8 Tips for Taking Better Vacation Photos

  • Post published:July 13, 2016

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I love taking photos on vacation! I explore with my camera. It’s a great way to preserve memories. It’s also a great time to capture your family on film. Sometimes, though, when you get home and look at the images, they don’t capture the scene the way you remember it. Here are a few tips to improve your vacation photography.

  1. If possible, photograph scenery early or late in the day. The scene will look more interesting, and colors will be more vibrant. When the sun is directly overhead, colors will be washed out, and the scene will appear flat.2016JuneCape cod077I took this image early in the morning on a recent trip to Cape Cod.
  2. When photographing people, try putting the sun behind them so they don’t squint, and use fill flash to make their eyes come alive.Italy-435-2A once in a lifetime family trip to Italy to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
  3. If you are photographing a family member in front of a building or landscape, keep the family member in the foreground, close to the camera, rather than placing him within the scene where his face will be lost.Italy-438 This little guy is applying to colleges now!
  4. You don’t always have to photograph your subject head to foot. Zoom in to capture expression.020DisneyWorld2015IMG_1010Fun vacation in Disney World.
  5. Put the horizon line in the top third or the bottom third of the photograph to avoid chopping your image in half.vacation-0091Great memories from Stone Harbor, NJ.
  6. Create depth by having sometime in the foreground, middle ground, and background.2016JuneCape cod095Captain David Kelley House in Centerville, Cape Cod, was an amazing place to stay. Those were the most relaxing 2 days I’ve had all year! Tom and Rick were the most gracious hosts!
  7. The vistas are amazing, but don’t forget about the details. They may remind you of your trip just as much as the landscape images do.2016JuneCape cod037I’ll never forget the scones at Captain David Kelley House. My son said they were the best scones he had ever eaten. This was the rum raisin scone made by Tom, but the cranberry white chocolate scones made by Rick were equally amazing, as was the rest of the breakfast.
  8. Tell a story with your images.

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    You’ll have to go to Captain David Kelley House and experience this story for yourself. It will always remind me of a wonderful two days in a lovely place.