Welcome to another travel hacks Friday.

As part of a new series, every Friday, we will be introducing new travel hacks for outdoor and urban adventures. We will scour the web for the best and most practical hacks, as well as dig into our reserves and share our own awesome moments of ingenuity!

Travel Photography Trick

We all love taking photos. I personally can’t go a day without getting a cramp in my finger. Photos are a great way to share and memorialize our epic round-the-world adventures, giving credence to the old adage of a picture being worth a thousand words. With social sites like Instagram and Facebook, the perfect photo capture has become the holy grail of social sharing.   But lets be honest, where there’s an ancient temple or architectural wonder, there will always be a healthy appreciation for them. Unless you have unwavering patience or can convince hundreds of vacationers to get out of your shot, having to jostle for that awesome photo op is just part of traveling.

So what can you do when you get that insistent photo bomber or throngs of tourist who believe their polka dot shirts and oversized sun hats warrant more frame time than say….The Trevi fountain? Don’t get me wrong, responsible tourism is a good thing, and I love the energy brought by fellow travelers, but every so often I want that postcard perfect picture. Well, short of applying for special licensing or waiting until after hours to take a low-light shot, there is a photo hack for this.

Through some easy initial setup and the use of Photoshop you can vaporize even the most persistent lookyloos (in pixels I mean, not real life). Before you run off and think, “Photoshop is too complicated”, this photography trick is unbelievably simple.

Materials/Equipment:

1. Digital camera or Smartphone with Tripod attachment

2. Tripod

3. Photoshop or equivalent program with median script

The first and probably most difficult task is finding that postcard worthy spot. Once you’ve elbowed your way into the perfect vantage point, stake your claim by setting up your tripod and follow these steps:

1. Attach the camera to the tripod for stability

2. Snap a photo every 10 to 15 seconds ensuring each subsequent shot is the same as the first one. Frequency and number of photos depends on how fast the people are moving

3. Upload all the photos to your computer

4. Open Photoshop (or equivalent editing program)

5. Go to Files >Scripts>Statistics

6. In the dropdown menu select Median

7. Browse for all the files

8. Once all the photos are selected, click Ok

9. That’s it!

Image Courtesy of Improve Photography

Photoshop will then begin to bring the photos together, eliminating all the noise or non-static objects in the picture. The hack won’t work for quick one-off shots as it does require a series of photos in order to sew them into one image. Lastly, the subject of the photo has to be still, as the hack works to eliminate the moving elements.

And just like that, you’ve one-upped everyone on Instagram.

• About
• Latest Posts

Follow me

Carey

I'm an aspiring scuba diver, novice spelunker and avid adventurer.I have a penchant for always getting lost with an established track record for choosing the worst places to eat. With a healthy aversion to staying in one place for too long, I am the ceaseless wanderer and explorer. I recently traded in the suit for a backpack, and am now pursuing to live a life of sustained travel. I travel to learn, I travel to live and I travel in search of adventure.

Follow me

Latest posts by Carey (see all)

• Travel Hack Friday: #DIY Orange Peel Oil Candle #travelhacks - October 16, 2015
• Hanoi Vietnam, The Photoscape! #Hanoi #Vietnam #Southeastasia - October 5, 2015
• Travel Hack Friday: How to Find Edible Bugs - October 2, 2015