On many occasions you will hear disappointed travellers complaining thattheir photographs just didn't capture the spirit of their trip. They resolve to take a better camera next time or maybe even leave the camera behind. Yet, with a little thought and by following a few guidelines, any camera can take reasonable pictures if their limitations are understood and the traveller develops an eye for interesting images.

Equipment: 'light is right'

Cameras

The performance gap between single lens reflex (SLR) and compact cameras has narrowed considerably in recent years. The benefits of the SLR are more important if you wish to sell your pictures afterwards. These include bigger, more accurate viewfinders for better composition, a wide selection of top-quality, interchangeable lenses and more control over the camera's operation, allowing changes to apertures and shutter speeds to create dynamic images. Most modern SLR cameras also offer an intelligent program, or point-and- shoot, mode that can automatically adjust the settings to suit the subject matter, whether it is landscape, portrait or action. They are not foolproof but can be useful when something sudden happens, such as your travel buddy falling out of a dugout canoe on the Amazon, and you want to snap it. The disadvantages of these cameras are that they are bulkier and heavier than compacts, cost more and require slightly more maintenance.

Today, compact cameras offer excellent zoom lens options, high-quality lenses and the most expensive ones even allow a reasonable amount of operation control. They are light, easy to tuck into a pocket or bumbag and unobtrusive in sensitive shooting situations. In short, unless you want to use your pictures for more than personal memories, compacts offer a very convenient way of getting images that capture the spirit of your trip.

Advanced Photo System (APS) format cameras are available in both compact and SLR specification. These provide very user- friendly features, such as a choice of three print sizes, including panoramic, for each shot rather than a whole roll, automatic film loading and the ability to change rolls mid-film and to reload the partly used one later. The latter feature allows the use of different film speeds with only one camera body. Being a smaller format than 35mm, it means that the cameras can be smaller and lighter. Good news for travellers.

Digital cameras are now a viable choice for travellers. Picture quality has improved significantly and prices have fallen dramatically. Image quality is very important and the more pixels you can afford the better. A reasonable compact digital camera that has the ability to take images of over two million pixels currently goes for around £500 and prices are sure to fall further. One million-plus-pixel cameras currently go for around half that price and can still be used to make reasonable-sized prints, similar to those you would normally get done. The other thing to check is how the images are stored. A removable memory card is the only option for travellers as you can then carry several cards; though bear in mind the extra cost of these, which can add up to a whole wad of money. Remember that the larger you want to print the image, the more space it takes up on the memory card. It is better to have some way of downloading the pictures you want to keep. If you don't, then digital cameras are still only suitable for short trips. The big advantage of digital cameras is that they almost all have preview screens, allowing you to dispose of any poor pictures immediately so as not to waste memory.

For those who choose SLR cameras, a frequent dilemma is whether to buy a totally mechanical, manual focus camera or a computerised, autofocus model. Some of the world's best travel photographers still use manual cameras, but, generally, it would be wiser for the inexperienced photographer to take an autofocus model. They still require a reasonable knowledge of photography, but should ensure that travellers produce a far greater percentage of good shots. Modern autofocus systems can accurately focus on subjects far quicker than even the most experienced shooter with a manual system. Using manual cameras as backup on particularly rough trips seems to be less important these days as computerised ones are proving themselves to be as reliable, if not more so. On my mountain biking and hiking trips, the cameras have rarely given any problems that couldn't be solved by simply using fresh batteries. Before the trip, ensure that your insurance policy covers your equipment properly. Small, single-item figures can often include cameras and lenses as one item. Also, if you sell pictures, then most travel policies deem you to be a professional and will not cover any losses.

Lenses

Unless you fancy carrying around a heavy bag filled with fixed, or prime, lenses, travellers should use zoom lenses (a standard feature on most compacts). My personal favourites are a 24-85mm and a 100- 300mm, though a 28-80mm and a 70- 210mm would cover most situations. Wide-angle lenses, those below 50mm, give a large area of view and are great for landscapes or in tight situations, such as markets. They suffer less from camera-shake at slow shutter speeds, but can give a distorted effect around the outside and in the centre of the image. A full- face portrait with a 28mm lens would make your subject's nose seem huge. Telephoto lenses, those above 50mm, are good for portrait shots and allow you to shoot from a respectable distance, with those above 100mm particularly useful for clandestine pictures. To shoot wildlife, a minimum of 300mm is needed for safari-type journeys, and most professional wildlife photographers would be using 600mm or above, but these lenses are enormous and heavy on the wallet. Teleconverters are small adaptors that magnify your biggest lens. Available in 1.4 and 2 times magnification, they are a cheap alternative to buying a big lens, but do not match the quality. They reduce the speed of the lens by one and two stops respectively, e.g. an f5.6 lens becomes f11 with a x2 converter. Telephotos can also be used creatively for flattening perspective in landscape shots. Buy the best lenses (generally those with smaller minimum f-stop numbers) you can afford, such as those made by the main manufacturers, Nikon, Minolta, Pentax and Canon, as they, rather than the camera body, make the difference. If you want to carry one lens then choose a 28-80mm, though both Sigma and Tamaron make compact, lightweight 28-200mm lenses that deserve consideration.

Flash guns

Natural light is the most appealing way of lighting a scene, but at times it is either impossible or produces shadow problems, so it's worth having a flash unit. Flash units built into the camera are okay for close work, up to about five metres, but do not light up the Grand Canyon! With an in-camera flash, make sure that it can be turned off, otherwise low-light photography of distant objects becomes impossible. With SLR cameras, it is definitely worth carrying an off-camera, more powerful flash. These can provide fill-in flash to eliminate facial shadows in portraits and are ideal for lighting indoors. Make sure that the flash covers the same area as your wide-angle lens or shots will darken around the edges. And try to buy one that at least allows a degree of manual control and that has a GN rating (an indication of power) greater than 20m. A very useful accessory is a flash diffuser. Bare flash light is harsh and unflattering and should be softened. The Sto-Fen Omni Bounce (seen on most news photographers' flashes) is a small, ultra-lightweight plastic cover that fits over the head of off-camera flash guns. It is quick to attach and very light, but it does reduce the power of the light output by two stops. The LumiQuest Pro-Max folds flat for storage and attaches via velcro to the head. It gives very even light and only reduces power by one stop, but it is more fiddly to attach and rather large when opened. Remember that flashes normally only work between shutter speeds of 1/60th and 1/200th second, so ensure your camera's settings are right.

Film

Certainly prints are easier to show your friends when you get back, more forgiving with exposures that aren't quite right and they are relatively cheap. However, they are almost impossible to sell for publication. Using 100 or 200 ISO-rated film, such as the highly rated Fuji Superia or Kodak Gold, should suffice for most conditions and produce sharp images. For telephoto lenses, it may be worth taking some ISO 400 or 'pushing'ISO 200, by manually setting the iso rating on the camera to 400 and then telling the processing lab when you get it developed. (Keep a note of the film used by numbering them all with labels). Faster film has less contrast and weaker colours than slower film. High street processing is cheap, but it is usually poor quality. Professional labs are more expensive but produce far better prints.

Transparency, or reversal, film produces sharper, more colour-saturated images and is essential for selling to magazines and libraries or giving lectures. Transparencies are not as convenient as prints for showing to friends but, projected onto a screen, they do have more impact. Exposures must be very accurate, particularly in variable light situations. Most professional photographers use slower films, such as Fuji Velvia, ISO 50, or Kodachrome 64, but these can make it hard to hold the camera steady in low light without a tripod. There are some excellent ISO 100 films available that produce very sharp images and rich colours. Fuji Provia 100 and Fuji Sensia 100 are virtually identical (they have the same emulsions but Sensia is released before it has reached its prime, Provia is batch dated and released at optimum quality). Kodak Elite 100S is another good choice. A recent addition to the professional stable of films that is ideal for travel photography is the Fuji MS 100-1000, which can be shot at any speed between the two and still produces remarkable result (well, at least up to 800). I have used it at ISO 400 for assignments and been hard pressed to spot the difference in grain and colour from a 100-speed film. It isn't cheap, though, but negates the need to carry lots of different types of film. Don't worry too much about storage problems with so-called professional films. I have never had a problem in extreme heat or cold with them, nor have I heard of any problems from other photographers. Non-professional films, such as Sensia, are supposed to be more stable, though. All films requiring E6 processing have shorter archival lives (six to ten years) than films using other processes, such as Kodachrome (25 years plus).

Black-and-white film can produce strong travel pictures, but it requires careful processing and printing. This is expensive if you don't have access to or the inclination to use a darkroom yourself. They can be sold to magazines and newspapers, but the market is rather limited. However, they are perfect for exhibitions and it is possible to use faster-speed films as the image quality is much higher than equivalent colour films. Kodak now produces a black- and-white film, simply called Black and White+400, that can be processed in C41 labs, the labs that are all over the high streets. It works very well indeed and makes it easier and cheaper to get the film processed.

Film care

Don't leave film in extremely hot or cold places. In below-freezing temperatures, E6 transparency film becomes brittle and is prone to tearing, so warm it up before use and manually rewind it rather than allowing the motordrive to do it. It is widely believed that x-ray machines at airports damage films. Generally, this is untrue at airports in developed countries, where low-dosage machines are 'film-safe'. However, in other countries, using older machines, you should insist on having your film checked by hand. Keep it handy in a clear plastic bag. X- rays should not be a problem for slower films up to ISO 400, but faster films, especially colour negative ones, should be hand checked at all airports as they are more sensitive. It is better to be safe than to find out after a trip that the film was fogged. Radiation dosages build up, so the more times the film is checked by machine the greater the likelihood of damage. Don't take leftover film on subsequent trips. Always take film in your hand luggage as checked luggage scanners are ten to 20 times more powerful. A soft cool-bag, such as those used for carrying cold drinks, is ideal for storing film while you are travelling around.

Filters

It is not always feasible to wait for great natural light during a journey, though it is preferable. Filters can be used to enhance an image, to mimic a lighting situation that would naturally happen or to help the film to record more accurately what the eye can see. Basic filters for travel are the skylight (neutral colour, reduces haze and protects the lens from scratches) and the polariser (minimises haze, saturates colours, turns hazy skies blue and cuts reflections from water or glass). The polariser reduces the light entering the camera by two stops and is most effective when used at 90 degrees to the sun. Autofocus cameras require a circular polariser. Other filters worth considering are an orange warm-up filter (adds warmth to shots taken in brighter light and for flashed portraits) and graduated neutral-density/grey filters. The graduated filters are more important with transparency film as it can only record detail to around +/- two stops. The human eye can see detail in light varying up to 13 stops. The graduated filters help to balance out bright skies and dark foregrounds, without altering the colours. Use fancy colour filters if you wish, but they do little to impress potential markets and, in my view, look terrible. There are no filters available for compact cameras.

Light meters and grey cards

Although in-camera meters have reached a high level of sophistication, they all suffer from reading only reflected light. All meters are based around a standard reflectance of 18 per cent grey, so if you have photographed a snow scene and wondered why it comes out grey, this is the answer. If your main subject is brightly coloured in a dull scene, the camera will underexpose, if it is a darker colour in a bright scene, it will overexpose, as the meter does not take colour into account. To reduce this problem, it is necessary to measure the light falling onto the subject rather than the light being reflected off it. A hand-held light meter is the best method and prices and sizes are falling all the time. The Sekonic L308BII is tiny and reasonably priced. Another option is to buy a grey card, which can be placed near the subject and the in-camera meter used to read off it.

In hurried situations or if you don't have the above, then nature lends a hand. In the northern hemisphere, a reading from the sky, 90 degrees from the sun and roughly 45 degrees up from the land, is equivalent to 18 per cent grey, as is green grass in bright sunshine. Snow in sunshine is one-and-a-half to two stops brighter than the standard setting. The other method is to experiment with taking readings off the back of your hand in different light situations and then adjust the camera settings to match. Caucasian skin is normally one to one-and-a-half stops over 18 per cent grey. Beware of suntans changing this!

Tripods

Many of the most memorable moments on a trip are around sunrise and sunset, when the light is warmer and softer. It is much easier to capture these scenes with a tripod, as it is almost impossible to hand-hold the long exposures needed with slower film. A number of mini-tripods, weighing very little, are available. They can be rested on a rock, fence or table to get the necessary height, but are not suitable for use with big lenses.

Lightweight, full-size tripods are OK, but check that they are solid enough when the telescopic legs are extended. Stability can be increased by taking a nylon bag that you can fill with stones and hang from the centre column. Gitzo makes superb, lightweight tripods, but they are rather expensive. Try to use a shutter release cable when shooting on tripods as the slightest touch on the camera can cause shake, especially with telephoto lenses. On safari, bean-bags offer a versatile method of steadying yourself on car bonnets or windows, but beware of vibration if the engine is left running.

Without a tripod, it is possible to build supports from stones or to place the camera on a high surface and use the self-timer. Monopods can be of some use at fast- moving events, such as festivals, but they don't help in really low light.

Straps

SLR cameras can be quite heavy so a wide, well-padded shoulder strap significantly eases the burden. The best ones, such as those made by Op-Tech, contain neoprene, which acts as a shock absorber. A useful strap for travel and action photography is Op-Tech's stabiliser. Made of neoprene, it straps around your midriff and has a hole cut into it to slide the lens through. It stops the camera swinging around, deters thieves and keeps the camera to hand for quick photography.

Camera bags

Whether using a compact or a comprehensive SLR kit, it is essential to protect it from the elements and shocks encountered on your journey. There are padded bags of every size and description to choose from, so it's a case of trying a few. Good brands include CCS, Lowe, Billingham, Heritage and Tamrac. I have found the half-moon-shaped bumbags, such as the LowePro OrionAW, particularly good. The camera is easily accessible, with the lid opening away from the body, and the closed bag provides a platform for changing lenses. The OrionAW also features a foldaway waterproof cover for extra protection against rain, dust and sand. Karrimor makes good, handlebar-mounted camera bags for bicycles. Canvas bags, such as Billingham and Heritage, are naturally waterproof. For watersports or particularly rough trips, consider storing the gear in a solid, waterproof case, such as the excellent ones made by Pelican. They come in plastic or metal and provide the ultimate protection, but are more cumbersome to work from. Ortlieb makes good waterproof camera bags that are similar to ordinary camera bags and are a great option where you need to stay light and dry. Keep some packets of silica gel in the bag for absorbing moisture.

Cleaning

Only use special lens cloths and blower brushes to remove dust from lenses and inside the camera. Check the lenses frequently and the camera every time you change a film. A tiny piece of dust in the film gate can scratch a whole film. Never touch the sensitive shutter curtains or the mirror with your hands.

Useful accessories

A roll of duct tape is useful for all sorts of things, from sealing camera openings against fine dust to fixing broken tripod legs. A must for all camera bags. Small torches are perfect for checking camera settings in the dark and can even provide the necessary illumination for focusing in poor light. A Swiss Army knife, especially those that feature the jeweller screwdriver for tiny screws, will always be used at some stage. Cotton buds are perfect for cleaning the nooks and crannies of the camera body. A small, reporter's notebook is great for recording details of pictures or grabbing addresses of people you meet. Take plenty of spare batteries for cameras, light meters and torches. AA-size batteries are available in most countries, but you will not find special lithium batteries in many places. No matter how well you know your camera, take the manual. A compass can help you get to the right place for sunrise and sunset. Lastly, take a good supply of zip-loc plastic bags or lightweight dry bags (from kayak stores), for protecting cameras and film in wet conditions.

Techniques: 'little change, big difference'

Composition

Using some simple guidelines (not rules, because intuition and creativity are more powerful than rules ever can be) when composing images in the viewfinder can have a dramatic effect on how interesting the resulting picture is to the eye. Divide the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Rather than placing the main subject in the middle of the frame, position it on one of the third intersections. Use visual lines, such as roads, rivers, fences or beaches, to draw the viewer's eye into the image by running them diagonally into the frame. Think of the image as having three levels, fore, middle and background. Try to have something interesting in each area, as it helps to create depth and gives perspective. Another dynamic shape to include is the triangle. It may consist of three points, two hands and a head or two nomads and a horse, for instance, or a triangular block of colour or light.

Angle of view

An instant way to capture a viewer's attention is to shoot from strange angles. Stand on a wall, shoot down from a hotel balcony, crouch, lie on your back or even tilt the camera 45 degrees. Whatever works with the subject. This approach can be particularly effective for capturing the dynamic nature of festivals.

Sense of place

National Geographic photographers are superb at adding a sense of place to their pictures. Rarely, if ever, will you find a full-face portrait or abstract image in their pages. Subjects are shot in their surroundings, either by using telephoto lenses to compress people into a landscape or, more often, through the creative use of wide angle lenses to include the person and the background. Not every shot needs to use this principle, but it does help people to build a better mental picture of your trip. Think like a movie director. Open with an establishing shot, a wide view of the general location, and work your way into more detailed pictures.

The moment

The difference between a good picture and a great picture is that fleeting moment when everything comes together to create a magical image. It can be a smile, a twist of the head, a momentary splash of sunlight breaking through the clouds, the festival drummers beating in unison. It is what many photographers spend their whole life chasing, so don't expect to capture it in every image. The odds of success can be shortened by observation, anticipation and relaxation. Great shots rarely happen when you are rushing to catch a bus. For me, one of the great benefits of travel photography is that it makes me slow down and observe. By acquainting yourself with the ebb and flow of a market scene, for example, you can begin to predict the most interesting moments for your pictures. The magical moment may never come, or you may press the button just as it disappears, but at least you will leave with a better feel for the lives of the people you encounter.

Exposure

With colour print film, exposures are not so critical as the film is able to record detail across a large variation of light in a scene. Transparency films are not so forgiving, requiring very accurate exposures to within half a stop. If you rely on the camera's in-built light meter, it is important, with both SLR and compact cameras, to know how that meter measures the light. Many cameras take a 'centre- weighted' reading, meaning that it reads the light from most parts of the viewfinder area, but it gives extra importance to the section in the middle. Compacts offer few ways of controlling this, but a good tip is to exclude any excessively bright or dark areas from the viewfinder when you partially depress the button and then recompose the picture to how you want it. Be careful to make sure that it focuses on something at the same distance as the subject.

Modern SLR cameras have sophisticated metering systems that are hard to fool, including matrix metering (light is read individually from up to 14 honeycomb segments and account is taken of which segment contains the subject), centre-weighted and spot metering (reading is taken only from a tiny circle in the centre of the viewfinder). Thoroughly learn how the camera's light meter works and think briefly before shooting. If a scene is fairly evenly lit then most meters should produce reasonable results. If there are excessive areas of light and shadow, stop and meter from your subject. An easy guideline is to always expose for your most important highlight.

Speeds

Shutter speed is the most important setting to get right for reasonable pictures. To freeze action, use faster shutter speeds - 1/250th or 1/500th should cover most travel situations. Faster speeds are needed for subjects moving across the lens than those moving towards it. For people shots, 1/125th should eliminate any slight movements. In low light it is necessary to set a speed that can be hand held without causing blur. A simple rule for any lens is that the slowest safe speed for hand-held shots is 1/focal length of the lens, for instance, a 28mm lens needs 1/30th second, a 100mm lens needs 1/125th or a 200mm needs 1/200th second. At slower speeds, pull your arms in tight to your body, press the camera against your forehead and exhale before pressing the button.

Apertures

The aperture (size of the hole in the lens) determines how much of the image is in focus (depth of field). Big holes (rather confusingly the lower aperture numbers on the camera, e.g. f4 or f5.6) give little depth of field. They are useful for portraits as they throw the background out of focus or to concentrate the viewer's eye on your subject. Small holes, f11 and upwards, make most things in the shot appear sharp, which is great for landscapes. If your camera has a depth of field button, press it to view the effects of any given aperture.

Approach: 'mental shots'

Photographs - who needs them?

The first question to ask yourself before a trip is how important photographs are to you. Good images require some effort, which can alter the nature of your trip. If travelling alone, this may not be such a big deal, but it can cause friction when you are with a non-photographic companion. Few people share a photographer's enthusiasm for standing around waiting for the sun to hit the right spot in your epic landscape image.

It is a question of compromise. Unless you are going to try to sell the images afterwards to pay for the trip, then it is best to just strike when you can and concentrate on enjoying the journey. If your main aim is photography, then it may be wise to travel alone and join up with other travellers when you want to socialise, or pick a partner with a similar or complementary interest, such as drawing or painting. You can then split up during the day and meet up again later with your pictures taken.

Planning

The best planners get the most luck. Research your destination - go to the bookshops, scan newspaper travel sections, surf the internet. Remember though, if you plan your trip down to the last detail, it will blinker you from the impromptu opportunities that always crop up on a journey. Plan, but stay open- minded. Most trips do not allow for extended stays in one place so a shortcut to improved local knowledge is to check out postcards or magazines of the area. Don't just copy them, though. Try to find a different vantage point. Buy a local map, take a compass and plan your shots around the best times of day for the sunlight.

Shots in your head

Some of the most memorable travel pictures were conceived long before the photographer's plane touched down in the location. A useful way to pass the flight time is to think visually about where you are going. What are the important aspects that can sum up a place? Is it the beach, palm trees and a local fisherman casting a net or an ice-encrusted climber camping on a tiny snow ledge with a background view of distant mountains? Get some picture ideas in your mind and then try to find them when you are there. Even if you don't get exactly that shot, the previsualisation will help to you to recognise strong images when they appear.

Patience

If photos are important then be prepared to spend the time trying to get them. The longer you are out on the streets or hiking in the country, the better chance you have of seeing something special. Few great travel photographs were taken sitting in a hotel room. Find an interesting scene and hang around, watching and waiting for someone to walk by or something to happen to make it into a good image. Using a modest degree of common sense, talk to as many people as you can. Many picture opportunities can arise from a chance conversation and may even get you a free meal with a family or see you whisked off to some local vantage point that isn't in the guidebook.

Head first

Imagine your overland group having to wade through a raging brown river in deep jungle. A good photograph would bring the memories flooding back when you return home. The secret to really showing how deep and dangerous the river was would be to capture your companions' fearful faces as they resist being swept away. It's no use being the last person to cross if you want to get the picture. If there is an adventure to be photographed, be the first to do it. You then know where the best grimaces are likely to take place!

Up early, out late

Travel photography is not for late risers or early drinkers. Some of the best light is from one hour before to two hours after sunrise, and from a couple of hours before sunset onwards. It certainly isn't easy to crawl out of a warm bed on the off-chance that you may get a great shot of the rising sun glinting through the icicles hanging from the roof of your mountain hut, but it has to be done if you want that special image. Likewise, after a long day of walking around markets, museums and galleries, it is very tempting to slope off for an early beer instead of walking up that hill to shoot the last rays clipping the town's impressive church tower. If you want the image, you have to be there... period.

Focus on the bad times

When things get tough, it is difficult to keep taking pictures, yet these events often form the defining moments of a trip. If you can have the presence of mind to get off a few quick shots when your partner is fighting blizzards on a mountain, slumped in despair after losing their passport or suffering from a vehement dose of Delhi belly, then you will treasure the shots for years to come.

Guidance control

In many destinations, local guides are either unavoidable or useful enough to employ for your visit. However, remember that they are probably stuck in a rut of where to go, what to see and even the pace at which you should see things. All of these factors can limit the photographic opportunities in a place that you may never visit again. Take control. You are employing them and customers' wishes should always come first.

If you want to go off their normal route to check out something that catches your eye, do so, but be as pleasant about it as you can. If you seriously delay them, then consider paying them more for their time, as you are reducing their chances of picking up other clients, but don't be hurried by their well-honed ability to look impatient.

Respect

To really have a chance of capturing the spirit of a place on film, you have to be accepted by the local people. Show respect for their customs, private space and intelligence and you've already gone a long way towards getting good pictures. If you fail to realise that they have different values and refuse their offers of hospitality, then do not be surprised if your images have a distant feel, too. Spend time with the people, take a genuine interest in their lives and, again using a modest amount of common sense, go with the flow when they want to take you to particular places. It is almost always worth it. Remember, though, that there is a fine dividing line between respect and reticence. Don't automatically assume that people don't want their picture taken. Not all places are receptive to outsiders. A good test is to learn how to say "hello" in their language and use it. Their reaction should tell you if they want you around. Another good icebreaker is to have a portable party trick. Juggling, playing an instrument, a magic trick or simply being able to pull silly faces can all help to put local people at ease.

Camera in, camera out

Whether to approach people with your camera out or hidden away is a personal dilemma. My favoured method is to have the camera showing at all times. By doing this, people know exactly who I am and that it is likely that I would like a photograph of them. Building a level of trust is essential and I think that suddenly pulling out a camera after a seemingly innocent conversation is too much of a shock, often resulting in the person refusing to pose for a picture. This is particularly relevant to brief meetings. If you have plenty of time, it can be worth getting to know the person well first and then introducing the camera. Try both approaches to see which works best for you.

To ask or not to ask

Photographing people from a distance, possibly without their knowledge, adds a documentary feel to an image, something that many publications desire. Recreating that feel after asking permission to take the picture can, at best, be difficult. Few people have the ability to pose naturally when faced with a camera. If I do take a clandestine picture and the person gets upset, then I go over to them, shake their hand and have a joke about it. Don't sneak off with your tail between your legs. If you do ask and are confronted with a poker-faced, hands-by-the-side pose, then shoot one frame, then, when they relax, shoot another couple. There are no hard rules, though. It is a case of trusting your own judgment, something that only improves with experience of success and failure.

To pay or not to pay

With increasing frequency, travellers are facing demands for payment for photographs. These can range from half-hearted appeals to your good nature to quite intimidating threats. For guidance, I normally refuse to pay for pictures. If the demand is made before I take the shot then, unless the image is so outstanding that I have to get it and there isn't a crowd, I put the camera away and walk off. This is most important with children, for it can only be damaging to their future to make them dependent on begging. If I ask the person to do something for the picture, then it is reasonable to expect to pay them something for their time. With market sellers, a good way of avoiding the link between photography and payment is to buy something from their stall, which, in developing countries, is often sold at an inflated price to visitors. Both parties get what they want and retain their dignity.

Fun or photos

Most, if not all, people are travellers first and photographers second. There is little point in going on a journey and not enjoying it because of the pressure of trying to capture the place on film. The importance of the experience will always win over the importance of a photograph.