Summer Travel Photo Tips – Part 2

Last month, we offered a few summer travel photo tips to keep you organized and prepared to capture those unforgettable moments. Here’s Part 2 showcasing tips on how to turn a mundane moment into a praiseworthy picture.

Don't forget to put yourself in the photo!

• GROUP SHOT. In the spirit of “no family member left behind,” it’s important to get at least one group shot while on vacation together. So whether you use a tripod or ask a total stranger to help out, it’s never too early to get your holiday card shot while the whole gang’s together.
• BLINKING IS BAD, BUT NOT LOOKING IS GOOD. On vacations, kids have the tendency to get wrapped up in many new experiences. Don’t forget to take pictures of them exploring even if they don’t know it. Some of the best pictures are the candid action shots.
• EVERY MOMENT, NOT JUST THE SCENIC ONES. Everyone loves a beautiful sunset or the iconic shot of the Empire State Building. But don’t forget to capture the less thrilling moments too, like getting packed, being in the plane or goofing off at a hotel or campsite.
• TAKE TIME TO REFLECT. At the end of each busy day, spend some time talking about each family member’s favorite moments. Add these thoughts and anecdotes to the pictures from that day to create a rich, integrated story of your special time together as a family.
• IT’S OK TO BE CLICHÉD. As photographers, we tend to want to take a photo that’s different. However, trying to frame every one of your travel photos to be ‘unique’ will either get you extremely frustrated, have you snapping up only 30 photos, or both. It’s fine to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower front-on, or the illusion that your friend’s pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• IT WON’T BE MUNDANE ONE YEAR FROM NOW. Like cliched photos, it’s also fine to take less than stunning subjects. The confusing currencies, the weird and wonderful signs, what you see while staring out the window. Don’t delete the ‘boring’ photos! They might seem mundane a few seconds after you’ve taken them. But you’d look back on them a year from now and realize just how well they’ve documented your travels.
• BE CREATIVE, USE PROPS. The souvenirs and postcards you purchase, use them as props in your next photo. It’s a sure way to get you thinking out of the box and produce some interesting photos.
• TAKE NOTES. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but sometimes it still doesn’t express how you really feel. Excitement? Culture shocked? Home sick? Carry a small notebook around and just jot down a few sentences when you feel over-whelmed to do so, along with the image number.
• PUT YOURSELF IN THE PHOTO. As photographers, we often forget to put ourselves in front of the camera. Don’t just shoot a self-portrait with your arms stretched out in front of you (yes, we’ve all done that plenty of times). Give your camera to a trusting-looking passerby!