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Vacation Photos:

10 Tips to Take Better Photos on Vacation


By Nigel Worrall | Guest Blogger



Vacation photos are the best souvenir of any trip. Vacations are times to create great memories as well as enjoy your family. Today, more than at any other time, we have the ability to capture those special moments and keep them fresh in our mind. Taking great pictures is one of the best ways to do this and it can be fun for all of the family.


Tip-1: Know Your Camera. Vacation time isn't the time to start learning all about your camera. Reading the manual on the plane or on the car journey isn't the way to take great pictures.

Experiment a little at home in the weeks leading up to your trip. It's not important to know all the features on your camera as you won't use most of them anyway, but it is important to know what works well for you and in what conditions.



Tip-2: Buy The Largest Memory Card You Can Afford. Digital cameras are fabulous tools when used well and there's really no excuse for not using them well or a lot. In years gone by you'd hesitate over the trigger because of the price of film and the cost to develop it but now, in the digital age, you can point, click and shoot and see the results instantly. Buying as large a memory card as you can makes a lot of sense because it enables you to take a whole load more pictures.


Tip-3: Pack Extra Batteries. Because you can now take more photos you need more batteries to keep your camera alive.

Make sure you pack an extra battery or two and bring your battery charger and adapter along to make sure you start each day fully charged.

Tip-4: Take Advantage Of Optimal Lighting Conditions. There are two "best times" for great pictures. Sunrise and sunset. If you want a really great shot get your camera out at either of these times and you'll enjoy the best natural lighting conditions possible.

Tip-5: Landscapes. Landscapes are always amongst the most popular vacation photos to show your family and friends. Landscape photos become even better when they have a person in them doing something interesting.

Tip-6: Posing. Just as in landscape photography, always try to have the object person doing something interesting. Posed pictures don't always tell the story so play around a little and take pictures of people interacting with others.

Tip-7: Fill The Frame. Make sure you fill the whole photograph. Get closer to the subject to achieve this and you'll find your results will be sharper.


Tip-8: Flash On or Off. Flash can make a huge difference to your pictures. Sometimes you need it and other times you don't.

Test all your flash settings before you set off on vacation and you'll know when to use it to best effect. Remember, just because you are outside doesn't mean your picture would be better without using the flash.

Tip-9: Compose Your Shot. Taking an extra second or two to compose your shot can make a huge difference to your picture. Look for objects (vehicles, trash cans, construction, people, etc) you don't want in the picture. Don't forget a digital camera gives you the ability to check your work immediately so if you see something you don't like, take the shot again!

Tip-10: Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Want to become a better photographer? Then shoot, shoot, shoot. Only by taking plenty of pictures can you learn to get better results. Don't expect perfection just be willing to test and try out a few things and you'll learn from the results. If you took Tip #2 you'll know that your digital camera can store hundreds of photos so don't be timid...shoot, shoot, shoot.


Nigel Worrall, Guest Blogger: Nigel Worrall is President / CEO of Florida Leisure Vacation Homes & Total Real Estate Solutions. He is regularly sought by the media as a vacation home and real estate expert and has featured on NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS. Florida Leisure Vacation Homes is the leading vacation home company in the Orlando, Fla. - Disney area, offering 3-7 bedroom private vacation homes near to all the Orlando area attractions. Each home has it's own fully equipped kitchen, 3-7 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, laundry, 2 car garage and best of all, private swimming pool. [Article Source: EzineArticles.com]

Best-Travel-Deals-Tips.com: Additional Vacation Photo Tips:
Nigel has some fabulous tips for taking great vacation photos. All of the travel photos you see on this page are photos I've taken from my vacations around the world and "in my own backyard," California (which is a fantastic vacation destination). Definitely heed Nigel's advice about extra batteries as you don't want to miss once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities because your camera ran out of juice. I carry two extra fully charged batteries with me at all times and make sure I fully charge them at the end of the day so they're always ready to go. If you're traveling internationally, make sure you have a World Grounding Adaptor Plug Set so that you can plug-in your digital camera battery charger in any country you're visiting with no issues.

When I was visiting China, I had an old five mega pixel HP camera which did a great job but it used AA batteries. I went through batteries like water and even though it may initially seem more simple to have a digital camera with batteries you can pick up at any store, I'm now a complete convert to rechargeable camera batteries. By the way, you may be interested to learn how I was able to fly to China first class for $99 round trip. Here at Best-Travel-Deals-Tips.com, I teach people just like you how take five-star vacations at two star prices so be sure you explore my website.

Also, let's talk memory cards. Not only should you buy the largest memory card you can afford, but you should buy two extra ones as well. Again, you don't want to miss once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities because your camera ran out of digital memory. Also, make sure that if you do purchase a large memory card that it's compatible with your camera. I like to test it while I'm still in the store in case I need to get another brand, I don't have to come back later. San Disk and Kodak are very reliable, but never assume. Trust me on this one.

Finally, be sure to check out my Ten Bonus Vacation Photo Tips to get the most out of your vacation photos.






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About Marianne Schwab
TV Travel Show Producer

For over twenty years, TV Travel Show Producer, Marianne Schwab, has been collecting money saving travel tips as a travel producer for high profile television programs. She has flown all over the world and produced live television productions on location from Caesar's Palace on the Vegas Strip to the beautiful island of Oahu. Read more