Travel Photography Simplified: 4 Changes that Made me a Better Photographer

When I look back and analyzes how my photography has changed with time, I see that the last few years have been the more moving in regard to the evolution of my photography. I see that the rapid progress of technology, combined with my attempts to simplify various aspects of my photography, have gradually changed my entire workflow.

If I were to identify the key moments that have triggered the rest of the changes, my passage of the DSLR to a system without mirror would be at the top of the list.

Configuration Without mirror
according to the type of photography, the transition to a system without mirror affects the photographers differently. As a photographer of travel, the effect of the change has been huge for me, and although the learning curve has been steep, she is released from the beginning.

The compactness of the systems without mirror was the most obvious factor for the switch. Here is the failure of my camera, more the configuration of the contact lenses:

Sony has6000 (344g, 12oz)
Sony 10-18mm (220g, 8oz)
Sony 16-70mm (308g, 11oz)
Total: 874 g (31 oz)
it is difficult to believe that a wide angle lens wide angle (10-18mm) weighs only 220 g (8 oz.). The complete set, including the camera and two lenses which cover 90 to 95% of my needs, weighs less than 900g (32 oz). I called freedom.

From a practical point of view, this means in fact that I can wrap the entire configuration in a transport in case of travel by plane. This also means that I do not have to think about what equipment make when the packaging for a hike demanding. Instead, I any door with me.

The two other factors of my switch which have had an impact on my photography have been the dynamic range of the amazing Sony sensor and its nets (Electronic Viewfinder). The scope extended dynamic range of the sensor allows me to reduce the number of media that I must take to cover the entire dynamic range of the scene. In addition, it allows me to save time, because I do not need to use the techniques HDR and image blending, as often as before.

The electronic viewfinder also allows me to assess more precisely the scene before taking the picture and, therefore, reduces the number of taken ashore.

Modification of the routine of travel
I did not expect that a small change in my routine of travel affects so my photography. Then, what was the change? I have simply stopped to edit photos in travel. Instead, I have begun to focus all my efforts on the search for interesting places and capture - nothing else. This new direction makes my trips more enjoyable, reduces stress and improves my photographs in general.

Before, I have always loaded all the new photos at the end of the day in Lightroom using my notebook computer. By checking the results of the day I started often to shoot down and to modify.

Now, when I want to check if a shooting has succeeded, I can do during the filming, simply by connecting wirelessly my camera with my tablet. And, if it is absolutely necessary to publish a few new photos on social networks, I can edit in a few seconds using Snapseed on my Tablet, then the posting easily online.

System of simplified backup
keep the photos in any security during a journey is a major problem for any photographer. Until recently, there was no solution reliable enough for a photographer like me, to pass a trip photographed extended without bringing a laptop computer. For years, a laptop computer was the center of my backup strategy during the journey, which was only add the necessary amount to my configuration.

Finally, I think that this is beginning to change. During the last months, I tested an approach to travel without laptop, and I am convinced that a new configuration this year will completely replace my system of outdated backup.

This new stream of work is possible due to a device recently published: WD My Passport Wireless . The device has a variety of interesting features, but the most important, from the point of view of the photograph, is the drive of SD memory card. When you insert a memory card into the memory card reader, it will automatically back up all the content of the card on the drive. In addition, it supports incremental backups, which means that it backs up only new files rather than those previously transferred.
This device allows you to travel without a computer. In addition, it minimizes the risk of loss of images due to the failure of the memory card. Now, I gradually backups my new images on several occasions throughout the day, and at the end of the day at the hotel, I already have all my new images on two devices.

Another characteristic of the WD My Drive Wireless, which excites me as a photographer, is its ability to connect to the drive with a mobile application and to take all the photos (JPEG only) For the edition.

Quick Edition
Lightroom is my main editing tool for photography. At a given time, I realized that 80% of my editing steps were identical for each photo. This meant that only 20% of my efforts were devoted to this that really mattered: make every single photo. I have also recognized that if I could automate the 80%, I could considerably reduce the time that I passes in front of the computer.

The obvious choice for the automation of the edition was the predefined functionality of Lightroom. The presets allow users to save their editing steps in Lightroom for later use.

The main obstacle to the development and implementation of a new system was the limits of the Presets in Lightroom. You have probably already noticed that it is rare when you apply one of the presets to a photo which is satisfied with the final results. You still need to dive in the editing tools in Lightroom to compensate for the level of exposure, lighting conditions, the shadows and the dynamic range of the scene.

I solved this problem by introducing a publishing system at two levels that I called Lightroom Rapid editing. I have separated my presets Lightroom in two categories:

Style presets for: the presets which establish the artistic style and reflect our creative vision. For example, a look dreamer, warm or a aggressive style and contrasted, soft black and white or a treatment transformed into vibrant cross.

Presets in setting: the presets that affect the style of photography, but allow us to refine the following settings: exhibition, recovery of shade, contrast, clarity, vignetting. I called the collection of presets of adjustment toolkit.

It is as well as my workflow has taken care to implement the system at two levels:

first, I have applied one of the Presets style. I then used the presets for adjusting toolkit to refine the image. Simple, efficient and automated. The Lightroom Rapid editing system has reduced my editing time of more than half and made my photography more coherent.

Here is a quick demo:
For the demonstration, I selected a photo of Niagara Falls (American and Bridal Veil Falls). The scene was a little difficult because the water of the Falls was much brighter than the rest of the scene. I have intentionally placed the exposure for the areas the most brilliant, assuring me of retain enough details in the water. This has led to a capture under-exposed, which makes it more difficult to edit.

It is as well as my workflow has taken care to implement the system at two levels:

First of all, I applied the one of my favorite presets of landscape Collection - Natural. Secondly, I used the settings following Toolkit (Presets of adjustment):

01 Exhibition
08 Open Shadows
17 Clarity
31 vignetting
Here is the result. It took me five clicks and not more than two minutes to complete the edition. To save my editing steps for future reference and a sharing easy, I have used the formula for the Quick Edition Lightroom: natural (02, 08, 17, 31).

Read a more detailed explanation of my workflow of photography of trip here: exchange of photos workflow for Travel Photography

Conclusion
I believe that the simplification is the key factor in the control of any complex process. If you reject the unnecessary complexity in the radically simplifying, you can invest more time and effort in what really counts. The changes that I have listed above are not held overnight but they were always motivated by the desire to simplify my photography.
source : https://goo.gl/2R8c3o