The pandemic is changing the creative life of photographers, not allowing them to visit all photography locations. However, despite the Covid-19, there are many places where you should go as soon as you can to take beautiful pictures in different genres.
Here is a list of the top 26 shooting spots with very picturesque places, many of which can be visited even despite the pandemic.
This list comprises places where you can capture not only incredible landscapes and sandy white beaches in unexplored parts of the world, but also take unforgettable photos of colorful streets, incredible city lights, and amazing architectural structures. Use these travel photography tips to snap amazing shots in one of these locations.
Rome delights photographers from all over the world as it is full of breathtaking historical architecture and cultural heritage, which makes it one of the best photography locations.
An incredible view of the city opens from the top of St. Peter's Basilica. Climb the spiral staircase to St Peter's dome and take exclusive shots with the best travel camera taking advantage of warm light at sunset. Make sure to take a picture of the domed roof of the "Temple of All Gods" from the inside in Piazza della Rotonda, with intersecting arches and a huge circular opening. Light comes through it and images turn out mesmerizing.
Go to Italian Tuscany in summer and visit Florence first. There, pay attention to St Mark's Basilica. You can also take bright pictures while walking in local parks and gardens. Architecture lovers should visit Siena, where you will find the Gothic-style Cathedral and Palazzo Pubblico, the Medici fortress, many medieval palaces, fortresses, and impressive old mansions.
Take the best camera for landscape photography and go to the Chianti wine region of Tuscany. It amazes with its unique landscape - picturesque green hills, vineyards, and olive gardens.
This small village in Austria is among the best locations for photography. In Hallstatt, you will find many natural beauties such as the Waldbachstrub waterfalls and the Hallstatt Glacier Garden in the romantic and quiet Echerntal Valley.
Here, you can take many successful shots using the best camera for amateur photographers. No matter what time of the day you visit it, this little village is always beautiful.
Dubai has managed to harmoniously combine the beauty of nature with ultra-modern skyscrapers and architectural masterpieces. Of course, you can’t leave without a photo of the Burj Khalifa and a visit to the desert with incredible dunes.
Those who like urban photography, should visit CityWalk, where you can see works of world-famous street artists and take shots of a modern city block with squares and pedestrian zones.
The city of lights has a rich history, countless museums, great food, and multiple photography spots. Following professional architecture photography tips, you can take incredible urban pictures. Go to a small street called Rue Crémieux in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, which consists of cute colored houses that you can't simply walk past without snapping a shot.
The Eiffel Tower is a must for photographers. Visit the rooftop observation deck of Galeries Lafayette to enjoy incredible views of Paris.
Kyoto has many nice locations for photography too. Start from the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The numerous Torii gates, which form endless corridors several kilometers long, will definitely attract your eye. Take shots at the Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion and Kyoto Buddhist Temple. It’s located on the shore of Lake Mirror and is surrounded by small and large islands, where ancient pine trees grow.
In Kokedera, all surfaces in the garden, including bridges and stone Buddhas, are covered with moss, which allows you to take pictures identical to that of the best landscape photographers. Also, don't miss the bamboo grove in Sagano, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and the historic Sannen-zaka street.
To take interesting architectural shots in Venice, visit the Cathedral of St. Mark with a unique clock tower, the Cathedral on the water of Santa Maria della Salute, the Frari Basilica and the 70-meter bell tower in Piazza San Polo. Take photos of Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. It’s located across the Grand Canal and is one of the most beautiful structures of the city.
Get the best travel camera to take incredible shots on the extraordinary colorful island of Burano. If you want a series of cool shots, visit the Venice Festival.
These are five coastal fishing villages on the Italian coastline with colorful facades and quaint ports. Cinque Terre is popular among average people and photographers in particular. Vernazza is great to take iconic and landscape shots. There are many olive trees and vineyards. Manarola is perfect for street life and night photography. Besides, the Nativity scene, a unique event, takes place there in winter.
In Riomaggiore, visit the panoramic castle deck and the fishing district. Monterosso will amaze you with its narrow historic streets and many interesting architectural structures. In Corniglia, go to the Saint Mary observation deck and the central square with unique local buildings.
The port city offers not only iconic landmarks but also many coastal trails. Take a walk down Coogee to Bondi Beach to capture rock formations, surfers, and beaches. You may even be lucky to see whales.
Take a harbor cruise to enjoy stunning views of Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House, especially at sunset! The Hawkesbury River, the North Beaches, and the Blue Mountains, which are a little farther from the city, will dazzle you with their mesmerizing views.
Get lost, walking across the old town of Dubrovnik with the sparkling Adriatic Sea. Explore the area early in the morning or late at night to avoid cruise ship crowds and be able to take pictures without hundreds of people.
Dubrovnik has many locations for photography so grab your lenses for landscape photography, wide-angle lens, and the best waterproof camera for adventurous shooting.
Santorini is an archipelago that consists of five islands and is known for its spectacular landscapes, clear sea, magnificent "multi-colored" beaches in red, white, and black color, and small "toy" towns and villages.
The most impressive is the landscape of the west coast, where you can see huge, steep cliffs with white houses. At the top, it looks like they smoothly descend to the water. There are more than 300 Orthodox and Catholic churches on Santorini. The views of the town are breathtaking against the background of the blue Aegean Sea.
Head to Tekapo town to take magical shots at Lake Tekapo. If you love stargazing and want to capture the Milky Way, visit this lake. The entire area is protected as part of the Dark Sky Reserve. On the bank of the lake you will find the Church of the Good Shepherd, located so ideally that it feels like it was built specifically for photographers.
The best time to visit Lake Tekapo is from mid-November to December. During this period, lupins and exotic plants (which reach 1.5 meters) bloom here. Russell lupins growing on the shores of the reservoir can be of different colors - purple, white, yellow, orange, blue, which looks very beautiful.
Vanuatu is a state in the South Pacific Ocean, consisting of 83 volcanic islands, 65 of which are uninhabited. Lush rainforests, exotic isolated beaches, coral reefs, and such a welcoming culture make it one of the best photography locations.
The Espiritu Santo island is known for its sparkling blue lagoon. Also, if you take a small plane to Lamen Bay on Epi Island, you will see incredible nature.
Famous for its annual bun festival, Cheung Chau Island is a calm fishing village most of the year and one of the most popular places for photography in Hong Kong. You can capture locals riding their bicycles past the seafood shops as well as interesting buildings.
There is an old Pak Tai temple, which houses valuable historical religious shrines. Also, here you can photograph picturesque beaches.
Go to Aitutaki to take images of white sandy beaches merging into the turquoise sea. Take a boat trip to the palm-lined tropical islands to take juicy images that can be used as wallpapers for your PC. Don’t forget to take the lenses for bird photography and an underwater camera for vivid pictures of extraordinary birds and marine inhabitants.
With the two main landmarks, the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach, it's hard to find a better aerial photography destination than the Whitsunday Islands. Natural patterns will induce you to take images all day long. This is a great place for sun photography. Capture beautiful sunsets and nights to practice astrophotography.
This amazing temple complex in Cambodia consists of three levels with terraces and galleries that rise as you move towards the central tower. It doesn't matter if you are an experienced photographer with a bunch of equipment and lenses or do it just for your Instagram feed, you will certainly want to get a picture of mysterious Angkor at dawn.
To get professional pictures without crowds of tourists in the frame, choose a place attentively. In the predawn hour, it’s best to shoot near the Reflecting Pond. Firstly, you get the most interesting angles from there, when the massive Angkor silhouette on the background of pink-scarlet sky, illuminated by the rising sun, is reflected in the water. Secondly, the pond guarantees that the back of a tourist's head will not suddenly appear in the frame.
Petra is a unique archaeological park with many attractions and multiple places for photography. The peculiarity of this location is not only amazing architecture but also the fact that this rocky city shines with a scarlet and pink hue at sunrise and sunset.
Temples, tombs, baths, and colonnades - this stone city boasts over 800 ancient monuments. Use the best camera for architectural photography to capture this wonder of the world.
Greek Meteora is a complex of Eastern Orthodox monasteries located on the tops of cliffs. Its main cathedral is the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord. There is a holy spring nearby. Its open terrace offers an extraordinary, enchanting view of the mountains.
Rusanu is, perhaps, one of the most recognizable Meteora monasteries. You can see it from almost all observation platforms. The most impressive view is the monastery of the Holy Trinity, which is located on the top of a single 400-meter high cliff.
The temples or stupas of Bagan in Myanmar are among the best photography locations. If you shoot from a good angle when hot air balloons are flying, you can capture stupas with balloons overhead surrounded by golden dawn light.
If your budget allows, take a hot air balloon ride and shoot stupas and other balloons as you fly over these ancient structures. Myanmar is great for local portrait photography too so check these portrait photography tips as you can come across monks in temples, who will agree to pose for you.
A fairytale castle that is worth dozens of photos. Hohenschwangau is a village in Bavaria overlooking the dreamy Neuschwanstein Castle. This wonderful architectural structure looks amazing in photos, so you should definitely go there.
It has a really impressive interior and exterior that can be shot from multiple angles. There is the giant Alpsee lake on the outskirts of the village. Take a walk to capture reflections of wooden houses and forests in the water.
Natural beauty and elegant Japanese culture meet in the suburb of Arashiyama, on the outskirts of Kyoto. On one side of Arashiyama, divided by the Chi River, there are many historical sites, temples, and mysterious bamboo groves.
On the south side of the river, there is a forest trail that leads to Monkey Park, where you can photograph them in their natural habitat. Down by the river, in front of the entrance to the park, you will find small wooden boats. Take a guided tour in the evening to experience the traditional cormorant fishing practice lit by fiery torches.
To capture the scenery in a beautiful way, follow nature photography tips. Go to Royce Peak in Wanaka, Ben Lomond in Queenstown, or Remarkables and Coronet Peak ski fields to take amazing images.
You will get so carried away photographing that you won’t even want to have a break for a bite, so be sure to get many snacks with you.
To get the most out of this location, rent a bike and ride across Stanley Park with your camera strapped to the front for easy access. You can also head to Capilano to take photos from the giant suspension bridge over the Capilano River and wander the canopy over wooden planks.
Taking your camera underwater opens up a new facet to think creatively. Tropical locations and clear Alpine lakes are definitely worth capturing, so take your waterproof clothing to an island, lake, or river to try new methods and you'll fall in love with this technique.
This national park offers a multitude of locations for photography. You can see rugged bare volcanic peaks without vegetation, gravel-strewn plains, and sandy seas with no visible signs of life. Away from volcanoes, where rivers feed trees, you can encounter representatives of typical tropical flora and fauna.
Marble cats, Javanese deer, wild pigs are quite common here; sometimes you can see even leopards. Bromo Tengger Semeru is not particularly suitable for birdwatching, although eagles and hawks can hover over the plains from the plateau.
Without any restrictions, you can go to many African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Togo, Central African Republic, Zambia, Malawi as well as Somalia, Iraq, and Iran.
In Nigeria, you will find many great locations including Abuja National Mosque, the Gateway to Abuja Granite Rock, incredible scenery, and diverse fauna in Kamuku Park. You can also visit Yankari, one of the best national parks in West Africa. It’s advisable to visit the park from February to April to see a diverse animal world.
You can go to Zambia to take incredible photos of Victoria, the largest waterfall in the world. The northern region of Africa is represented mainly by deserts, the Sahara Desert being the most popular.
You must get a visa to go to Kenya, Nepal, and the Republic of Korea. Oman doesn’t require visas but a tourist is allowed to stay in the country just for 2 weeks. You can also fly to Mexico: a PCR test is not required for entry but the country has serious migration controls, so there is a risk of getting visa denial. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even if you get it, you don’t have a guarantee that you can actually visit the territory.
However, there are still several European countries like Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, where you can go without restrictions and a PCR test.
If the above-mentioned places are not enough for you or you have already visited them, you can find even more photo spots on PIXEO. There is a large map with hundreds of photos from suggested locations. The site was created by a married couple of Canadian photographers who loved to travel to remote places across the planet.
You will find 10+ countries and a large number of great regions and cities with landmarks that are worth photographing. The map contains pins of the most beautiful places that you can visit. For example, if you hover over Norway, you will see the best photos of the location (geographically referenced).
To get more vibrant photos, use free image presets. They will help give your images a magical and outstanding tone and outline. Besides, they simplify the editing process.