Have you ever wondered how to become a better travel writer and photographer? Do you even know where to look for travel writing and photography tips? Well, how about we tell you what Majed Veysel told us?
Majed is an upcoming architect, traveler, and photographer. While he puts a strong emphasis on architecture, it’s his passion for photography and writing that accompanies him along his travels.
So, we figured we tell you what he told us. Without further ado, here are a few tips from Majed Veysel himself.
1. Take Pictures and Write About Them
When on your travels, taking pictures is very easy. Even if you’re not particularly good about it, the best thing to do is grab your camera and snap away.
Travel writing and photography is an art that you have to be passionate about, says Majed. When you’re done taking pictures of famous monuments and historical sites, it’s time to write about them.
This is an even easier task as you wouldn’t be doing it if you’re not good at it. While you can always be better, hence why you’re here, so a great place to start is to simply write what comes to mind.
If this is your first time doing it, fear not as you’ve got plenty of time to get better and plenty of tips that will help you do that. More pictures, you can find on his Instagram page.
2. Focus on “Smaller” Places
When looking for cool destinations for your next travel, it’s important to avoid the generic route. What we mean by this is that there are thousands of travel writers that have covered Rome’s Colosseum or The Eifel Tower.
The best way to stand out is to take pictures and write about somewhere a few people go. That doesn’t mean you should visit boring or unattractive places, but finding a cool destination will separate you from the rest.
As a matter of fact, being different is a great way to attract more readers and visitors to your blog, says Majed. For instance, Majed has visited 8 cities in one month. These are Venice, Zagreb, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Wroclaw, Krakow, Warsaw and Florence
3. Get A Good Writing Course
If writing isn’t your strong side, which is very normal, then what you can do is enlist with a good writing course. There are plenty of courses out there, but not every single one of those is good. You’ll need to look hard for this one, but there is a way to find them.
The first thing you should look for is the ratings of each course. Compare them, see what people say, and make the decision, says Majed.
A great place to start would be AWAI, and they particularly teach about writing blog posts.
4. Your Work Has to Reflect Your Personality
Majed says that this one has to be the most important tip if you want to break into the travel writing and photography industry. This industry is hectic. The competition is high, places are few, and only the best get the best offers.
So you need to show why your writing is better. And there isn’t a better way to tell a story than to use your own words to describe it, says Majed.
You need to convey your personality through your writing and convey emotions through photography. Write in your own language and be exciting.
This tip is very different than the others as only you can make it work. There is no course out there that tells you how to write and shoot photographs in your own way.
5. Just Keep Doing It!
Do you want to become a better travel writer and photographer? Well, how about you keep writing and keep taking photos and never stop until you’re satisfied with your work?
You’re a long way from achieving consistency across the board. And being an expert in both fields is very difficult. But it is possible. Hard work ultimately prevails, so focusing on improving yourself in both writing and photography will help hone your skills as a travel writer and photographer.
6. Actually, Go There!
There are tons of travel bloggers that don’t actually go to the destination that they write the blog post about. This is an obvious mistake, says Majed.
The reasons for it are many, but a lot of bloggers do it because they need to update or put something new. Instead of doing that, why not go there and see for yourself what there is to write about?
There isn’t a better way to get the necessary inspiration than to be there in person and sample the beauty of the particular place.
You can go as far as to interview the locals and pick their brains on what makes this place so special. You will then have to convey it into your own words to look genuine and real.
As for the photographs, if a travel blogger doesn’t show photos of their travels then they haven’t been there.
7. Write About Your Place of Birth
Have you ever wondered that maybe people would love to visit your city? Then how about you start writing about that? Since there isn’t a better person for the job, writing about the place you live is a great way to train your skills as a travel writer and photographer.
Not only do you get the necessary experience, but you can use this as a test run and see how it goes. After finishing the gig, you have to proofread it and make sure the photos are up to standards.
If you’re still feeling dissatisfied about it, then you can always make some twists and turns and give it the necessary flair, says Majed.
Conclusion
There are so many ways to be a better travel writer and photographer. But nothing is possible without hard work, according to Majed.
Carrying a camera with you as you travel will enable you to take some pretty amazing shots. Simply writing about your travels is a great way to be better at it.
And as you get better and more experienced, your motivation will carry you throughout your travels.