Photos create great memories; Here are our expert tips on how to make your vacation photos the best they can be.

First, take lots of photos. Remember that it’s often quantity that helps professionals achieve their quality: they can take hundreds of photos in a single session to find the perfect shot. For most of us, the easiest and cheapest way to do this is with a digital camera. Don’t forget to delete the images with closed eyes and severed heads so that you have more space in your camera’s memory for the good ones and you don’t have to download them as often.

Learn all about your camera. Yes, we recommend that you read the manual. It sounds boring? Perhaps, but knowing all of your camera’s capabilities will help you choose the most appropriate setting for your situation. And you can get some extra tips like dating your photos which will come in handy.

Time it right. Outdoor lighting is perfect during what professionals call the “magic hours,” just after sunrise and just before sunset. For most people, there’s more magic to the latter, but if you’re traveling through time zones that make mornings feasible, you may also find that the peace and quiet inherent in this time of day make it easier to frame the picture. perfect shot. Midday is the worst time to take photos because the sunlight is too strong (and your fellow travelers are also likely to squint, and who wants that in their photos?).

Light it up good. The sun or interior light source should always be behind you (the photographer), illuminating your subjects so they don’t appear in silhouette. Are you worried that there is not enough sun? Remember that on cloudy days, the light is softer so there are no harsh shadows on your subjects’ faces.

Configure your take. Take a moment before you take each photo to examine exactly what is in the frame. These tips will help you prepare for the shot:

• Think of triangles. As you compose your shot, try to include subjects at three different levels. For example, if you are photographing three people, have one person standing, the second sitting, and the third person kneeling in front. These different heights make the composition more interesting than lining people up in a row.
• Keep things in proportion. If you are using a wide-angle lens, whatever is closest to you when you take the photo may appear exaggerated and disproportionate. You can escape this problem by backing up a few meters and then zooming in.
• fill the frame with the subject instead of leaving a lot of empty space around it. If necessary, zoom in or out.
• Experiment with different angles. Try to approach the subject from different directions and hold the camera both vertically and horizontally.
• Take a second look. Is that a tree branch or a utility pole sprouting from someone’s head? Check what you see in the frame one more time, to make sure the shot is set up the way you want.
• Good moods lead to good photographs. This shouldn’t be difficult, after all, you are on vacation! Professional photographers are always thinking of ways to add energy, interaction, and movement to their photos, and you should also remember that laughter evokes these three special qualities.

Look better. Whether you’re in the photo yourself or taking photos of the friends and family you’re on vacation with, follow these tips to make sure everyone looks as wonderful as they really are:

• Minimize a wrinkled or shiny face. Air travel can be very dehydrating, so use extra moisturizer to keep skin looking radiant, as the camera can make sallow skin and wrinkles look more pronounced. Of course, you don’t want a shiny face either, so use foundation and translucent powder when needed. And be sure to spread the foundation all the way down to your neck and décolletage, as differences in skin tone will be more apparent on camera.
• Maximizes available light. Set up your shot to get as much light on the face as possible. Indoors, place your subject near a window or other light source. And indoors and outdoors, always use the flash: the light will illuminate the skin and hide imperfections. The exception is photos taken on a white sand beach or in the snow – the reflective qualities of the landscape itself will help illuminate the subject’s face.
• Act natural. To keep your subjects from looking too posed and stiff, keep the conversation natural as you set up the shot, ask them to sit or lean on something, and hold on to something, even just their sunglasses or a hat, to make sure your hands are not straight down at your sides.
• Banish the double chin. Avoid the dreaded double chin by making sure the camera is at or slightly above your subject’s eye level. Shorter photographers can achieve this by having their subjects sit up and face the camera, or by having their subjects bend their knees slightly. (And now you know why fashion photographers use ladders so often!)
• Do not blink. Closed eyes can be a problem for everyone (we all have to blink from time to time), but it seems to be more pronounced in group photos when only one person with closed eyes requires another shot. So tell everyone to close their eyes and count to three. On the count of three, say something funny or unexpected to get everyone to open their eyes and laugh, and you’ll take the perfect photo.
• Turn, turn, turn. By instructing your subject to turn their head slightly and look over your shoulder rather than directly into the camera lens, you will avoid the “deer in the headlights” appearance and help your subject appear slimmer, as in the resulting photo, the viewer’s eye will be drawn from top to bottom rather than side to side (if this is a full body shot, the subject is encouraged to turn their entire body for the same reason).
• Get rid of red eyes. Nobody likes the appearance of being possessed. Since red eye occurs when the pupils widen in response to dim light (allowing the flash to illuminate all of the red blood vessels in the eyes), you can prevent it by having your subjects look at a bright light just before the flash. Photo. Is taken. Note that this is essentially what the anti-red-eye feature does on some cameras.

 

Of course, taking wonderful pictures while on vacation is one thing. Finding a way to enjoy the fruits of your labor once you return home is quite another. Sure you can print them out and create an old-fashioned photo album. But now, thanks to the wonders of the web, there are more (and better) options:

• We love online photo sites like Shutterfly, which help you organize, print, and share your photos. And right now, Shutterfly is offering special incentives for you to use their site. So we encourage you to check out Shutterfly – you’ll get 50 free prints and a free collage poster to get you started. Plus, you’ll enjoy free photo sharing and unlimited photo storage.
• Or try animoto, which lets you upload photos and a song to create a free 30-second video. All your friends, colleagues and family who grew up with the idea of ​​flipping through an album or a slide show will be delighted with its cleverness (and brevity).
• Picasa, which lets you add photos to a Google Earth map, is another good option. An annotated map that your friends can view online (or via email) at their leisure (and, again, for a short time) is a great way to share your travel details in a friendly, rather than imposing way. .