6 tips for taking memorable vacation pics

Back in the day, when we were on vacation with our parents, taking pictures used to be a big production. You haul out the Polaroid or Kodak Instamatic (with Magicube for interior shots) or a fancy Pentax or Nikon, insert the roll of film, take the rolls to be developed, choose matte or glossy finish, with borders or without, then wait to week to see how all the shots turned out. Or didn’t.

Today, in the age of the iPhone, social media and the selfie, most of us take the art of travel photos for granted. After all, you can shoot people, places and things endlessly, over and over, and delete bad pictures immediately.

So, with summer vacation season on its way, we thought it was the perfect time for a few vacation photo pointers. Here are some of our favorites:

People first, attraction second: If you’re shooting the Eiffel Tower, frame the tower. But if you’re taking a pic of your friend in front of the Eiffel Tower, concentrate on framing him properly. No matter how good the tower looks, his cut-off head will look bad.

Be unconventional: Speaking of the Eiffel Tower, there is no shortage of pictures online and in millions of photo albums of the tower surrounded by blue sky. If you’re going to take a photo of this or any famous landmark, do something special. For instance, shoot your travel partner “leaning” against the tower in the background or wait for a flock of birds or balloons to enter the frame or try a different angle, like underneath!

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Watch the edges: The vista you’re photographing might be spectacular but if there’s a half a person in the bottom corner, that’s what you’ll notice later.

Don’t shoot into the sun (most of the time): This seems like an obvious one and yet we see endless photos of faces in the shadows. The one exception may be if you’re looking for a dramatic and graphic special effect for instance, shooting the Statue of Liberty with the sun behind can create a dramatic effect:

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Avoid tourists: Technically, you’re one too, but it can be a challenge taking great photos with dozens of people straying in and out of the frame. If you can, arrive during off hours.

Wait for the rain: Traveling when it’s raining can be annoying and, well, wet but it can also make for beautiful photos.

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What are your best vacation photo tips and tricks? Share them in the Shop Talk Blog community forum!

Did you know?

What’s the most photographed site?

If you thought the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty, you’d be…wrong! It’s actually the Guggenheim Museum in New York followed by the Spanish Steps in Rome. (Source)