Photo Trekking: A Traveling Photographer’s Guide to Capturing Moments Around the World [Book Review]

Perhaps one of the best features of the widespread availability of digital cameras is the ability to capture our vacations and trips across the globe. Never has it been easier to photograph and share with our friends and family the unique cultures, monuments, people and wonders of the world we find on our travels.

And never have as many photographers, both beginners and advanced alike, wanted to know not only how to capture those moments around the world, but sell and professionally present them. Want no more thanks to Nick Onken’s Photo Trekking: A Traveling Photographer’s Guide to Capturing Moments Around the World.

Photo Trekking is one of those books as essential on your next trip as a toothbrush and your boarding pass. Simply put, don’t leave home without it. In it, Onken covers everything from the dedication it takes to be a travel photographer, trip logistics and preparations, planning stock and editorial shoots, recognizing unique images that help tell the story of a location, on location work flow, portfolio presentation, brand and presenting your images of the world, to the world.

Everyone has a photo of the Eiffel Tower when traveling to Paris, but not every photographer thinks to bring home the other photos that really show the character of a location and the ones stock sites and photo buyers are looking for. Be it details like doors and signs, windows and water, or techniques like solar flare and focus, Photo Trekking is packed with tips on making great images. In fact, there are 49 pages of tips and examples that you’ll want to read over and over again.

Throughout Photo Trekking Onken stresses the importance of personal vision. Knowing not just what you want to shoot, but how you shoot it is a key to his personal philosophy and capturing the best possible travel photographs. It comes through on every page. He also inserts “traveler’s journal” sections throughout the book showing great images from his travels and explaining the stories behind them. They’re great behind-the-lens insight.

What other photographers will really appreciate about Photo Trekking are the large visuals. Most photographers are visual thinkers and Onken capitalizes with tons of big, bold photos that not only tell you how to capture a great moment, but show you how.

But even if you never plan to sell a single photo or present them to anyone besides close family and friends, Photo Trekking will show you how to capture the moments and details you’ve always wanted in your travel photography. You can order it on Amazon for a great deal or find other retailers on the book’s launch page. For those of you in the New York area, you can even attend the book launching party on March 19th, 2010. Look here for details.

If you’d like to get more great tips, check out Onken’s blog, follow him on Twitter or fan him on Facebook. Be especially sure to check out his amazing new Web site. But most of all, before leaving for your next trip, make sure a copy of Photo Trekking is in your suitcase.

Author: Nick Onken
Publisher: Random House
Length: 160 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8174-3280-5
Available at: Photo Trekking: A Traveling Photographer’s Guide to Capturing Moments Around the World (Amazon – $16.49)