5 Tips for a Photography Day Trip with Friends

If you enjoy taking trips with friends, they probably know you’re into photography. They expect your photos to be better than their phone snapshots, even if you’re using your phone too. After all, you’re the photographer of the group. So, what can you do differently?

You don’t have to be a documentary photographer to master a genre outside your specialty. I’d classify day trips as a mix of reportage and documentary photography, with some crossover into landscape photography. 

1. Go digital

Most photographers reading this article already shoot digitally, so they’re not limited by the number of images. Use your camera’s flip screen and experiment with shooting from the waist up. 

If you’re not confident in your reportage skills, try using continuous shooting mode. You can always delete unnecessary photos later. As you gain experience, you’ll take fewer photos, but they’ll be better.    

Shooting from the waist up can give you some interesting results. They don’t have to be perfect—it’s all about capturing the moment. 

2. Depth of field: More is better

No one wants to see just a face perfectly placed in the golden ratio with a blurred background. You can take photos like that anywhere. People want to see where you’ve been. Include your surroundings—buildings, landscapes, and close-ups of the places you visit. Give them as much attention as you give your friends. 

Working with a greater depth of field can be tricky, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. Learn from the very best—Henry Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka, Jindřich Štreit, and Roman Vondrouš. Observe their compositions and get inspired. 

Don’t be afraid of a higher f-number for greater depth of field. It doesn’t have to follow the rules perfectly. What matters most is that you’re capturing memories for the people you’re with, or the friends who couldn’t join you.   

3. The right balance

As the photographer, you’re responsible for the final selection. Keep it interesting, but not overwhelming. The ideal number of photos from a day trip or vacation is around 100, regardless of the duration.  

A good ratio is 7:3—70% photos of your friends and 30% photos of places, scenery, and atmosphere. Keep your audience in mind. If you’re taking photos for yourself and your friends, adjust your selection accordingly. 

Include atmospheric shots of the places you visited. They don’t have to be conventionally beautiful, just interesting. 

4. Focus on your audience 

Who is your main audience? This is the key question. Don’t stress about capturing “the photo of a lifetime.” If it happens, your audience will notice. 

Focus on your friends. Photograph them naturally so they feel at ease. These are the kinds of photos that feel authentic. Don’t forget group shots, selfies, and fun, themed photos.

As a photographer, you’re expected to take better photos, especially in terms of composition and storytelling. 

If some photos feel a little odd, that’s fine. You’re taking them for friends who know you and will appreciate them.

5. Consistency is key 

Your photos should have a cohesive style. Don’t mix black and white with color randomly. Or even worse, the same shot in both color and black and white. That kind of inconsistency makes the series look chaotic and distracts from the memories of the trip.  

In summary:

Grab your camera, get out there, and capture amazing memories! 

Don’t be afraid to take lots of photos—your camera can handle it! 

Learn to incorporate your surroundings in your composition.

Don’t rely on a shallow depth of field. 

Balance personal and documentary-style photos.

Take photos of yourself and your friends.

Stick to a consistent editing style.