Wutimet Bunyasirisith or LazyCoup (@nuu_lazycoup) is a travel photographer and blogger who shares stories about his trips around the world through words and photos. Whether it is capturing the scenic beauty of Mother Nature, the uniqueness of landmarks in places he has visited or simply the perfect moment at a cafe or hotel, Wutimet’s photos draw you in by making you feel like you are right there with him. 

For his Creative Portrait project, Wutimet gaves his viewers a spectacular showcase of Bali, Indonesia from the stunning mountain views of Kelingking Beach to the rustic architecture of Tirta Gangga. We chatted with Wutimet to learn more about his creative direction during his visit to the cultural and tourism hub. 

Essentials of travel photography 

Describing his project, Wutimet said "In travel photography, it is important to portray locations, cultures and people in a positive light. At the same time, the composition of subjects and models should be arranged in a way that conveys meaning and emotions clearly." 

Wutimet wanted his photos to empower the travel and tourism industry, which made choosing the location the most important priority for him. "We would usually pick nature-based attractions and study their most prominent features, be it the mist, a beautiful flower field, or buildings made of bamboo. Before the photoshoot, I always prepare a pre-travel planning checklist that includes locations we want to shoot and their prominent features, the costumes, and the props for storytelling," he said. 

Once the locations are selected, he carefully chooses the props based on the shooting location. "For cultural locations, we usually wear traditional costumes like Hmong dresses and kimonos. For cafes and restaurants, I would bring picnic props like woven baskets, books, linens, and bread. During low-light conditions, I would have external light sources like lamps, lanterns, candles, and LED lights. If it is raining, I would portray the subject with an umbrella or raincoat," he said. 

For Wutimet, his philosophy of travel photography is to capture the best moments perfectly so that he can immediately publish it with little to no editing. "Straight-Out-Of-Camera (SOOC) was one of the major features of my photography style as I can do minimum post-processing and immediately post in on my blog. This means creating the best conditions and composition before clicking the shutter," he said. 

In addition, Wutimet’s Alpha 7 IV allows him to have control of the creative look of his images "I like using the "FL" pre-set that makes my image look straight out of a film. Furthermore, the camera settings are more flexible as I can adjust the highlights, shadows, contrast, fade, saturation, and white balance before shooting," he said. 

Balancing subject with the environment 

To take the perfect portrait photo, Wutimet meticulously planned out his shots to make for interesting storytelling. "Before shooting, I would work on the arrangement of the subject or models that are in frame. If I capture the models in a close-up, the viewer may not be able to guess the location of the photo. On the other hand, capturing a small-sized model at a wide angle will not grab the viewer's attention," he said.

During the planning stage, Wutimet needed to identify what elements in his upcoming photos could draw people's attention. "If I'm taking a photograph with the mountain as the backdrop, I would position the model and capture her emotions near the mountain as that is where I want the viewers to focus on. If the set is a bamboo house, I will use framing techniques to position the model to also focus on the architecture. In other words, travel photography isn't just about the model, but it is also about the many details of the location that tell the image's story." 

Natural light also plays a key role in highlighting the details of the model and the backdrop. "When doing travel photography, you'll mostly be outdoors, which makes natural light a key feature. In Thailand, the best times to take photos are during the sunrise (06:30 - 08:00) and sunset period (16:30 - 18:00). These hours are when ambient light conditions are at their best. Knowing exactly when the sun will rise or set at the shooting location is incredibly helpful when you're doing pre-travel planning. If I needed to photograph a landmark destination, I find it best to do it during sunrise hours when there are not many tourists around." 

For Wutimet, travel photography gives him an opportunity to showcase the world and all the cultural and natural wonders it has to offer. "Travel photography is about telling a story about the places you've been to and your experiences while there. It's about making the viewers feel that they are part of that same adventure and inspiring them to get out there and explore the world for themselves too."