Don’t you hate it when you return from a trip only to find that there is not a single photo worth framing for the walls? It is even more frustrating when vacation photos cannot be posted on social media because either someone photobombed them or the images turned out blurry. To avoid these and other common photography mistakes on your next vacation, here are some crucial factors you need to consider.
Book Your Accommodation Strategically
While booking accommodation for the vacation, find a place that offers great views. For example, if you plan to visit Cabo San Lucas, you can choose beachfront villas like Cabo Villa Vegas Dave, which gives you private beach access. This will make it easier for you to capture great shots of the sunrise or sunset, waves crashing on the shore, and portraits of individuals (your friends, family, or partner) lounging on the beach. Moreover, staying at a place that is well-connected to the region’s famous locations allows you to quickly visit your room to fetch spare batteries for your camera or other accessories if required.
Have a Plan for All the Photos
To ensure you have great pictures of your vacation, you should plan your photos before the trip begins. You should also decide what you want to do with the pictures—you may want to make a photo album, get some photos framed for your walls, or simply post them on social media. The purpose of clicking the images will define how you should approach photography. If you just want to click pictures for social media, there is no need to bring professional-level equipment for the trip. Phone cameras are powerful enough to get you quality photos that you can post on Instagram and Facebook. However, if you want to frame the major highlights of your vacation, bringing a DSLR camera makes more sense.
Capture the Details
During a vacation, we often get so busy capturing the famous buildings, portraits of people, ocean, mountains, falls, etc., that we forget to notice the smaller details. When you visit a new place, spend a little time observing the things around you. While capturing the big things is important, you can create a gripping narrative with photos taken while focusing on smaller details. If you carry a professional-level camera, bring your macro lens to take a closer look at the treasures one may easily miss. For example, during your beach vacation in the Baja Peninsula, you will find seashells and pebbles, falling leaves, footprints left by other hikers on the trail, and a wildflower peeking through the crack in a wall. Focus on them as they all tell a story.
Don’t Focus Solely on Capturing Photos
The purpose of taking pictures during a vacation is to capture some moments from the trip so that you can cherish them later. However, you should not make it your only agenda during the vacation. Consider spending some time without your camera and experience everything like a tourist should. Also, do not pester your friends, family, or partner for a photo when they are busy enjoying themselves. Let everyone, including yourself, take time to enjoy their vacation. You can take candid pictures of your friends and family when they are having a good time without interrupting them. If people do not have great memories of an activity or a place, a photo of it won’t have much value later.
Try Different Things with the Camera
Even though there is nothing wrong with taking generic snapshots of places and people on vacation, you can always experiment with the camera to get a few great clicks. If you want to click a photo of a moving object like the river or the traffic, consider using long exposure shots to get a smooth-looking image. You can also use Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) to capture a unique photo from your vacation. Lastly, you can use silhouettes for subjects that have interesting shapes. This is a great way to photograph landmarks.
Conclusion
With these tips, you can capture some fantastic moments you will surely cherish forever. However, do not make it your only agenda for the vacation. While photographing is a crucial part of your vacation experience, do not forget to observe the scenic beauty, experience the warmth of people, taste local cuisine, and, above all, enjoy the overall trip.
