People, still to this day, use both Digital and Film Cameras, and use all formats for travel photography (Large format, Medium format, 35mm). Digital cameras have certainly made taking travel photographs alot more easier and accessible, and much more readily stored and used. Compact Digital cameras have allowed tourists and photographers alike to capture quick snap shots of foreign cities, countrysides, buildings, landscapes etc. Also these cameras are easily stored and able to be carried around in pockets, bags etc.
Film still has its place, even with the large influx of the digital market, Professional and amatuer users alike still use medium and large format cameras to capture their relevant subject matter, as film is still readily made and produced for these format of cameras.
35mm and compact make the ease of travelling with cameras easier, as large and medium format can be quite bulky to carry around.

1900's photos - Paris, New York, Texas.

Albert Kahn

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rdiC45HeD0

My perspective

In a nutshell, I feel that travel is not a discrete event but a continuous process and hence to successfully capture it is a tedious process. It requires not only the skills of a photographer but also that of a keen observer and a person with an angle towards life.

Over the centuries travel photography is no longer limited to only a bunch of handpicked photographers chosen by the likes of Albert Kahn among others. And this has been possible especially due to the digitization of the camera. Thus having said that, I am personally on the side of those in the favour of digital cameras in the debate about the loss of the art of photography by the photography purists.

In travel it is essential to capture the essence of the place and the culture of the subject involved and thus unlike in a pre setup photo session you do not have many chances to capture the shot. Thus in the case of film cameras until one reaches the process of development you do not have much idea about the quality and accuracy of the shots taken. Also digital cameras are a blessing as they reduced the need for the photographers to travel with highly fragile and reactive film developing chemicals and equipments and the same financial investment can now be put into acquiring better lenses.

The pleasure of capturing your own experience and bringing it out for the rest of the world to view and appreciate without having to actually visit those places is what makes it all worth it.

photo from Jonathan Mohabuth

Ken Duncan Lad

As you may or may not be aware, Ken Duncan is a very famous landscape photographer.
He is well known as the pioneer of Limited Edition Photographic Art in Australia. After a visit to New York in the early 1980's, Ken returned home with a dream to have photography widely accepted as an art form in this country. The increasing number of Australian photographers now emulating his panoramic style and finding a market for their work is testimony to Ken's success. He is a modern example of a well established travel photographer, as he has travelled all over the world to capture specific moments of history and significant places and people. below is his site, and showcases spectacular images of places all over the world.

http://www.kenduncan.com/index.php/gallery/overseas

Learning more about the world through photography

Here are some interesting links :


Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/

Trekearth   
http://www.trekearth.com/

Travelphotographer.net
http://www.travelphotographers.net/

National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/

What is travel photography ?

It is a type of photography involving the documentation of an area's landscape, people, cultures, customs and history. The pictures express a feeling of time and place, its people or culture in its natural state and as no geographical limitation.
Travel photography can either be created by professionals or amateurs. Examples of professional travel photography can be found in the National Geographic magazine. Amateur travel photography is often shared online through photo sharing websites like flickr, TrekEarth etc.
source