Tips for Taking Holiday Photos

One of the most special parts about coming home after a wonderful holiday, is looking thruogh all holiday snaps and picking your favourites. Some people go as far as making holiday snap booklets to document their travel photos, others just get the odd photo printed out for the wall. Learning how to take good holiday photos can really make a big difference as to how you remember and treasure those special trips. Here are our tips for taking holiday photos:

1) Don’t Worry About Perfection

Sometimes people get so caught up in capturing the perfect photo that they let many opportunies float by. Often the candid, spontaneous and slightly imperfect photos tend to show the mood of the holiday better than a staged photo. Don’t stress too much about following any photography rules and just focus on capturing the moment as it was.

2) Learn How to Shoot in AV

If you’ve got an SLR or a camera with a host of manual functions, then you should become a little more familiar with the functions outside of “auto” as this is where you’ll gain another level of control over your photos. I personally prefer AV, although some perfer manual. AV just means that you are determining the aperture of the photo and the shutter speed is automatic. Manual mode means you are determining both the aperture and the shutter speed. Learning how to shoot in AV (or manual, if you’re keen) will ensure that you can have a greater level of control as to how your photos will turn out.

If you’re taking photos of kids, get down lower and see things from their perspective – it can open up a whole other world of possibilities. Likewise, getting shots from higher up can add a really fun element to the photos. Get creative, break all the rules and you’ll be sure to wind up with some memorable photos.

4) Get the Kids on Board

If you’re traveling with kids and they’re old enough to operate a camera, why not let them go off exploring and taking photos for a bit? It is a great way to see what they experienced on the trip and it also takes a little pressure off you too, as you’ll have a second shooter. This could be a great way to spark a love of photography in a younger family member.

Flipping through photos well after the holiday has ended is a great way to look back on all the fun you had and experiences you shared. Spending a little time to improve your photography or to try other things will ensure you have some special memories to keep for generations to come.

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