5 of the Most Important Elements to Take Good Travel Photos

After taking 500,000+ travel photos over the years, I have had a lot of time to sit back and think about what went into some of my favorite shots.

While they were all taken with different settings (shutter speed, focal length, etc.), I realized that the photos all had five things in common. These broad elements tied together the images and turned what could otherwise be a mediocre photo into something truly magical.

The elements are simply equipment, location, lighting, technique, and luck.

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How to Fix Sony A7R III Banding Issue in a Few Clicks

I had my Sony a7R III for about six months without any noticeable issues, until one day I walked into a dimly lit bar and my live view screen started to look weird.

The previously normal image was showing some bands of darker lines going across the screen (see photos below). I seemed to recall this happened in fractions of a second before, but this was the first time the image was sustained across the live view screen.

Did I break my camera? Did I hit it hard or get moisture in it? It was unclear. But then I clicked the shutter button and my worst fear was realized- the banding was also in my photo. 

Cue panic.

Thankfully, the Sony a7R III banding issue is a common one amongst high-end, mirrorless cameras. So if you have this issue, we've got some tips for you that may help prevent some panic.

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What Are the Best Lenses for Sony a6000? We Go for the Primes

When it comes to photography, one of the most popular camera models currently out there is the Sony a6000 mirrorless camera.

After my initial hesitation of buying yet another Sony camera, I came around and haven't regretted my decision in the slightest (read our full Sony a6000 review here for more on that).

After working with the kit lens for quite some time, I made the decision to take the leap into buying more lenses for my arsenal. I was then left with one rather challenging question: what are the best lenses for Sony a6000?

As someone who primarily shoots landscape and macro photography, this led me into the world of prime lenses- something I think most photographers know little about but would be greatly interested in.

During my investigation of prime lenses I found that most of the articles were bit confusing- not so much for the technical nature of them, but more because I wasn't sure if they would suit my needs when it came to photography.

To accommodate this gap and help out fellow travelers in this same situation, this non-technical guide was born.

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Is The MATPRA Marketplace Worth It For Travel Bloggers?

In the past, I've written reviews of travel conferences and networking events like TBEX, Travelcon, NATJA, and IMM- a few of which I've had in regular rotation for a while. As it has been my goal to broaden my networking horizons, I'm starting to attend more conferences/events beyond these as well.

One of my recent additions was MATPRA (the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance) Media Marketplace. MATPRA is a consortium of tourist boards from the mid-Atlantic, namely within Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia, that comes together for a networking opportunity (the Media Marketplace) for writers and CVBs to meet and discuss publication opportunities.

So, is this one worth it? My short answer is yes. But my long answer would be with a caveat that it depends on where you are coming from and what you want to get out of it.

*Note: Unlike other event reviews, I forgot to take photos at the Marketplace proper (I was too busy networking, whoops). Instead, photos of this one come from the FAM experiences that coincide with MATPRA Media Marketplace.

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