This is a tip from my Impactful Travel Photography e-book, which will be released this weekend–in time for Christmas. Just sayin’.

A trick for better travel photos. The trick is simple: when you press the shutter, ask yourself “what is the subject?” If it is simply nouns (“the Eiffel Tower”, “The Shania Twain Museum”, or “the Houses of Parliament”), then the photo will probably be boring. The subject needs an adjective, a descriptor; something you are trying to say. “The Very French Eiffel tower”, or “The Houses of Parliament as a tourist attraction”, for instance.

Or, as above, “The Failed, Abandoned, Shania Twain Museum”. That makes the viewer look and work out the story. It helps the photo tell a story. Most importantly, choosing the adjective helps you decide how to photograph your subject to achieve that story (like by using the empty car park in the photo above, with a wide angle lens).

Remember: your subject should be not a noun, but an adjective and a noun… and an adjective that your audience can guess!