Get paid to travel: top 5 tips for budding photographers

So, you want to take photos for Lonely Planet?

Before you commence your epic adventure, take into account these five key points provided by our editor of photography.

• Get your hands on a digital SLR. The cameras will help you take high quality images with a high level of creative control and you’ll have access to a range of lenses.

Can't decide on a camera? Halve your choices by opting for a DSLR.

• Pre-planning and research. Before you shoot scout out key vantage points in a city or landscape and try to pre-visualise what you want to achieve in your images.

Get a head above the rest: scout out a key vantage point.

• Simple, bold compositions work best. Move in closer to fill the frame or try placing your subject off centre for a more interesting image. Try not to clutter your shot with extraneous objects that will detract from your main subject.

Simple but effective: baby orangutan plays tug'o'war in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

• Use light creatively. Try photographing in the earlier or later parts of the day when the sun is lower and less harsh. Shooting into the light can also create interesting lighting effects.

Witold Skrypczak captured this amazing sunrise shot in Mexico.

• Incorporate people into the shot. Be it classic portraiture or candid snaps, people shots will liven up your travel images. In urban settings people are essential to convey the feel and story of the city.

A monk shoots detail of Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, Laos. (Carol Wiley/LPI)

For more great photography tips, see Lonely Planet.