Take Better Vacation Photos

The summer months are fast approaching and it’s high time we starting thinking about going on that family vacation. Taking a vacation is the ultimate excuse for polishing up on your photographic skills. After all, vacation photography is the number one reason most people purchase a new camera. Here are some great photo tips for your next vacation!

Pack Wisely

Don’t forget that taking your camera with you on vacation is crucial to bringing home the memories. Okay, so that goes without saying, but I’ll bet somewhere sometime somebody forgot their gear. Back in January I wrote an article on Packing you camera gear for a trip. Read it as a refresher. Most importantly, don’t forget to pack extra memory! If you are headed to a tourist destination you’ll be able to buy plenty of memory there, but you’ll pay extra in the tourist shops.

Zoom zoom zoom

When visiting a foreign country try to brush up on the cultural differences. Some people may not look kindly on photographers just taking their images. If at all possible ask for permission or just use your zoom to stay incognito while still applying good photographic techniques like close cropping for portraits. The important thing to remember here is to be polite and smiling always helps.

Dinner and a smile

I don’t know about you, but eating great local food is one of my favorite things about vacation. Use this time to brush up on your still-life photography and capture food as a cultural flare. Great plated dishes make wonderful additions to vacation albums or slideshows.

Location location location

Capture the specifics like street signs and numbers and you’ll be adding wonderful details about your vacation hotspots that will surely add to your scrapbook.

Don’t be a tourist

Every tourist in the history of tourism has taken a picture of that right? That’s probably what goes through your head as you see an iconic landmark or building and it’s probably true. That doesn’t mean you should shy away from capturing that landmark yourself. Get creative! Try to think of different ways to capture that landmark. Maybe that means getting closer and using a wide angle lens or using a long exposure to capture the traffic that surrounds. The point is to get creative and have fun.

Photograph Balloons on Rose Street by Dennis Coughlin for more on Dennis Coughlin visit Cherry Street.

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