On the road - how to photograph a road trip

After a year in Australia, it was time to say goodbye to the laid-back 'Aussie' lifestyle. Goodbye to delicious Melbourne coffee, "high on life" koalas, unpredictable kangaroos, incredibly deadly snakes and goodbye to wine in cubes and Vegemite. Yes, I know, these are stereotypes 😀 and of course Australia has so much more to offer, but these encounters were truly fascinating moments in my 'everyday life'.
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It was also time to pack my suitcase, clearly overloaded with gear, and tackle a new chapter in South East Asia. That's how I found myself on a road trip through the Philippines in December and January. Fortunately, in the company of two of my best friends. It wasn't a classic road trip with a VW combi, tents and campfire, because the Philippines, with over 7,000 islands, don't really lend themselves to that. We mostly took traditional banka boats, overloaded tricycles and dodgy taxis. Of course, a trip like this has to be immortalised with a camera so that one day we can show our children that we are in fact slightly crazy globetrotters and real adventurers.

Before we left...

My two friends had no idea what awaited them in the Philippines. They were, however, fairly aware of what travelling with me would entail. But that wasn't always the case. Before setting off, it's important to get together with the road trip team and discuss together the different desires in terms of photographic technique. The word "together" is important here. What are the wishes of all the participants and models, apart from Facebook and Tinder profile photos? Do you have an idea for a great photography project? A series of shots with recurring poses or themes?

Basketball is the national sport of the Philippines! Little did we know, we were absolutely amazed at the ubiquity of basketball hoops in every village, no matter how tiny. So a photographic series on the theme of basketball was inevitable!

Letting go of the reins from time to time

It can be tiring to always be in the role of photographer, so it's important to let others take the reins from time to time. This will give them an idea of the difficulties involved in taking exceptional photos, and they'll learn to really appreciate your company. 😀 The best thing is to have more than one camera at your disposal. That way, you can broaden the perspective of your road trip and significantly reduce the likelihood of the photographer not appearing in any photos.

For additional perspective, we always had a GoPro with us. My two companions were rather wild, so an action camera was perfectly suited.

Capturing the truth

Try to capture memories with your camera, not create them. What I mean by this is that the camera is part of the adventure, but it shouldn't dominate it. This is valid from both points of view, as much from the photographer's as from the companions'.

From the photographer's point of view, this means not asking your friends to pose in front of every monument or piece of rock you see, but knowing how to draw quickly. By this I mean that sometimes you need to go into ninja mode to capture real emotions unnoticed.

As for the travelling companions, they have the difficult task of familiarising themselves with the lens pointed at them, while ignoring it. This often takes a day or two of adjustment, but not focusing on the camera in any situation can help.

Your vehicle

What would a road trip be without a vehicle to get you from point A to point B. When you're looking for all the cool places listed on Google Maps, it's easy to forget to pay sufficient attention to the vehicle. The best thing to do is to give it a personality, give it a name, photograph it from all angles and make it part of the adventure. This will give character to your photographic series and give you a thread around which the story can unfold.

As mentioned earlier, we travelled around the Philippines using different means of transport. The last photo was taken as the boat sped across the water. The captain was rather taken aback to find me on the outside. He made it quite clear that I had to return immediately.

Gadgets

It's often worth equipping your travelling companions with nifty accessories and gadgets. Holding something in their hands can help them make sense of their pose when they don't have much experience in front of a device.

Once you've arrived at your destination, head to a local market and give your shots a hint of authenticity. For me, visits to second-hand or pawn shops have always paid off. You'll be surprised at the inspiration you can get from these kinds of shops.

Your device has an off button

And for good reason. No, not to save precious battery life, but to avoid only perceiving adventure through a keyhole/camera viewfinder or on a tiny 3" screen. There's no need to hit the road. Just stay at home and watch YouTube or "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here". As a keen photographer, it's sometimes hard to remember to put your camera away from time to time. Luckily, that's what your travel companions are there for.

The origin of this photo is a good example of an almost missed moment of happiness. We had just arrived on a secluded beach in Palawan and opened our first beer to toast our journey. I thought I should immortalise the moment, so I asked my mates to wait and pose until the beer was almost room temperature. Fortunately, the two lads didn't have much patience and ordered me to put my camera down. The photo isn't as perfect as I'd like, but the moment was all the better for it.

Digesting the journey

"Big data means big responsibility!"Naturally, it's important to rest after a strenuous trip in the company of annoying friends. However, it's best not to wait too long to develop and share photos. Since, as the photographer, you are the one who holds all the photos, you also have the responsibility of sharing them with your friends after the trip. I often transfer photos of certain highlights directly from my camera to my phone and edit them using certain applications. I then send them directly to my companions during the trip. This way, their Instagram followers can satisfy their curiosity.

A few words about the Philippines

The Philippines is an incredible paradise on earth still untouched by mass tourism, with the exception of Boracay. The locals are extremely hospitable and helpful. There are many secluded beaches and coves, often only a few minutes away by boat. We were particularly taken with Palawan, a popular destination for backpackers. There have been some negative media reports in recent years. There are, of course, areas that require a little more caution, but having been able to visit much of the territory and meet its inhabitants, I have only positive things to say about it!

A few impressions:

Our route took us from Manila to Palawan, where we celebrated Christmas by moving from island to island for four days. Then we flew to Bocaray to celebrate the New Year by enjoying its many nightclubs. We then headed for Cebu to swim with the whale sharks and cool off under the stunning waterfalls.

You can check out more shots from our Philippine adventure on my Instagram profile. 😀

Conclusion

When I search my mental database for "highlights of my life", a lot of the results come from my road trips. As I've been lugging around my camera for a few years now, my memory also displays the corresponding photos. With a little preparation and the right approach, photography can capture the veracity of a road trip and memories to last a lifetime. I hope these tips will inspire you and accompany you on your next road trip! And don't forget to count the beautiful country of the Philippines in your next potential destinations!

Acknowledgements

I would like, here, to thank all the friends who have accompanied me on a road trip and supported me over the last few years. I know it's not always easy travelling with an inveterate photographer. A special thanks to Cedric! With him, I've had the pleasure of exploring the Mayan ruins of Tulum, contemplating the rooftops of New York, climbing the Great Wall of China, roaming the streets of Hong Kong, taming the Australian outback and now admiring the breathtaking underwater world of the Philippines. I thank you for your patience in situations where you endured hours of blazing sun and freezing temperatures without flinching, and for keeping the selfie poles away from me.

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