Have you ever gone on a vacation and the pictures just didn’t turn out? This is a common problem because we’re so concerned with documenting the trip we forget to focus on taking quality photographs. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to take better pictures the next time you go on vacation.

Think Like a Pro

No matter what you’re taking photos of, the basic rules of composition still apply. Take the time to frame your shots properly, find unique shooting angles, and utilize the best possible combination of exposure time and intensity. Every picture you take helps to tell the story of your vacation so always ask yourself what you want each picture to say about your trip.

Additionally, be wary of putting your friends or family in every photograph you take. Although it’s great to get pictures of everyone together, you’ll want to have pictures of landmarks or scenery just for framing on your wall. A good way to go about this is to take a couple of photos of your family, then try and take a few “serious” photographs of your environment. Thanks to the near-infinite shots provided by digital cameras, this is much easier to do than it used to be.

Take Pictures from Start to Finish

Your vacation starts in your home, not on the beach. It’s a good idea to start shooting as soon as vacation plans take effect; this will lend itself to establishing that vacation story we mentioned earlier. Some of these “preparation pictures” may not seem like much but it can really add to telling the whole story of your vacation.

Another thing to consider is to always have your camera handy even if your vacation takes a turn for the worse. Regardless of what happens, your camera can be a great way to share your story and document your adventure. While vacations-gone-wrong are not fun to deal with while they’re happening, they’re often some of the best stories and fondest memories a family has together. For example, if your spouse were to break their arm on your honeymoon it would certainly be a disaster, but at least you can have fun showing your children pictures of the cast, the hospital staff, and all of the other parts of this life story. Although your vacation may not have gone like you expected, you’ll at least be able to look back on you pictures with a smile.

And lastly, make sure that everyone on your vacation has a way to take pictures. If you have children, grab a couple of disposable cameras and allow the kids to document their own experiences from their perspective. This is a fun way to incorporate the entire family in documenting the trip, and often leads to surprising results. It also makes your photos tremendously unique and meaningful, and spreads out the photography workload so you don’t always have to be the one working the camera.

As your taking pictures of your vacation, just make sure not to forget to relax and have fun. Incredible pictures of your vacation are fun to bring home and share, but don’t forget to put down your camera from time to time and take a break. Besides, relaxing and having fun is the main reason for going on vacation anyways!

Author Bio: Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of small and large picture frames . Come visit our online selection of cute small picture frames and quality large picture frames or call 800-780-0699.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: vacation photos,vacation pictures,vacation photography