Traveling to Japan and don't want to blow it

SnapTheFrog

I'm leaving for a two week trip to Japan in November. I bought a Canon S2 IS for it and am loving this camera. I'm still deciding if I'll take my iPod and upload my picutres to that, or my Mac. I want to journal the trip too so if I don't take the Mac I was considering buying a digital voice recorder.

Going to Japan has been a dream of mine for many years and for years I thought it would would only be a dream. Now it's happening and I'm really excited about it.

I know that many of you would think that my biggest fear might be dying in a major earthquake, dying from eating posion blow fish in a sushi bar, or being trampled to death by Godzilla as I wander through a small Japanese village. But being the forward thinker that I am, I've taken out travelers insurance against all of those. :wink

No, my biggest worry is that I will take terrible pictures. This last weekend I took a photo walk at the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica and was bothered at the number of pictures that didn't come out. I'd have the subject just fine, but people walking by in the background with light colored clothing had blown out several of the shots. I know this was because I wasn't paying attention to the background. But in street scenes, the action is fluid and you get what you can.

Anyway, I've been very impressed with the quality of pictures I've seen on this board and wanted to ask your help and advice for taking good travel pictures, avoiding the tired cliche, and so on.

I'm open to any other types of advice you may have, so feel free to offer up what ever you have in mind.

Thanks a lot, everyone. Ja mata!

lynnma

SnapTheFrog wrote:

I'm leaving for a two week trip to Japan in November. I bought a Canon S2 IS for it and am loving this camera. I'm still deciding if I'll take my iPod and upload my picutres to that, or my Mac. I want to journal the trip too so if I don't take the Mac I was considering buying a digital voice recorder.

Going to Japan has been a dream of mine for many years and for years I thought it would would only be a dream. Now it's happening and I'm really excited about it.

I know that many of you would think that my biggest fear might be dying in a major earthquake, dying from eating posion blow fish in a sushi bar, or being trampled to death by Godzilla as I wander through a small Japanese village. But being the forward thinker that I am, I've taken out travelers insurance against all of those.

No, my biggest worry is that I will take terrible pictures. This last weekend I took a photo walk at the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica and was bothered at the number of pictures that didn't come out. I'd have the subject just fine, but people walking by in the background with light colored clothing had blown out several of the shots. I know this was because I wasn't paying attention to the background. But in street scenes, the action is fluid and you get what you can.

Anyway, I've been very impressed with the quality of pictures I've seen on this board and wanted to ask your help and advice for taking good travel pictures, avoiding the tired cliche, and so on.

I'm open to any other types of advice you may have, so feel free to offer up what ever you have in mind.

Thanks a lot, everyone. Ja mata!

Im no expert by any means and I suffer from the same stuggle as yourself. The only advice I would give is the same for me.. shoot shoot shoot as many "practice" shots before you go in 2 weeks. Try to practice shooting looking out for the backgrounds and then check to see what you have.. you'll get used to it more. Good luck and have fun!!!

SnapTheFrog

Thanks Lynnma, for the good advice. I've actually been practicing shooting pictures from my car. No, not driving. But looking around at stops. It's an art to not include a piece of the car I'm shooting from and avoid the light bouncing off all the windshields around me. Please feel free to pop in with any other advice you think of. I'm open to everything. How else can I learn, right?

dragon300zx

I'm sure there also alot of professional photographers who wouldn't mind going and photographing the trip for you .:hide

SnapTheFrog

By "professional" you mean single, shapely, cute, and that they find me wildly facinating, I'm happy to have them join me.

sser

My girlfriend and I did a stopover in Japan on our way to australia we were only there for only 2 nights and i wished i took more pictures than i did.. but between the flight 13.5 hrs from canada and only there for a short time also keep in mind im with my girlfriend it was hard.. You'll love it just beautiful scenery and the street photography thats a given just awesome. So the advice i can give you is practise and shoot like crazy anything you find interesting which will be everything!!
here are some shots from my trip to Tokyo keep in mind i had a brutal camera back then.
http://sham.smugmug.com/gallery/354188

SnapTheFrog

Thanks for the gallery link. I'm stocking up on SD cards and setting my camera to 'rapid fire'.

I have a 3 day weekend ahead of me, and going to the King Tut exhibit tomorrow. If they allow me to take in my camera, I'll be practicing my head off.

This may sound like a stupid question, but I'm wondering what typifies a travel photograph? There are snapshots and then there are photographs. The people who shoot for National Geographic have a way of taking a picture that captures the essence of a place. I hate those guys. (jk)