Not every photo you take needs to be a masterpiece. But it’s very common to believe that.

When scrolling through social media, looking at websites or blogs by photographers, or any outlet that features spectacular photos, it’s so easy to think that the photographer behind the lens is perfect and has mastered their craft to a tee. It could leave you asking; "Why is that not the case for me?".

Being a 100% perfect photographer isn't real; for every great image a photographer has captured, there are likely dozens or even hundreds more from that same shoot or trip that didn’t work. But of course, these images are really, if ever, seen.

In this article, I'm going to talk about that, from the persective of travel photography. Reason being, it's one of the most popular genres out there right now, and photographers can put significant pressures on themselves to "get it right" when travelling.
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The travel photos that didn’t work out

When it comes to travel photography in particular, it’s very easy to feel that you absolutely must capture the very best, most interesting, and dynamic photos from your trip. You might even feel that the trip was a failure if you don't.

Never think like that!

If you approach your photography with that mindset when you’re travelling, you’ll just put unnecessary pressure on yourself and sap any enjoyment from taking pictures on your trip. And importantly, detract you from being in the moment when you’re travelling.

As a follow-up to my article on unusual and alternative travel photos, below are some of my outtakes, mistakes, and images from my trip to Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro that didn’t generally cut it.

You’ll also see some reasons why the photos didn’t work out, from an unbalanced frame to bad composition techniques, and images that just didn’t capture the mood.

By sharing these photos, I hope it reassures you that you don’t need to be perfect all the time, and that as photographers we'll all have our off days.
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Frame too busy

I enjoy photographing fishing accessories like nets and buoys. However, this particular shot from Ulcinj, Montenegro, feels overly busy and is not visually appealing. The same issue arises with the photo of the wave mural from Ulcinj. While I intended for the mural to serve as the focal point, there’s too much going on in the rest of the frame.

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Image composition off balance

In the first image, the minaret emerges through the clouds on a very cold morning in Peja, Kosovo. While capturing this scene through the viewfinder looked great, reviewing the photos revealed that the clouds make the composition feel unbalanced.

The same is true for another image from Peja. I aimed to incorporate the beer advertisement along with the Brutalist building, but it didn’t come together as planned. The final result looks like a total mess; what I envisioned in my head appeared much better!

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Lack of a clear focal point

During my visit to the old fortress in Nikšić, I found plenty of opportunities to take photos. I decided, for one shot, to frame the city through one of the arches, incorporating the graffiti that adorned the fort to give it a contemporary feel. However, now looking back at the picture, there isn’t a clear focal point in the scene; the viewer’s eye is uncertain where to look or what to focus on.

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Another one, here, where I wanted to take a photo of the view from my accommodation (another thing I talk about in my unusual and alternative photography guide), but, on this occasion, it didn’t pan out well. There are too many elements in the frame competing for attention. Should the focus be on the building, the mountains, or something else? For this reason, the photo doesn't work.

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Boring

I wanted to take a picture of the famous Bill Clinton Boulevard road sign in Pristina, Kosovo. When I finally found one, I took two photos on separate occasions, which I thought looked interesting through the viewfinder. However, looking back at the images, I find that the awkward angle, and lack of anything particularly visually interesting in the scene makes it them both feel rather dull.

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Concept didn’t work

I really wanted to capture a picture of the tiny train station at the airport in Podgorica because of its uniqueness. I took the photo from the train window, trying to include some of the graffiti on the glass to create a “view of the station through the window” effect. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as expected; the frame is messy and not very engaging.

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Below, another one with a "view through the window" that just didn’t work. The view from the apartment in Pristina, Kosovo. In my head, it looked great, but yeah, not the best. I did end up managing to get a shot of this, that I was happy with, through the curtains, it’s in my other guide.

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Distracting elements in the frame

This picture of the unfinished Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral in Pristina, Kosovo, I attempted the technique of a blurry foreground against the subject in the background (it's a fab technique, we have the guide here). However, the leaf on the left of the frame, in my opinion, is far too distracting.

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Final thoughts

So there you have it!

As you can see from the images above, not every photo you take while travelling must be a masterpiece. I certainly have my fair share of images that just didn’t turn out well, some due to bad framing, some are just plain boring, and some concepts didn’t quite work, compared to the vision I had in my head.

If you end up with a lot of images that don’t best reflect your skills as a photographer, that’s perfectly fine. Remembering that it doesn’t matter how many subpar photos you take, as long as you enjoyed your trip, had a fantastic time, and have photographic memories you want to keep - that’s the most important thing.

Most photographers tend to showcase only their very best work, which only gives a partial view of their creative process and the number of images they capture, which is often many, many more than you’ll see.

Enjoy taking pictures and don’t let the joy of travelling and photography slip away by ruminating about your bad images. Every photographer takes them!