It's too polite to tell you, but it's tired of taking the same pictures when you travel. It's lost interest in those mundane, dime-a-dozen views of the Eiffel Tower , Times Square , or that Southernmost Marker in Key West. It's bemoaning the drought of artistry, the predictable angles, and it has no interest in going on any more dates with your selfie stick.

Your phone is too polite to tell you these things, however I'm not. But don't listen to me (as if you were going to). I found a professional to confirm what your phone and I have been thinking for a while.


"A lot of people often take pictures the same way, over and over. I think that's part of why their photos might suffer," said photographer and travel writer David Noyes. "People stay removed, both emotionally and physically from engaging in the environment that they're in."

Noyes's book "The Photographing Tourist: A Storyteller's Guide to Travel and Photography," contains both tales of his travels and technical tips for those looking to up their Instagram game while playing 21st century Jack Kerouac. We chatted with Noyes to learn the secrets to his photographic success.

Q. When I look at your photos, it appears that you're traveling solo to undiscovered territories, but you say in the book that's not the case?

A. Most of my work has been shot on organized tours. Usually with a fixed itinerary and a group of strangers, which is how most people travel. When I have 30 minutes or an hour before I have to get back on the bus, I go to work. I'm in the zone like an athlete would be. My concentration level is high, I'm looking at everything, I'm gauging where the sun is, and shots start to form for me. I'm not a casual observer. I'm actually concentrating very intensely on crafting those photographs.


Traditional fisherman on Inle Lake in Myanmar at sunset. David Noyes

Q. You mention that people need to engage more with their environment for more successful photos. You mean talk to the locals?

A. One of the hardest things for any photographer to do is to approach a stranger in a foreign land and ask to take a photograph. A lot of people just simply don't, and I encourage people to have the courage to go up and approach a stranger. Often the answer is no, but when you do get a yes, you have an opportunity to connect with another human being in a very personal way. For me it makes a trip memorable, and in the process you end up with more meaningful photographs.

Q. Would you advise that people who are serious about taking good photos while on vacation invest in an SLR (single-lens reflex) camera?

A. I think great pictures can be created with anything that'll capture an image. I know photographers like to talk about their toys, but I rarely do. I enjoy the challenge, and don't need an expensive camera for that. Some of my friends have professional portfolios of iPhone shots that are stunning.

Q. Are there basic things that people can do to increase the technical artistry of their photos?

A. What I talk about a lot in the book is trying to achieve a mastery of light, subject, and composition. People can train themselves just in their daily life to look at where shadows fall. Look at where the sun moves across the horizon at any given time of day. The old rule of thumb is that the light should be behind you, but that's also a very boring, flat light. The composition gets more interesting just by moving the subject to different angles.


I think everybody has seen reporters holding cameras up over their head in a scrum, trying to get a shot of a politician or something. I've also done that in a tourist environment. I'm in a mass of a thousand tourists I've held up my camera and shot blindly over my head.

If you're stuck for an idea, squat down and look again. I think that most people walk around through life and take pictures at their normal height. Those are fairly predictable. I have shots from the western wall where I was literally on the ground with the camera pointed up. I got some really incredible stuff from that perspective, from an ant's perspective.

Q. There seems to be a lot of repetitiveness in travel pictures. It's always the same landmarks.

A. It's OK to go ahead and take those shots. Put your finger on top of the Taj Mahal. But then go try to create a different photo if that's what you're into. My target audience for this is travelers with an interest in photography.

It's so easy these days to get on a plane, get picked up at the airport, dropped into an all inclusive resort and never actually meet anybody. But for me travel is about the thrill. I've spent pretty much the last decade traveling to some remote corners of the world, photographing, and telling stories about the human condition. That's what travel is about. Sure you're going to see some kind of a landmark or something iconic, but there's life going on all around the Eiffel Tower. There are couples holding hands, there are old people walking dogs. Those are just as exciting to me as getting the shot of the Eiffel Tower from three or four different angles.


Mount Everest. David Noyes