By Nicole McClelland; Social Media Manager at PicsArt

Put down your airplane snacks and listen up! These six tips are about to take your travel photography and social media game to another level!

1. Hand Over The Camera

Take note from Nike on this one — JUST DO IT. As a photographer it’s natural to always want to be behind the lens snapping away searching for THE shot, especially when you’re in a new destination. We know you’re killing it, but letting your travel buddy take a glimpse at the viewfinder (or, let’s be real, your phone screen) can open up a whole new world of ideas and result in some seriously fire pics!

2. Use That Instagram Story

Influencer 101: Instagram posts are great but if you’re looking to really connect with your audience and grow your social following Stories are key. When you’re jet setting around the world it’s easy to let your Story go silent and/or lose its flare. That’s where PicsArt Story Templates come in. Just drag, drop, post and wait for the love to flood in!

3. Fall In Love With Golden Hour

You know that magical time in the day right before the sun rises or sets and the perfect selfie lighting emerges? There’s a name for it in the photography world -- the ‘golden hour.’  Plan your shoots accordingly and you won’t regret it!

4. Accept Filters Are Your Best Friend

Sometimes you miss the ‘golden hour.’ Sometimes you just have to chow down on the best bowl of pasta you’ve ever had in Italy instead. That’s okay. PicsArt FLTRS are here for you! Our SUN FLTRS series can get you that ‘golden hour’ effect with just one tap in a crunch!

5. Ask The Experts

TripAdvisor can only take you so far people! The photo that puts you on the map isn’t going to be of a tourist trap. Make it a priority to befriend the locals and get the down low on the real gems in the area as soon as you touch down.

6. Bokeh, Bokeh and even more Bokeh

What’s Bokeh you ask? Little geometric lens blurs that will change your life. Not feeling a photo? Enter bokeh! Beware though, once you start adding bokeh to your pics you won’t want to stop. The good news is PicsArt has 30+ Bokeh Masks so you don’t have to!