Taking A Great Travel Photo, When Asked

If you carry around a professional (or professional-looking) camera when you're on travel, you've undoubtably been asked to take a picture of random strangers. It seems like no matter where I go, whether it's in Singapore or Seattle, I'm the friendly looking guy who has a cool camera. I must have a clue, right? I've got a few tips for you so that the next time you're asked, you can give those folks more than the standard travel snapshot.

1. Go Vertical. Ah, the typical tourist snapshot. The people in the photo are usually cut off at the waist, because the camera is turned "normally." Turn that camera 90 degrees and get a vertical shot. Make sure you have all of people, feet included in the photo.
2. Get Something Interesting. Nine times out of ten, people ask me to take a picture of them in front of a landmark, a vista, or something else interesting. Make sure you get a distinguishing feature of wherever you are, or as an added bonus, get it from an angle that you wouldn't see on a postcard. If you're really pressed for time, just make sure you can identify where you are, so that people aren't left with random, unidentifiable photos.
3. Avoid the Glare. Don't let your subjects stand in front of the sun or stand in a place where the sun in the photo. Otherwise, you'll end up with washed out photos with your subjects silhouetted. Either have your subjects move, or if that's not possible, try to change the angle of your shot to reduce the effect of the sun. Ideally, your subjects would be directly facing the sun, so that they will be well lit.
4. From A Different Perspective. Typically, most snapshots are from the same angle: the photographer's standing position. Change it up a little and take the shot from a different perspective. Kneel down, or find another creative way to get a different angle and give the shot some flair.

More Travel Photography Tips:
Taking A Great Travel Photo: Architecture