Jump for my Love– Add Dynamic Jumping Pics to your Travel Photography Repertoire!
When Margo Millure of the Travel Belles asked me for a favorite travel photo, my thoughts flew not to my shots of vibrant Venice canals or the serene Japanese Alps, though they are lovely, but to a picture that brought grass-scented prairie winds of New Zealand rushing back. Cool glacial air surrounding me, I was high in the air, propelled by travel joy. I was jumping.
On the way to Doubtful Sound on the South Island of New Zealand, two full busloads of tourists watched as I went out into the field with my friend and made a spectacle of myself to take this photo. What a crazy girl, they must have thought.
OK, so it’s true. It takes some convincing for first-time jumpers to shed their shyness and reach for the sky alongside you. In order to get these dynamic shots, you have to be willing to embarrass yourself a little bit. But after trying it a few times, it’s easy to get hooked. The wonderful thing about taking these photos is that you will truly be “in the moment”. Buddhists might say “breathe” to be fully engaged in the moment. I say Jump!
The results, if the shutter meets the jump at just the right time, are striking. Below are some of the best jumping photos I’ve seen. They’ll give you ideas on how to add unparalleled dynamism to your trip album.
Make time stand still. These lovely girls in front of the Acropolis in Greece have exactly the right idea. The juxtaposition of a monument that has stood for millennia behind two beauties in a split-second spring makes this photo remarkable. Monuments, signposts, empty fields, or anything static form a great backdrop. Another point about this photo– facing toward each other makes the action symmetrical. They even have matching outfits!
Boldly add color. In this example, a flood of color causes my super-cute jumping friend to stand out from the rest of the scene. When you spot a colorful backdrop like the yellow cascade of Ginko leaves seen in this photo taken in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan, give your camera to someone then go ahead and leap right into the scene.
Alternatively, if you’re a photoshop whiz, you can make the background fade by converting it to black and white, sepia, or simply lowering the contrast of the color in the backdrop, leaving yourself in full vibrant color.
Connect with the viewer. Look down at the camera, which if lowered will make your jump appear higher. On the fourth try, my two friends and I were snapped on the beach on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Knees bent, feet up, eyes on the camera, we got the right shot finally.
They’re fun to make, share, and reminisce over later, so why not try a jumping photo on your next trip? If you do, or you already have a stellar example of jumping photography, cmail it to me! I’ll be happy to post the best ones as FitWanderer featured photos in 2011. Good luck and happy jumping!
Many thanks to Katrina Smith of Tokyo and Scott and Berri-Barbara at Captured Art Photography for contributing photos to this article.
2 Responses to “Jump for my Love– Add Dynamic Jumping Pics to your Travel Photography Repertoire!”
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Hi Krista! So glad you liked them! Oooh, if your dear friend has a good photo to send in as an example of jumping photos, please tell her about my site and ask her to send one in! You can’t help but smile at jumping pics, can you? The joy is infectious!
Thanks for commenting!
I love these!
A dear Russian friend of mine takes jumping photos everywhere she goes, from the beaches of Thailand to the woods of Russia. They always make me smile. 