10 Days, 10 Countries, 10 Tips: Day 2 - Cuba

Street scene in Old Havana. Rick Sammon photograph.

It's Day 2 in my travel series here on my blog.

Location: Old Havana, Cuba.

HDR image of the interior of the Florida Hotel. Rick Sammon photograph.

Tip: Tell the whole story. Be prepared to shoot indoors and outdoors and in bright light and in low light. Wear sneakers and walk, walk, walk around the city. Get up early before the streets get crowded with tourists. Also dress appropriately. It's hotter then heck in the summer months.

Photograph the cool old cars parked in front of the cool buildings. Shoot at an angle to create a sense of depth in your photographs.

Street portrait, Old Havana. Rick Sammon photograph.

In telling your story, shoot HDR. I am always ready to shoot HDR, caring a tripod with me all the time. Use a strap on your tripod and you'll always have two free hands for shooting.

Rick in Old Havana with creative camera maker. Susan Sammon photograph.

My basic street shooting/telling-the-story gear:

Canon 5D Mark III  (Two bodies so I am already ready for wide-angle and tele shots).
Canon  70-200 f/4 IS lens

Canon 24-105mm IS lens

Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite

Here's a nice lightweight travel tripod for a wide-angle lens set-up.

I used Topaz Adjust on the first image and Nik HDR Efex Pro on the interior image. Check out the plug-ins I use here.

If you like traveling and photography, check out my workshops and photo tours.

If you want travel photography tips at your fingertips, check out my app: Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. Cuba is a wonderful place to photograph wonderful, friendly people. Keep in mind that a smile can open many doors for photographers . . . including car doors.