Travel Photography Ideas: A 7‑Day Challenge for Your Next Trip

Regardless of how exciting traveling is, new places can flood your senses. The rush of new sounds, smells, and sights makes it difficult to focus and shoot, often leading to photos you’re not really happy with. So we’ve come up with a guide/a weekly challenge that makes it easier. We bring you seven travel photography ideas (and a bonus) that remove decision fatigue and help you make at least one meaningful image each day. Another great thing is that these same ideas work at home, too. If you are staying put, run the challenge in your own neighborhood and treat familiar streets like a new city. You will be surprised by how fresh they feel!

[Related Reading: Travel Photography: The Ultimate Guide to Shooting Stunning Images on the Road]

How the Challenge Works

Each day comes with a theme and a small constraint. Limiting your choices muffles the noise, so to speak, and sharpens your eye. This kind of “constraint approach” is something I use when traveling, especially in the first day or two until I’m a bit accustomed to the place. Otherwise, I just get overwhelmed and shoot nothing. Nothing worthy, at least.

Day 1 – Symmetry Hunt

I think it’s good to start the travel photography quest with just a compositional rule. Look for clean structure: facades, plazas, bridges, buildings… Stand centered, level your frame and find the symmetry. You can also wait for a single person to step into the middle and break the perfection and “silence” of an architectural shot.

Day 2 – Reflections Only

Look around and find mirrors, puddles, shop windows, and any reflective and polished surfaces, really. This is fun because it’s like a little side quest. And once you find them, use the reflections to add layers and playfulness to your images. Get low to puddles so the reflected world fills the picture. You can also shoot with a flipped reflection in mind and later do it in post. It is a simple, creative travel photo idea that can work quite well.

Day 3 – One Lens Only

Choose a single focal length and stick with it for a day. Something like a 35 mm or 50mm will do, or just pick your favorite lens. If you shoot with your phone, rely on its main lens. This constraint is something we’ve mentioned quite a lot over the years, for a good reason. It speeds up decisions and gives your set a consistent look. Of course, you’ll have to move your feet for framing rather than swapping lenses or zooming in. That’s one way to make extra steps towards your daily goal. :) 

Try to cover several types of travel photography in one walk: a street moment, a landscape, a cityscape, or a skyline, and a food or café still life. You will learn the limits of the lens and how to use them to your advantage.

Day 4 – Traditional Details

By day three, you’re probably accustomed to the new place and have a better idea of what to expect. Now’s the time to shift to the close world of craft and pattern and start capturing the essence of the culture, history, and lifestyle of this place.

Focus on textiles, instruments, tiles, carved stone, door knockers, and painted decor… You get the idea. All these details carry local stories and tell your viewers more about the location. Like the cats of Kotor in the example below. :)

Day 5 – Doors and Windows

One of my favorites, both abroad and in my own hometown. It says a lot about the place, but also keeps you focused and doesn’t allow you to get overwhelmed. Search for color, weathered paint, ornate hinges, or contrasting interior–exterior light. 

You can mix close studies of handles with an establishing shot of the whole facade. Doors and windows make great anchors in albums because they offer pattern, texture, and hints of the current or past lives behind them.

Day 6 – One Landmark, Zero Postcards

This the day when you can visit (or revisit) the famous spot, but refuse the obvious angle. Nothing wrong with postcard-worthy photos, but the thing is that there are thousands of the same ones out there.  You can snap some for your album, sure, but I’d suggest also taking a different approach for a richer, unique portfolio of travel images.

Crop tight on textures, walk to the far side, or frame the scene through fences, glasses or foliage. Layer locals in the foreground and let the landmark play a supporting role instead of the main one. Play with shutter speeds: use a fast shutter speed to freeze passersby, then try a slower one to paint movement. This exercise teaches you to see beyond clichés and is one of the most useful travel photography challenges you can repeat in every destination.

Day 7 – Color vs. Monochrome Day

Photograph the same location twice and let the color (or lack thereof) convey the meaning. In color, look for warm lights, painted walls, market produce… You know, colorful stuff. :) In monochrome, chase shape and contrast – strong shadows, bold lines, simple backgrounds.

Shoot RAW, or RAW+ JPG. This way, you have latitude for both edits, and you can get a black and white JPG if you want to share it instantly.

Bonus Travel Photography Ideas

I’ve decided to include a few bonus travel photography ideas that could work great, but largely depend on the lens(es) that you use. You can also rely on this if your trip lasts longer, or just use them to swap in any of the ideas above that don’t work for you. 

“Hands at Work” is the first idea that I’d like to suggest. It thrives near street vendors, food stands, and artisans. I think it works great with longer lenses or more extroverted photographers than myself. You can either stand a bit further with a longer lens, or better yet, stand to the side, ask for permission before you shoot, and snap away. Fill the frame with hands and the tools they’re using. I find the latter approach more appealing as I’m not a fan of “paparazzo-style” shots of people… But that’s just my two cents.

“Textures of the Place” is something pretty close to my heart. It works great on sunny days, especially when the sun is lower, on the side. Stones, bark, tiles, and fabrics come alive when you angle the camera to catch small shadows. If you have a close-focusing or a macro lens, this is something you can test out, too.

Storytelling Mini‑Projects for the Week

In addition to shooting one topic each day, you can also think of a mini project that will stretch out throughout the entire stay. Here are some ideas that crossed my mind and I hope you can take something from them:

• Seven Strangers, Seven Stories – You can take one portrait of a stranger per day. Add their name, a name, a short quote, and one contextual detail that initially drew you to them. Great examples of long-term projects like this are Humans of New York and The Atlas of Beauty.
• Same Spot, Different Times – Try to return to the exact same location at dawn, noon, and dusk to compare light, mood, and the crowd.
• Before & After Crowd – photograph a landmark at sunrise, then again at peak hour to show how space changes with time and how much people change the whole atmosphere.

Quick Tips to Keep it Creative, Safe, and Enjoyable

• Work one location at a time and aim for variety inside the set. This keeps you grounded and focused.
• While at the location, capture several scenes of the same place: a wide scene for context, and then medium and tight frames for more specific stories.
• Captions: include place, time, and at least one sensory detail such as a scent from a bakery or the sound of a tram. This will help you later think of the final caption for your image.
• Be kind and ethical: ask before portraits, avoid sensitive sites and topics, be respectful of people and of the “no photos” signs.
• Sort files at the end of each day and star your favorites. You’ll thank me when you return home with hundreds of photos. :)
• Similarly, back up your work nightly and let the batteries charge while you sleep.

[Related Reading: Back Up and Storage Tips for Travel Photographers]

Why Are These Travel Photography Ideas Helpful?

While I’ve only given you several travel photography ideas, the core thought behind all of them is to reduce choice. And by doing that, you can focus instead of feeling overwhelmed. The ideas are flexible enough for a quick city break or a longer trip; for a remote location or your hometown, and they work for whichever gear you use.

Of course, these are just ideas to kickstart your focus and creativity. Feel free to add your own twist, switch things up, and reorganize the days as it best suits your habits, gear, and the itinerary.

Safe travels, and happy shooting!

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