Shoot First, Ask Later

Shooting opportunities for travel photographers who partake in a familiarization tour ("fam tour") usually are limited. Often you'll get only one brief chance to shoot a parade, a park or an historic site. And just as often, at those moments, the light isn't the best -- the sun is high and harsh, or it's raining buckets. But all is not lost.

First, shoot anyway. Don't decide not to shoot in the hopes that you'll get a second chance to come back for some warm early morning light or late afternoon shadows. You probably won't.

Second, if the sun is overhead, avoid shooting scenic shots. Wide-angle photos when the sun is at high noon can be flat, drab, and washed out. Instead, shoot close-ups of people, animals, flowers, architectural details.

Third, in bright sun use a flash when shooting faces, to fill in the shadows. Or better still, employ softening bounce lighting from a white wall or similar reflector.

Travel editors put their best pictures on the first page of the travel section. Follow these tips and you'll make sure yours are there.