My primary genre of photography over the last several decades is travel. It’s an endlessly varied subject that’s open to any photographer. Indeed you don’t need to travel far to take travel photos.
However, there is one part of travel photography we often neglect and that is transport. That’s even more ironic given that we would have had to use some form of transport to get us to our destination. Once at our destination we would almost certainly use transport to get around. Indeed, in some places, the transport is so iconic that it helps define the location.
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Beyond that however, transport is a rich subject on its own. From the marvels of modern engineering that fly us to our destination to the humble rickshaw taking us a few km to a photogenic location, transport is a rich subgenre of travel photography. Today we are going to take a look at transport as travel shots.
Transport Can Define A Location
Red buses and black cabs are two of the icons of London. Yellow cabs are an intrinsic part of New York, the Shinkansen trains speed across the whole of Japan. We can put viewers of our photos in a single location simply with a picture of its transport.
However, you don’t have to make transport the main subject. Merely hinting at it can define a place. The bright yellow Taxi sign of a London cab, the bright colours and chrome of the front of a Jeepney in the Philippines. The beauty of transport as a travel subject is we can capture wide, all encompassing views, close ups and details. Regardless of the shot, the viewer will identify with the vehicle and location.
The other great photographic thing about transport is that it moves. We can use slow shutter speeds to convey motion, high shutter speeds and panning to suggest speed. We can capture commuters as they rush to a train or as they speed past on a bus. Transport is an endlessly evocative subject.
Cars – Iconic and Beautiful
Wherever you travel, cars are going to define a location. Perhaps not the generic modern boxes but every place will have iconic looking cars. Of course, Cuba springs to mind when talking about the automobile. It’s a haven of 1950’s American cars, many beautifully preserved using little more than innovation and duct tape.
However, there are plenty of other locations where classic, beautiful cars can help give us a sense of place. An old Aston Martin on the streets of London’s Mayfair, or a red Ferrari on the roads of Tuscany.
Like all genres of transport photographing cars is about isolating the details or matching the subject to the background. Cars can be a great subject to practice on. They are plentiful everywhere and very often parked, giving us time to compose and take our shots. As ever, light is important, golden hour is great for car photography but so can night, if you find the right car parked under a streetlight.
Aircraft – Modern Marvels
I have no idea how many times I have flown in my life but one thing is true, I still marvel at these icons of modern engineering. Modern aircraft are beautiful vehicles, not as accessible to shoot as cars but still easy enough with a little planning.
If you are flying to your location, you will have plenty of aircraft to shoot from your boarding gate. Get the camera as close as possible to the windows and try to eliminate light and other reflections. A polariser will come in useful.
If you are (un)lucky enough to be boarding by bus, keep your smartphone handy, you will have the opportunity to capture some detail shots such as the engine cowling or tailfin.
Some major cities have “city” airports. These are often close to downtown and so you might have smaller commuter planes flying low over your location. A medium telephoto should be able to pick them off and perhaps show some of the buildings of that location.
Although not as common as it used to be, some major airports still have viewing platforms. A couple of hours with a decent telephoto will reap a whole host of wide and detailed aviation shots.
Trains And Trams
Trains and in particular trams are my personal favorite subject. There is something quite evocative about seeing a tram trundling through a city street. Many cities have kept a fleet of older trams on tourist routes. With a nice telephoto lens and a straight on view, you can get some amazing shots, particularly as they are often brightly painted.
Trains can also make fantastic subjects. From static shots on the platform to suburban trains speeding past on an overhead track. Slow shutter speed and motion blur can add the dynamism of trains shots.
Subway/metro shots also make great subjects particularly in defining a location. From the iconic Tube trains of London to Singapore’s ultra modern MRT, subway systems are full of fantastic photographic opportunities.
Boats And Ships
Many of the world’s greatest cities are built by water. London and the Thames, the Venice Lagoon, Istanbul’s Bosphorus and Golden Horn. That gives us access to an incredible array of watercraft. Not only that, many ships and boats are definitive to the location.
Think of the amazing Bosporus ferries with the iconic backdrop of Hagia Sophia, Gondolas at St Marks Square.
Being large and slow moving, watercraft make an ideal subject on which to practice our transport shots. They give us time to plan ahead, scan the scene for an interesting background and give a sense of place. With a longer lens we can pick off details such as the bow plowing through the water, of smoke from the funnel.
Locations close to the ocean may have visiting cruise ships. Plan well and you can get shots of these behemoths arriving or departing. In many locations, you can get a drone up for even more interesting shots of ships or boats. Just be sure to check local regulations.
You Don’t Need Special Gear
The great thing about transport as a sub genre of travel photography is that you can shoot with what you have. You can get amazing transport photos with a smartphone, the ultra wides on many phones are particularly useful for dramatic close shots.
If you have a decent telephoto, you will find it very useful for long shots of vehicles. My favourite focal length is around 200mm. Shot from the front at a slight angle and you get some beautiful compression that really adds to the look of the vehicle.
The only “specialist” piece of gear you might consider is a polarizer. These will be particularly useful in reducing reflections from windows and adding saturation on bright sunny days.
Looking back through my travel images over the years, I am always amazed at just how many of them are transport shots. Transport is integral to most locations around the world and in many cases it helps define that location.
The greatest thing is, you don’t need special gear to shoot it, and it’s so plentiful you will have many opportunities to practice different techniques such as panning and slow shutter speed. Next time you take a trip, pay keen attention to the modes of transport that take you there and around and keep your camera ready.
