Vacations are a fun and relaxing experience, and there’s no better to relive the memories than to take tons of photos during the holiday. Yet, you may be wondering how to make your photos stand out the way they do in travel brochures and on travel blogs. You may not realize it, but taking stunning photos is something you can learn to do without spending hours and hours studying photography.
Here’s our guide on how to take great photos while on vacation.
1. Use your smartphone
Not everyone has a lot of money to spend on an expensive DSLR camera, and your smartphone is actually sufficient to take brilliant holiday photos. To take amazing photos on your smartphone, you just have to follow a few key guidelines. For one, smartphones take better photos during daylight hours, so take advantage of all that sun. Don’t use photos on your filters while you take them, because that will limit what you can do with the picture later. Your smartphone was built specifically for selfies, but you can also get some pretty nice landscape shots on it too.
2. Use design principles in your photo composition
The way a photo is composed is the key to capturing people’s attention. There are several design elements that you can utilize in each of your photos in order to create a stunning scene. For instance, by using the rule of thirds, you can position elements in your shot to create a bigger impact. Or, you can use leading lines in order to draw the eye of the viewer. Another interesting design element that can make a huge impact is using negative space.
3. Use the landscape to create impact
Chances are, at some point on your vacation you’ll be visiting an interesting monument or building. You can use these structures to create interesting photographs. Using a tripod will allow you to position your camera in a way that will capture the scale. If you’re wondering how to choose a good camera tripod perfect for traveling, it’s not that hard. Tripods are pretty compact so it won’t weigh you down, and it will allow you to take epic landscape shots.
4. Take the perfect group photos
Taking group photos means capturing memories with the special people in your life. However, there’s a trick to capturing the perfect group shot. Try not to make it look overly posed as casual group photos can have a more natural appeal. Always take more than one photo, as the chances that you and all your friends are looking perfect in the first shot is slim. Also, consider using a tripod in order to include everyone in the shot.
The next time you’re on vacation, remember that the photos you take are going to serve as your memories of the trip, and therefore you want to take the best pictures possible. There’s no need to take expensive photography classes in order to take your photos to the next level. Just by using our guide, you can create memories that will last you a lifetime.