Chris McLennan is a professional travel photographer working around the world on assignments that have seen him shoot in over 50 different countries. Here he shares some simple lessons in Travel Photography 101.
A glimpse of the mighty Victoria Falls cascading into the River Zambezi, taken from the Zimbabwe side of the border (the river divides Zimbabwe and Zambia). There are a number of natural icons around the world that are recognisable to all, no matter where you are from or how much you have – or have not – travelled. Mt Everest in Nepal, Ayers Rock in Australia, Great Britain’s White Cliffs of Dover, Table Mountain in South Africa and the Grand Canyon in the US to name only a few. Victoria Falls are the largest waterfall in the world (based on combined width and height) and was certainly a “must” for me to photograph when I had a few days off prior to guiding a Photo Tour group through nearby Botswana.
Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora. It’s hard to pick a single image that defines the Pacific Islands. There are so many distinctive sights to witness and capture on a trip to any of these popular holiday destinations. And because I work in the area so regularly I need to pay attention and make sure I don’t take the islands for granted! This image was captured on my first ever visit to French Polynesia and shows the popular “over water” bungalows prolific throughout this region, with Mt Otemanu disappearing into the clouds in the background.
Sopoaga waterfall in Samoa, one of the island’s iconic sights I made sure to include it in my itinerary. Its always quite humbling that spots like this still exist, and are still relatively untouched…
A proud Huli wigman photographed in Papua New Guinea. Home to 7 million people who claim around 800 official languages between them, PNG is a cultural wonder with numerous tribes still living out their lives with little or no influence from modern western society. Traveling amongst the various remote villages is a welcoming and joyful experience, with the natives extremely loyal to their traditional ways yet always keen to share their knowledge and customs with me.
The recognisable peak of “Mitre Peak” in New Zealand’s Milford Sound, colloquially called “The world’s eighth wonder” this fjord with steep towering sides, cascading waterfalls and reflective waters is a photographer’s paradise, come rain or shine. In any weather the scenery here is simply stunning.
Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon of Northern Italy 7 kilometres from Venice. Originally famed for its exquisite lace, Burano is now more well-known for its colourful houses and tiny waterways. The colours of the houses follow a specific system managed by the government – in fact before painting your house you will be advised what colour you are permitted to use! Again I was making use of a couple of days off following an extended shoot in Europe. With no understanding of the Italian language I wandered the vibrant streets before being be-friended by a local couple who happily helped me find some cosy accommodation – and a cold beer – with which to finish my day.
The Great Wall of China. I was fortunate to have a spare day following a commercial shoot I had just completed in Beijing, so I organised to visit a remote area of the Great Wall called “Wang Jing Lou”. To access this section we drove around 3 hours from Beijing to a local village somewhere between Simitai and Jinshanling, from where we were escorted to the wall (another two or three hours walking and then steep climbing and rock scrambling) by a friendly local with no English. The experience of getting there was almost as amazing as being there! As luck would have it the skies were clear - the usual dense “smog” that hides China’s natural beauty was nowhere to be seen - and we purportedly had the clearest sunset they’d seen since the Beijing Olympics (when the sky was artificially “seeded” to force rain which would clear the atmosphere). A perfect example of why being a travel photographer always works better when you put in the effort to be there, I find that “luck” often goes my way… when I make sure to go looking for it that is!!
Eiffel Tower, Paris. No trip to France is complete without a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, rising 324 metres over the surrounding city and 125 years old it is one of the world’s most recognisable man-made structures. For this image I was actually taking an evening walk before commencing my commercial shoot the following day. I had photographed the tower before but was looking for a more unique angle with some nice foreground elements. Et Voila! By climbing down a few rickety old steps to the water’s edge I was able to show the old boats sitting moored along the river Seine, with the tower rising brilliantly in the background.
Chinese junks scattered across Lake Taihu in the Zhejiang Province. I was in Huzhou for a commercial shoot, but made sure I had an extra day in the schedule to explore the region afterwards. I was up early wanting to catch the sunrise out over the lake, and was thrilled to see this flotilla of junks sitting serenely and providing the ideal photo opportunity. The low lying atmospheric fog/smog helped disburse the sun’s light and added a golden glow to my image.
Iditarod Dog Sled race, Alaska. Competitors travel over 1500 km from Anchorage to Nome by dog team, across the Bering Sea and through some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable landscape. One year, a guide and I took snow mobiles and followed the race from Galena to Nome, at -40C to -60C and camped out on the frozen tundra. This was an incredible experience I will never forget.
Deadvlei, Namibia. It is hard for New Zealander’s to get a true feel for Africa, a continent over 100 times larger than our own and responsible for 15% of the world’s population – half of which are under the age of 20 and many living in the grip of poverty. But in many ways it also still retains all the magic of Disney’s “Lion King” with vast open savannahs, a myriad of wildlife and proud native peoples. It is believed to be the oldest inhabited territory on earth with remains dating back 7 million years. Which makes the 900 year old tree “skeletons” in this photo – formed when the river flooded to create this clay pan in which the trees grew only to die following severe drought – simply infantile in comparison.
Last year my wife joined me in the US following a commercial shoot I had in Avon, Colorado. We hired a vehicle and hit the road, driving through Colorado and into Utah and visiting many of the National Parks along the way. With a snow storm pending we decided we needed to get to Bryce Canyon, an incredible landscape featuring red cliff walls and standing rock spires or “hoodoos” that look stunning when covered in snow. We chose not to take the main route and instead journeyed the scenic highway from Moab, via Hanksville, the Boulder Pass and Escalante. We drove through the snow, knowing the results would be worth it when we arrived. And sure enough, we reached Bryce Canyon amid heavily falling snow and woke up the next morning to a surreal, snow covered landscape with stormy skies that cleared to a bluebird day - fantastic conditions for a travel photographer. And of course it was all gone by the following morning.
A glimpse of the mighty Victoria Falls cascading into the River Zambezi, taken from the Zimbabwe side of the border (the river divides Zimbabwe and Zambia). There are a number of natural icons around the world that are recognisable to all, no matter where you are from or how much you have – or have not – travelled. Mt Everest in Nepal, Ayers Rock in Australia, Great Britain’s White Cliffs of Dover, Table Mountain in South Africa and the Grand Canyon in the US to name only a few. Victoria Falls are the largest waterfall in the world (based on combined width and height) and was certainly a “must” for me to photograph when I had a few days off prior to guiding a Photo Tour group through nearby Botswana.
Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora. It’s hard to pick a single image that defines the Pacific Islands. There are so many distinctive sights to witness and capture on a trip to any of these popular holiday destinations. And because I work in the area so regularly I need to pay attention and make sure I don’t take the islands for granted! This image was captured on my first ever visit to French Polynesia and shows the popular “over water” bungalows prolific throughout this region, with Mt Otemanu disappearing into the clouds in the background.
Sopoaga waterfall in Samoa, one of the island’s iconic sights I made sure to include it in my itinerary. Its always quite humbling that spots like this still exist, and are still relatively untouched…
A proud Huli wigman photographed in Papua New Guinea. Home to 7 million people who claim around 800 official languages between them, PNG is a cultural wonder with numerous tribes still living out their lives with little or no influence from modern western society. Traveling amongst the various remote villages is a welcoming and joyful experience, with the natives extremely loyal to their traditional ways yet always keen to share their knowledge and customs with me.
The recognisable peak of “Mitre Peak” in New Zealand’s Milford Sound, colloquially called “The world’s eighth wonder” this fjord with steep towering sides, cascading waterfalls and reflective waters is a photographer’s paradise, come rain or shine. In any weather the scenery here is simply stunning.
Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon of Northern Italy 7 kilometres from Venice. Originally famed for its exquisite lace, Burano is now more well-known for its colourful houses and tiny waterways. The colours of the houses follow a specific system managed by the government – in fact before painting your house you will be advised what colour you are permitted to use! Again I was making use of a couple of days off following an extended shoot in Europe. With no understanding of the Italian language I wandered the vibrant streets before being be-friended by a local couple who happily helped me find some cosy accommodation – and a cold beer – with which to finish my day.
The Great Wall of China. I was fortunate to have a spare day following a commercial shoot I had just completed in Beijing, so I organised to visit a remote area of the Great Wall called “Wang Jing Lou”. To access this section we drove around 3 hours from Beijing to a local village somewhere between Simitai and Jinshanling, from where we were escorted to the wall (another two or three hours walking and then steep climbing and rock scrambling) by a friendly local with no English. The experience of getting there was almost as amazing as being there! As luck would have it the skies were clear - the usual dense “smog” that hides China’s natural beauty was nowhere to be seen - and we purportedly had the clearest sunset they’d seen since the Beijing Olympics (when the sky was artificially “seeded” to force rain which would clear the atmosphere). A perfect example of why being a travel photographer always works better when you put in the effort to be there, I find that “luck” often goes my way… when I make sure to go looking for it that is!!
Eiffel Tower, Paris. No trip to France is complete without a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, rising 324 metres over the surrounding city and 125 years old it is one of the world’s most recognisable man-made structures. For this image I was actually taking an evening walk before commencing my commercial shoot the following day. I had photographed the tower before but was looking for a more unique angle with some nice foreground elements. Et Voila! By climbing down a few rickety old steps to the water’s edge I was able to show the old boats sitting moored along the river Seine, with the tower rising brilliantly in the background.
Chinese junks scattered across Lake Taihu in the Zhejiang Province. I was in Huzhou for a commercial shoot, but made sure I had an extra day in the schedule to explore the region afterwards. I was up early wanting to catch the sunrise out over the lake, and was thrilled to see this flotilla of junks sitting serenely and providing the ideal photo opportunity. The low lying atmospheric fog/smog helped disburse the sun’s light and added a golden glow to my image.
Iditarod Dog Sled race, Alaska. Competitors travel over 1500 km from Anchorage to Nome by dog team, across the Bering Sea and through some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable landscape. One year, a guide and I took snow mobiles and followed the race from Galena to Nome, at -40C to -60C and camped out on the frozen tundra. This was an incredible experience I will never forget.
Deadvlei, Namibia. It is hard for New Zealander’s to get a true feel for Africa, a continent over 100 times larger than our own and responsible for 15% of the world’s population – half of which are under the age of 20 and many living in the grip of poverty. But in many ways it also still retains all the magic of Disney’s “Lion King” with vast open savannahs, a myriad of wildlife and proud native peoples. It is believed to be the oldest inhabited territory on earth with remains dating back 7 million years. Which makes the 900 year old tree “skeletons” in this photo – formed when the river flooded to create this clay pan in which the trees grew only to die following severe drought – simply infantile in comparison.
Last year my wife joined me in the US following a commercial shoot I had in Avon, Colorado. We hired a vehicle and hit the road, driving through Colorado and into Utah and visiting many of the National Parks along the way. With a snow storm pending we decided we needed to get to Bryce Canyon, an incredible landscape featuring red cliff walls and standing rock spires or “hoodoos” that look stunning when covered in snow. We chose not to take the main route and instead journeyed the scenic highway from Moab, via Hanksville, the Boulder Pass and Escalante. We drove through the snow, knowing the results would be worth it when we arrived. And sure enough, we reached Bryce Canyon amid heavily falling snow and woke up the next morning to a surreal, snow covered landscape with stormy skies that cleared to a bluebird day - fantastic conditions for a travel photographer. And of course it was all gone by the following morning.
One of the questions I often get asked is,“How did you become a travel photographer?” Or, more often, asked by younger aspiring photographers,“How can I become a travel photographer?” Or, in some cases simply, “I want your job!”
During a recent presentation to a photographic club in my home town of Auckland, I made a bit of a joke with my response, explaining my philosophy on travel photography as simply:
- “Turn Up”
- “Bring your camera!”
Obviously, there is a LOT more involved than that, but when you strip it back to the mere basics it really is that fundamental. You simply have to “be there” – and by that I mean not only making the effort to put yourself in locations and in front of better subjects to get the images you are after, but I also mean you really have to “be there” in the moment. Being any kind of photographer means opening your eyes and looking around you, because how you see things is often very different to how other people see it, which is possibly why you got into photography in the first place.
So being present in the moment, and being fully open to the experience, is an important part of my image making process. And of course, you have to have your camera with you! Seems silly, but I take my camera almost everywhere with me, it is part of who I am and I’m sure that is what makes me a prolific travel photographer. So I reiterate – turn up, and bring your camera. After that, everything else is just semantics.
Another question I often get asked is “where is your favorite place to travel”. Which is actually a more difficult question to answer as everywhere is special for so many different reasons. When offering travel advice to friends and family (something I am reluctant to do as it’s so personal) I always ask first what they are looking for – as everyone has a different viewpoint and different preferences for their travel experience – and secondly where they’ve been before. The best advice I can give anyone currently planning their next travel destination is to think of all the places where you have already been, and then try and find somewhere the complete opposite of that!
Personally, I love Europe for the rich history and diversity of its nations, and because it’s so easy to find a good coffee there. I DON’T like the long plane ride to get there! I love the Pacific Islands because I spend so much time working there and so it feels almost like a second home to me. I have made so many fantastic friends over my many years of shooting there.
Asia is a melting pot of culture, amazing food, incredible sights and experiences, and the hotels and resorts I have photographed throughout the region are always pretty mind blowing. The US in winter usually involves a ski shoot and American ski fields are definitely worth a visit if skiing is your thing – they just do everything “bigger” over there. Africa is incredible on such an immense scale it’s hard to explain in words what that continent is like, and I’ve only seen a small portion of it! Being out on safari and experiencing mother nature at the “source” is truly humbling. It is the ethnic cultures still present in some regions – for example, the Ovahimba I have photographed in Namibia – that really make this continent so special. And the light there is truly very different.
The tribal people of Papua New Guinea are another cultural highlight at the top of my list of recommendations due to the life changing experience of being amongst such magical, unique – and photogenic – people. And then everyone has heard me talk about Alaska, somewhere I return to again and again because I love it so much. From the grizzly bears in summer to the extremes of the frozen wilderness in winter, this is a country of true wonder amidst such warm and welcoming hospitality that I simply can’t get enough!
And of course closer to home I have had many adventures throughout both Australia and my home country, New Zealand – both offer a huge range of diversity and incredible scenery, and like they say, “Don’t leave town till you’ve seen the country”!
If you want to create your own travel memories, it really is as simple as making sure you have that camera in your hand at all times, and truly “be there” when you travel. You won’t become a travel photographer by sitting on the couch watching National Geographic re-runs. And likewise, you won’t have a true travel experience if you spend your trip with your nose inside your guidebook. Open your eyes, look around you, and then record what YOU see. Travel Photography 101, simple as that.
Chris McLennan is a New Zealand based commercial travel photographer servicing clients all over the globe. With more than 50 different countries on his list of shoot locations, his images and stories bring the world just that little bit closer. His stunning images have been the recipient of a number of international awards, and his standing in the industry has been recognized by endorsement relationships with Lexar, Lowepro and AquaTech. Chris is also an Ambassador for camera brand Nikon and computing brand HP. When not working on assignment, Chris hosts intrepid style photo tours to exciting and photogenic travel spots such as Alaska, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Norway, and New Zealand.
