time and place! When I look back at my previous travel photographs I can place them into two categories. Category one is the holiday snapshots, lots of them, of people and places, smiling faces, various poses, simply taken to look back on some day and say, 'remember when...?' Then there is category two. Far fewer in number, they are the photographs that tell a story of a moment in time, a moment when the elements lined up to create a narrative that can still be read in those images today. These are the type of shots I want to take more of in the future. I want to experience amazing moments, and if I capture just a small fraction of these moments on camera I will be very happy. On my recent visit to Auschwitz I was struck by the important place which photography played in recording the horrors of that time and place; scenes showing the raw emotions on faces of men, women and children depicting the sheer hardship and misery endured by thousands of people. Through these photographic exhibitions, displaying countless horrific images, a vivid and heartbreaking picture is evoked for visitors of today. It felt right just to let these photographs tell the story without taking additional photos as a tourist. Travel presents numerous opportunities to practise photography rather than simply take snapshots. If you start with a vision, an idea of the story you want to tell with your photography, your travel images will have a purpose and meaning as well as provide memories of the places you have visited.

Not every photo walk will yield even one good photo, let alone a great one. But some will produce the odd gem to be proud of. On one of my early photo walks I came home without a decent photo but with a realisation that I had become more observant, a invaluable skill in photography. It is well worth getting out and about as often as you can. These are my tips for a successful photo walk. 1. Be patient. Patience has never been my strong point, but I realise that I am not going to get the perfect picture first time out (or even hundredth time out!) so I have to cultivate this valuable attribute. Some of my success will come from reading tips from photography writers, looking at how 'real' photographers create award winning pictures and perfecting camera techniques. But most of all it will come from getting out and about with my camera, being patient, and trusting that one day I'll take that picture that will give me a real sense of pride. 2. Watch for interesting subjects, but look past the obvious. Beautiful landscapes make for acceptable photographs, but these views of the world can be seen by all who look around. The photographer has to see things differently, see things that others might not notice, fleeting moments that can only be captured as they happen. The photographer has to feel the 'story' behind the image which makes that image come alive. 3. Be prepared. A great advantage of the camera phone is that it is always available, ready to capture that special moment. It's harder to have a chunky DSLR camera always on hand so I have had to make a point of taking the camera with me on as many occasions as possible, on the off chance that I will be presented with a good photo opportunity. And if that great opportunity does present itself, and I don't have my camera at the ready, the phone camera is better than no camera. It's all about grabbing that picture when you can! 4. Become more observant. Now that I am serious about improving my photography skills I find myself becoming more observant, even without a camera in hand. I am beginning to think like a photographer and look at the world around me as holding countless opportunities for a great photo. While contemplating whether my first 'real' lens would be a zoom lens or a macro, I began to look up more often at what was going on above, and down at the movements on ground level, that had previously gone unnoticed. I am amazed at what I have been missing! 5. Go on your own. This is a piece of advice borrowed from a photography writer but one with which I agree. For walking companions there is nothing worse than someone constantly stopping to take a photo, but equally, for a photographer there is nothing as frustrating as not being able to stop at will, take your time to get the right angle, to compose the best picture, to watch and wait until the conditions are as right as they can be. I like the idea of capturing moments in time. There are lots of photographs of a man and his dog, but not this man and this dog in this place at this moment in time.