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National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography

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This superb practical guide to travel photography combines the best of all convenient size, comprehensive coverage, and useful, straightforward advice from the experts of National Geographic Traveler, the highest circulation magazine in its field. It’s the perfect "how-to" for anyone seeking to master the veteran photographer’s trademark a strong sense of place; a swift, decisive eye; and a sure instinct for the dramatic scene.

Be it a weekend escape or far-flung adventure, every occasion promises the chance for a great photograph. Whether you’re after that once-in-a-lifetime shot or just want a vivid travelogue to share with friends, The Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography will help you achieve your goals. It explores such key genres of photography as panoramas, portraits, and creating a narrative in photographs. Always, the focus is on engaging your subject and working—often quickly—to get the best shots.

Chapters cover everything from inspiration and research to the practicalities of purchasing the right equipment. Practical information including checklists, essential contents of a camera bag, and other helpful resources are listed in the back. Designed especially for active travelers, the book fits easily in a backpack or pocket for handy access.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Kate.
922 reviews22 followers
February 23, 2011
More of a 2 1/2 stars. While this book had some good tips for an amateur, I found it surprisingly oriented toward professionals and people who have lots of equipment and time to choose to be at a venue at a certain time. Continual references to NatGeo photographers made me feel like the book was an extended advertisement. While some tips were useful, there were way to many based on my ability to wait hours for the right light or talk my way to a better vantage point because I am a NatGeo photographer. LOL. There must be better books out there for the average tourist who has a limited amount of time and budget who just wants to take better pictures. More focus on composition and how to get the most from your digital camera would be helpful.
Profile Image for Annabelle.
1,191 reviews22 followers
April 27, 2021
Pretty good insights gained into the rigors of travel photography, with the help of professional tips from freelance travel photographers. However, the editors should not have crowed the efforts of one Catherine Karnow, who not only stiffs tour guides by deceiving them about her intentions (and brags about it in the book), she openly discusses how she "stages" her photos, even asking her subjects to bribe, hold that pose, move to different locations and pose again. And these photos get published! She certainly sounds like she would make a better director than she does a photojournalist.

Profile Image for Affad Shaikh.
103 reviews12 followers
July 4, 2018
I am not sure what the reviews on this are all about. I find that they are either demanding more from the book or had low expectations to begin with. I got precisely what I wanted- get a better sense of how to make my travel photography better; gain an understanding of what I could do better to pitch ideas to editors potentially if I wanted too; and, finally, get expert advice on the prepping, planning, and executing of a successful photography component of a trip.

One thing I will point out, yes there is a lot of suggestions for camera gear and equipment. However, in the end you work with what you got, precisely how I approach this (expensive) hobby of mine. I dont have the best of equipments yet I have been able to achieve some spectacular work with what i have. My suggestions is not to get hung up on the camera gear and truly look at the content of advice focused on planning, crafting, and executing. Many of the advice written about in the book does not have to take you to far flung places around the globe, in fact there is specific advice that you should shoot locally, you should experiment and test out your gear where you know and have experience, and that you can do many of the ideas as local assignments. Travel is niether exotic and expensive if we choose to stick local and do local. I know people who lived their entire adult lives and have not ventured far home town, county, state. Thats what I do.
990 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2017
This is a great summary of a photography class. It has tips, tricks and some stuff I once knew but had not added to my permanent bag of tricks. I am on my way to photograph the eclipse and hope this helps me get a few better shots (if the smoke over Oregon cooperates).
Profile Image for Melissa.
8 reviews2 followers
March 21, 2012
Overall, I really liked the information provided. I really learned a lot about a topic that I'm very interested in. I will definitely bookmark/highlight certain tips/tricks and refer to them before taking my next trip. Unfortunately, the only thing stopping me from really loving this book is the fact that the writer used several examples describing situations and circumstances of different published photos in National Geographic Traveller magazine without including the actual photo in the book. Once or twice would be alright, but for the most part, all the examples talked about in-text did not match the photos actually presented in the book. I found it extremely frustrating. If the author describes in detail the scene of a photo and how great it turned out, the photo should be included so I can see the outcome! It just seems rather odd the way they chose to do that. Overall, it was short, sweet, to the point and full of good useful information.
Profile Image for T.
31 reviews
August 29, 2013
I regularly read Nat Geo magazines, and I am very interested in photography (I also own a DSLR) but this book was a bit of a let down for me. Maybe I had a wrong impression about the book because of the Cheetah on the front cover, but 95% of the guide is about how to take pictures of people, getting candid shots of them in different scenarios, getting their permission etc. etc. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not interested in returning home from my travels with a memory card full of pictures of strangers, no matter how great the shot!

What about architecture, animals, landscape? This book could have been so much more helpful. And like someone else said, I understand that it IS published by National Geographic, but it was like a promotion for their own photographers.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,678 reviews63 followers
November 27, 2011
Whenever I think of National Geographic, I always tend to hear Carly Simon singing "Nobody Does it Better" in my head. The photographers of National Geographic's Traveler magazine band together here to offer a compact, easily digestible guide to travel photography that's so chock-a-block with good advice that it's probably worth reading twice. Covers everything from packing to online sites for backing up your trip photos.
Profile Image for Ricardo Ribeiro.
222 reviews12 followers
January 7, 2013
I didn't learn much, and I don't consider myself advanced photographer. The reading is smooth and pleasant, some nice pictures and that's about it. I don't reccomend this book unless to the begginers. For those it's a great book to buy.
788 reviews3 followers
August 21, 2015
This was a very informative book. Some of it is common sense. Others were tips and tricks. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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