How to Fake Wow-worthy Travel Pictures

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How to edit your pictures to create stunning travel photos that are worthy of framing and hanging on the wall

Last month, I shared a fun photo tutorial on how to create text out of a picture for a scrapbook or travel shadow box. You guys loved it and asked for more travel photo tips, so I thought I’d share some before and afters on how to take your travel pictures from drab to wow!

I just returned from an awesome trip to Santa Fe which is a gorgeous city that is hard to capture in pictures.

Normally when travelling, I bring my DSLR camera, but for this trip I made sure to take some pictures with my cell phone because I figured that was more relatable . (And I don’t blame them – carrying a heavy camera is not for everyone, and I cringe every time someone knocks into it!)

how to fake

Today, I’m going to share how you can use free photo editing software available online to improve your travel pictures with some before and after examples and the steps I took to get those results.

While I love tasting and experimenting local cuisine, it’s fun to have travel traditions and road trip staples that you can look forward to. My dad always had Coca-Cola in the cooler when we’d do road-trips when I was a kid so it’s part of my family’s travel traditions. (And as a result, I think it’s in several of our family’s travel pictures.)

When we got to Santa Fe, my friend Stacey and I got some travel supplies – including some Coca-Cola.

before photo editing (9)

Santa Fe has these gorgeous terracotta-colored buildings framed by spotty sienne mountains in the background. This was a shot taken with my cell phone on our way to supper – and while you can get a sense of the architecture, the beautiful colors are gone and there’s a harsh contrast between the light and shadow.

before photo editing (4)

To edit this picture:

  • I increased the blue balance (+42) to bring out that gorgeous sky
  • I increased the exposure (+65) to brighten up the picture
  • I increased the contrast (+14) to create visual depth between the buildings and the mountains
  • I reduced the highlights (-100) to reduce the harsh sun
  • I reduced the whites (-100) to also reduce the sun’s glare

before

I love taking pictures of the food I enjoy while travelling – I’m a total foodie and I love experimenting with cuisine that I haven’t tried or can’t get locally – and trying out tried and true classics that have just slight variations across cultures, but the problem with taking pictures inside a dark restaurant with overhead lighting is dark pictures with a yellow tinge.

after (2)

To edit this picture:

  • I increased the blue balance (+34) which helps balance the yellow tone
  • I also increased the magenta (+17) which would remove or neutralize any green
  • I increased the exposure (+65) to brighten the picture
  • I reduced shadows (+20)
  • I reduced the white balance (-100) to reduce glares
  • I increased saturation (+11) to make those colors pop!

before photo editing (5)

This picture was washed out because of the bright sun at that time of day. The building was a gorgeous terracotta in person, but looks faded in this picture.

before photo editing (6)

To edit this picture:

  • I increased saturation (+53) to bring some color
  • I reduced the orange luminence (-12) to make the orange a bit lower-key
  • I increased contrast (+34) to make the building stand out against the sky
  • I reduced the exposure (-25) to reduce the washed out look
  • I increased shadows (+37) to create depth

before photo editing (7)

When you’re taking a picture, usually you want to keep the light source behind you – whether that’s a camera light or the sun. However, sometimes you have no choice because what you want to take a picture of (a pretty bench in front of some gorgeous pueblos) has the sun behind it. This can lead to over-exposed pictures that don’t really show the subject well because everything is washed out.

after photo editing (2)

To edit this picture:

  • I reduced highlights (-100) to reduce the white glare
  • I reduce the exposure (-12) to increase the details behind me
  • I increased the saturation (+27) to bring out that background

coke at sam's (4)

It was nice to take a break on our hike through the gallery district of Santa Fe and Share a Coca-Cola with my friend – who also has her own memories of Coca-Cola on family road trips and stashed some in her bag for the walk.

before photo editing (10)

I was really sad when this picture was just not capturing the majesty of the view I had in front of me – but luckily, I knew that if I got as clear of a shot as I could, that I could recreate what it was that the camera was actually seeing in post-processing.

coke at sam's (1)

To edit this picture:

  • I reduce the exposure (-100) to bring some color back
  • I increased the contrast (+25) so you could see all of the layers of distance
  • I increased the shadows (+72) for depth
  • I increased the saturation (+18) to bring out those beautiful mountains

 

Pin these tips for how to edit your travel pictures for stunning photos:

How to take your cell-phone travel pictures from drab to wow with some simple photo editing techniques so your pictures can be as beautiful and vivid as your family's memories.

What kind of traveller are you? Are you all about taking pictures or living in the moment? (Are you able to balance both?)

For more ideas on how to preserve your family travel photos, check out our DIY Travel Shadowbox:

DIY Travel Shadowbox

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