When we travel, most of us seek out local color. And often this dictates the timing of our trips—say, when our goal is an atmospheric festival (think harvest celebrations such as Oktoberfest) or to soak up the colors of nature (think fall foliage in Vermont). But there are places worldwide that offer vibrant colors year-round—such as those on our list of 10 fantastically colorful places . To enjoy such photogenic neighborhoods to the fullest, here are a few tips:
1. Peruse local postcards for camera-angle suggestions.
Not only does a rack of postcards yield ideas for colorful nearby sights to seek out, but a postcard of, say, a lane of vividly painted houses will reveal the best spot to stand in when photographing that scene.
2. Visit more than once—at different times of day.
Multi-hued neighborhoods change significantly throughout the day as the light changes, and also as the density of tourists changes. It’s nice to be there in the early morning, before the tour buses arrive and the souvenir shops open, when you’ll see just the locals going to the fish market or taking their kids to school. In pastel-colored neighborhoods (think Cinque Terre in Italy or Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina), you’ll get the best photos during “Golden Hour”—shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset—because that light intensifies the colors. At the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, sunrise is the can’t-miss moment when the light draws out the hues in the sandstone and it becomes clear why Petra is called “The Rose City.” In bold-colored places, however, it’s a totally different story:
3. Shoot photos at midday.
Golden Hour is not the best time to photograph neighborhoods where houses are painted in bold colors—such as on the island of Burano in Venice or in the neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires . The early-morning and late-afternoon sun only dilute those colors. In such places you’ll get the best photos at the time of brightest sunlight: midday.
4. Carry the right gear—or download the right apps.
Consider a polarizing filter for your camera. This makes colors pop. It makes the sky a richer blue and the other colors brighter. If you have no polarizing filter, look for your exposure compensation button; try underexposing by somewhere between a half-stop and a stop. If you’re shooting photos with a phone, two apps that help a lot with midday photos are Camera+ and Pro HDR.
5. Make a lunch reservation.
Famously colorful neighborhoods are often mobbed with tourists. Without a restaurant reservation, you can easily get stuck eating in a tourist trap. So suss out ahead of time the best spot for an authentic local lunch and book a table. Or, if the weather is nice, bring the makings of a picnic with you; that way you can stay outside and more easily observe the changing colors.
