\u2018I encourage people to explore, to start their imagination working. That\u2019s why I try to make my images not completely descriptive. I like a surreal edge to them. I like it when the viewer makes up the last part of the picture. If you give too much information, a wide shot of a beach for example, it\u2019s not the same as adding emotion through light, composition or cinematic techniques like smoke or dust.<\/p>\n
Travel photography is to encourage people to explore and open their minds to the rest of the world and to go and see it. I want them to use their imagination to dream.\u2019 It becomes obvious talking to Philip that he\u2019s passionate about his craft, articulate and very knowledgeable.<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"giraffe](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_-Amboseli_N_P_Kenya_.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tA giraffe next to an acacia tree with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background, Kenya. 1\/125sec at f\/4.5, ISO 100<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Narrative flow<\/h3>\n
\u2018Telling stories interests me, beauty alone doesn\u2019t in the way it did when I started. Trying to create a narrative within the imagery is critical. I know the mood I want to create much more than I necessarily know the destinations. If someone suggests I go to Casablanca to capture old Art Deco, that\u2019s good but then you\u2019ve got to do research on old art deco faded grandeur and the romanticism that surrounds that idea rather than just going. You should be open to other influences when you are there.\u2019<\/p>\n
People power<\/h3>\n
\u2018Sometimes portraits are taken within a few seconds from meeting the person. Other times you can interact with a person for a long time. I don\u2019t embed myself with a group for months on end. That\u2019s not how travel photography works, in my case. You\u2019re reading their body language and them reading yours is really important. You learn as you go how people react. You can to a degree control how they act, you may not want them smiling.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s different approaches, if you want it to feel edgy or risky you can photograph it in a different way. It\u2019s often the before or after moment you want, not the big smile. I\u2019ll often let them presume I\u2019ve finished but still talk and shoot to get them relaxed. It\u2019s often the first or last frame that works best. When they first see you or think you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n
When you go into any kind of place, certainly a tribal village, you don\u2019t just go in and start photographing someone young, you look for the village elder and make them the hero at the beginning. You can read signs \u2013 sometimes when people seem threatening, they just want their picture taken because they want to \u201cshow face\u201d to their peers.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"sand](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Sand_Diver_Mali.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tA sand diver shivers from the cold and takes a breath before diving back down to the bottom of the Niger River at Segou, Mali. Many people die each year doing this dangerous job. 1\/500sec at f\/6.3, ISO 200<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Be professional<\/h3>\n
\u2018I will always bank safety shots first, shoot a clich\u00e9, it\u2019s being professional. Then you can explore or experiment, especially if you\u2019re photographing somewhere well known. You know all those angles, the grounds almost worn away where so many photographers have stood. It\u2019s good to get a safety shot out of the way, it gives you the confidence to explore visually. I like to push it to the point where it doesn\u2019t even look like the subject any more.<\/p>\n
I never put my camera down and look around for an hour; I look with the camera, shoot a recce, you need to see it in the frame. A picture should have emotion, be arresting in its colour palette, composition and angle. The middle of the day is contrasty and doesn\u2019t work very well unless you\u2019re going for a certain look. Time of day is critical. It\u2019s good to know what clich\u00e9s are so you can avoid them as you go. That comes from looking at a lot of photography.\u2019<\/p>\n
Style it out<\/h3>\n
\u2018There are so many image makers, many using presets. I can look through 1,000 Instagram feeds and not tell the difference between them. You\u2019ve got to have your own voice, it\u2019s got to be your journey. That doesn\u2019t come overnight. It takes hard work to keep trying to be true to what I like. There\u2019s a visual aesthetic that I like but doesn\u2019t mean you have to stick with it. A lot of my early influence came from painted travel posters \u2013 striking, graphic composition that would create a moment and get you to go to that place.<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"Gaucho](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Gaucho_Roundup_Argentina.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tGaucho on horseback with dog, Huechahue Ranch, Northern Patagonian Lake District, Argentina. 1\/1000sec at f\/4, ISO 400<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
I took a lot of influence from that, subconsciously probably. If you\u2019re starting out you may look at Instagram and think, this photographer has made it or I\u2019m not as good. Those shots may work well on a phone but are they engaging over time? You should learn the rules first. Technically be in control of everything you do and don\u2019t do the same thing every time. You can be influenced by trends but they are just that. You should be able to strip a picture right down and it would still work.\u2019<\/p>\n
Colour correct<\/h3>\n
\u2018Not many clients want images in black & white. You know if you shoot in black & white in flat light, you can do a lot with the contrast later. Colour needs to be handled carefully, the least colour is the best colour. I like a restricted colour palette. I\u2019ll sometimes use opposite colours of the colour wheel to make things stand out. A lot of my pictures are colourful but there aren\u2019t many colours in there. A little bit of colour is better than a clash, a simplicity to them. Sometimes if you have too much going on in the frame you lose the story.\u2019<\/p>\n
Adapt<\/h3>\n
\u2018Sometimes you can use it to your advantage to look professional. Sometimes, the people you\u2019re photographing want to see you know what you\u2019re doing, often you can control the scene that way if you\u2019re confident. The kit impresses them and it works. Other times, if security guards are around, then you change the kind of kit you\u2019re using and the way you look. I will take a lot of kit but strip it down depending on what I\u2019m doing that day. One body, one lens, off I go. You have to make decisions. I get stopped nearly every time I enter a country and you adapt the story as to why you\u2019re there; I\u2019ve been to a lot of weddings!\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"Gorilla\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Silverback_Gorilla_Republic_Congo.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tGorilla, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. 1\/250sec at f\/8, ISO 1600<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Moral line<\/h3>\n
\u2018Haiti is hard. No doubt. I saw a guy on crutches lying in the gutter drinking rainwater because he had no water to drink and he\u2019s in rags. That could\u2019ve made an arresting documentary image but I didn\u2019t take it because it wasn\u2019t helping anybody. Better off just stopping and giving him a bottle of water. I\u2019m not there for that purpose, there are photographers that are.<\/p>\n
Haiti gets under your skin. You\u2019re on edge the entire time. It\u2019s all so fascinating. A country that so desperately needs help. I don\u2019t look for trouble. I\u2019m trying to avoid it. You know when to pick the camera up and when not to. I\u2019m not gung-ho, I try to read the signs and talk to the people.\u2019<\/p>\n
Paying your way<\/h3>\n
\u2018I have a very simple way to decide whether to pay for pictures and people\u2019s services. If they\u2019re going out of their normal day to help me and you\u2019re in the type of country where a tip is expected I will do it. If I go into a Maasai village and I need to get permission, I\u2019ll try and invest in something like a water tank or something communal for the village rather than giving cash. I\u2019ll also buy a ton of handy-crafts at the end, I\u2019ve a house full. You have your own take on it.<\/p>\n
If someone comes up to me and I take their picture and they immediately ask for money, I don\u2019t encourage that at all. I\u2019ll always tip with the idea of how much they make in their currency; you don\u2019t want to give $20 when their daily income is $2 or $3. I once tipped my guide and driver at the end of the meal on the final night. All he had left to do was take me to the airport the next morning, and didn\u2019t show up because I paid him too soon!\u2019<\/p>\n
Why it works<\/h3>\n
This image below shows the weekly market in Djenn\u00e9, Mali.<\/p>\n \u2018I love shooting into the sun. This image has two types of composition; the rule of thirds, the lady standing up and the heads of the other women, plus the skyline. You\u2019ve also got a classic triangle composition of the woman going up to her head. On top of that, you\u2019ve got micro-composition \u2013 the way her mouth echoes the shape of the stick. Also they\u2019re not observing me: I rented an empty market stall that was covered in canvas and I shot through a hole. It\u2019s about life that goes on around the mosque.<\/p>\n The woman in red helps the composition because she\u2019s looking at the main subject. It\u2019s got a painterly feel to it. The composition is very graphic. Shooting into the light gives you depth \u2013 it doesn\u2019t mean everything has to be covered in flare. It\u2019s a trick that I kind of \u2018stole\u2019 from fashion photography and the Hudson River It is biblical. You\u2019re an observer. Very little of what\u2019s going on is done for visitors or tourism. It\u2019s a voyeuristic approach but what you\u2019re witnessing has been going on for centuries.<\/p>\n Epic, stunning landscapes. Every province is like a different country. It also has a history of fantastic artwork, art and crafts and architecture. It\u2019s easier to travel around now compared to 20 years ago \u2013 the infrastructure is good, I\u2019ve never had a problem with the people there.<\/p>\n India is sometimes used as an easy go-to destination by photographers because it\u2019s so colourful and lively. It\u2019s not difficult to get cracking images. The theatre is there for you, they style themselves beautifully, the skin tone is perfect to photograph. I love the chaos of India. The trick is to try not to come back with images you\u2019ve seen before.<\/p>\n It has traditions, fantastic wildlife, and great backdrops like Kilimanjaro. A big draw is the Maasai tribe. I\u2019ve spent a lot of time photographing them and I respect how they\u2019ve kept their identity and integrity. They\u2019re used to tourism, they\u2019re entwined in it. I feel very at home there.<\/p>\n Cambodia is beautiful. It has a tragic past but also a great history as in the palaces and temples. It\u2019s relatively unexplored and undeveloped. There are large areas of coastline that are going to get developed in the next decade or so that hadn\u2019t been before because of land mines and land ownership.<\/p>\n I love Arctic areas. I love the simplicity of the snow and what it does to photographs. I love the people that live there. It just does winter tourism really well. Not cheap. I\u2019ve done it by boat, by snowmobile, by dogs \u2013 all different ways over the years.<\/p>\n Involve your subjects in the photography process, show what you are doing in the back of the camera, ask their opinion. Sometimes everyone is guilty of stealing pictures rather than making them. When you collaborate you both come away feeling you\u2019ve gained something.<\/p>\n I never look at what\u2019s the correct exposure, mine\u2019s instinctive. I use a highlight alert but also know what I can do afterwards. People rely too much on the camera light-meter. I only shoot raw. I don\u2019t want my camera to make many decisions, it\u2019s not emotional. You\u2019ve got to be in control of your craft. Then you can be creative.<\/p>\n Shoot before and after sunrise, there is a very special glow that can be used to your advantage. Don\u2019t always stand to take a picture. Lie down or climb up high. Try to stay close to the location you\u2019re photographing, don\u2019t care too much about the quality of accommodation.<\/p>\n Things will change and go wrong. When I\u2019m asked to go somewhere for a job, my first thoughts are what will go wrong. If that kit goes wrong, what can I use to do the same job. Everything I take has a backup. What if the weather is really bad? If it\u2019s really bad, shoot a lot of it at night if it\u2019s a city, or don\u2019t shoot the sky, the sky is a giveaway.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a misconception that being a travel photographer is glamorous. It can be but it can also be tedious \u2013 a lot of sitting around, frustration and a lot of people saying no. It\u2019s a physical, spiritual and mental journey. Even if you have a bad hour, day, week, shoot \u2013 it\u2019s part of it, you just have to accept it, every day has an end.<\/p>\n Understand where the light is at each point during the day and utilise it, put people in it and if they\u2019re not there at that time, ask them to come early or later.<\/p>\n Daylight is a key ingredient of selling emotion, it can drive the viewer\u2019s feelings. Study light \u2013 some places have hard light, some soft, some are very dusty places. A leaf blower or broom Plan your shoot, use a sun-seeker app to find out exactly what path the sun will take at what time. Know what can go wrong and what you can do about it, be ready. Create mood boards before you travel, not of the locations but the colour palette.<\/p>\n Philip shares more tips for travel photographs in this video: Top travel photography tips from Philip Lee Harvey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 50mm prime lens<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s an honest lens that delivers and honest photograph, it tells the story as it is. It\u2019s not tricksy and doesn\u2019t discredit the subject.<\/p>\n Leatherman<\/strong><\/p>\n Compact, lightweight and capable, the multiple tools and knives allow me to tackle the expected and unexpected in everyday shoots.<\/p>\n Assistants<\/strong><\/p>\n Reliable assistants, fixers and guides are often essential in what I do. Sometimes I hire locals, while at other times I\u2019ll travel with someone I\u2019ve worked with before and know well and who knows how I work and what I expect.<\/p>\n Aircraft<\/strong><\/p>\n A helicopter or seaplane is a pretty useful bit of kit to help me access hard-to-photograph and hard-to-reach locations.<\/p>\n Tripod<\/strong><\/p>\n The Manfrotto 055<\/a> is easy to use. It allows me to get creative and guarantees camera stability. It\u2019s strong, locks quickly and the 90\u00b0 column and four leg angles can reach most positions.<\/p>\n EF 70-200mm f\/2.8L IS USM<\/strong><\/p>\n Excellent image quality, durable, useful focal length range and fast aperture and image stabilisation feature makes this professional workhorse one of my first lenses into the kit bag.<\/p>\n Canon EOS-1D X Mark II<\/a> & Canon EOS 5D Mark IV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n At this stage, I just don\u2019t need a mirrorless camera system. I\u2019m very happy with the quality and usability I get from my DSLRs. It\u2019s a practical thing. I don\u2019t feel that I\u2019d become a better photographer, so I would prefer to put the money into making pictures. I\u2019m sure I will change in time, it\u2019s just not urgent.<\/p>\n Philip is an accomplished photographer and filmmaker based in the United Kingdom. His career, spanning over 20 years, has taken him to every continent, working for editorial and commercial clients. He has received many prestigious awards for both still and moving images including Travel Photographer of the Year.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss the chance to learn directly from Philip on his forthcoming workshop with Zoom Photo Tours<\/a>, arranged in partnership with AP. He is going to Marrakech (October) and Kenya (dates to be confirmed), so it\u2019s a great chance to learn how to apply some of the theory and technique he has talked about in this feature to your travel photographs. Full details of all the workshops and participating photographers at bit.ly\/zoomaptours<\/p>\n Enter our Travel themed round of APOY 2022: APOY 2022 Round Three Travel, open for entries!<\/a><\/p>\n Top 10 travel photo tips and techniques \u2013 from gear choice to shooting<\/a><\/p>\n How to do well in travel competitions <\/a><\/p>\n Travel Photographer of the Year 2021 winners revealed<\/a><\/p>\n Award winning travel photographer Philip Lee Harvey talks to Peter Dench about creating outstanding images that go beyond the obvious<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":163985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[375,36],"tags":[2816,676,796],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-163975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert_advice","category-technique","tag-philip-lee-harvey","tag-travel","tag-travel-photography"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Djenne_-Mosque_Market.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
\nSchool in the USA.\u2019<\/p>\nPhilip\u2019s top six locations to visit for travel photographs<\/h3>\n
1. Ethiopia<\/h3>\n
![\"travel](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip-Lee-Harvey.jpg\")
<\/a>\n2. China<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_West-Lake-Hangzhou-China.jpg\")
<\/a>\n3. India<\/h3>\n
![\"women](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Kerala_India.jpg\")
<\/a>\n4. Kenya<\/h3>\n
![\"big](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Leopard_Kenya.jpg\")
<\/a>\n5. Cambodia<\/h3>\n
![\"palm](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Rice_Paddy_Cambodia.jpg\")
<\/a>\n6. Norway<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Norway.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
\nPhilip’s top tips for outstanding travel photographs<\/h3>\n
Collaborate<\/h3>\n
![\"portrait\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip-Lee-Harvey_Himba_Tribe_Namibia.jpg\")
<\/a>\nBe in control<\/h3>\n
![\"masai](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Maasai_tribesman_Maasai-Mara-Kenya.jpg\")
<\/a>\nMake effort<\/h3>\n
![\"masai](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Masaai_Goat_Herder_Kenya.jpg\")
<\/a>\nRight wrongs<\/h3>\n
![\"travel](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Yemen-Sana_f1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nHang in there<\/h3>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Southern_Australia.jpg\")
<\/a>\nTake control<\/h3>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Portrait_Farmer_Cambodia.jpg\")
<\/a>\nCapture motion<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u00a9Philip_Lee_Harvey_Gaucho_Argentina.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
\nis very useful to create a cinematic feel.<\/p>\nDo your research<\/h3>\n
![\"travel](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Picture-for-Do-Your-Research.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
\nTravel photography kit list<\/h3>\n
\nPhilip Lee Harvey<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Philip-Lee-Harvey-headshot-300x362.jpg\")
<\/a>\nLearn from Philip on an AP Photo Tour<\/h3>\n
\nFurther reading:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Top-Tips-for-travel.jpg\")
<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"