A Guide To Taking Photographs While On Holiday

Being on vacation is one of those times when everyone suddenly becomes a photographer, which can be intimidating for some, especially if you have just purchased a new camera for the occasion and find that when you arrive at your destination, you are unsure how to use it properly. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some great tips in this blog, and by the time you get home, your holiday photos will be so good that everyone will want to watch your slide show.

How Do You Want Your Photographs To Look

The first thing is to decide what type of photo you want to take. Do you want to capture the vacation experience or do you want something that is more creative? This will help determine what type of gear and camera setting are best for capturing your shot. If you’re going for a more traditional vacation-type photo, try photographing people in action with an SLR camera, which is a more professional type of camera.If you’re going for a creative image, try taking photos with various different lenses, Although to do this you are better of in manual mode.

Do Your Homework First

I find it is important to do your homework on where you are going to photograph before you get there. Look it up on Google Earth and work out where the best perspective will be to get the right shot. Type where you are going into Instagram and look at where other people have taken shots from and then try to improve on them.You should explore and find your own unique perspective. so that you can have your photos stand out and be different from everyone else’s. Next, try to capture the essence of the place in a single photo by looking for moments that are happening in front of you. You can do this by zooming out and capturing more than just one person or object in the frame. In addition, make sure to get up close and personal with your subjects when taking photos of people or animals — this will help highlight their personality and make them stand out from their surroundings.

Go Early, Leave Late

When going to the main attractions, if you want to take great photographs of the place with no people there, the best way is to be the first person there or the last, almost until they are trying to get everyone to leave so the staff can go home. Most of the time, if you are the last one there and you ask, “Do you mind if I take a few shots?”, a lot of people will say yes, and you can then photograph some of the busiest places with no people in them. If you are walking around with a tour guide, be right at the back and you will get photographs without everyone in them.

Using Puddles For Reflections Makes Great Photography

In order to get a good reflection from a puddle, you need a wide angle. This can be achieved by setting your phone to the widest angle or using a wide-angle lens for your camera. The next step is to find a good subject, like a great looking building or some good looking trees. You then need to set the timer on your camera or phone, whichever you are using, to two seconds. Place your camera on the floor right next to your puddle and press the button.

When doing this, keep your I.S.O as low as you can, and you want to put your aperture at about f11. That way, you will get a nice sharp image, as far as the shutter speed is concerned, If the water is not moving, then it does not matter how low it is. On the other hand, if the water is moving, you want a fairly fast shutter speed. What if there are no puddles? I hear you ask. If there are no puddles, make one. You can take a two litre bottle of water with you to find the perfect spot, make a puddle and take your shot.

Photograph Busy Places

Taking photographs of busy places like markets or shopping centres can really add some drama to your collection of holiday photographs. When doing this, try different angles and vantage points. Gaining height always works, as you can photograph a bigger area, like a whole market. Slowing down the shutter speed will result in a bit of blur in the photograph, indicating movement and giving you an artistic shot. Try taking long exposure photographs of busy roads. A long exposure photograph is a photograph in which the shutter speed is so slow that moving objects are blurred out. This can be achieved by either using a camera with a very long shutter speed or by using software to increase the length of time that light is exposed to the sensor. To start, find a busy road with plenty of cars and people. Set your camera to shutter priority mode and set the shutter speed to at least 1/10th of a second. Start taking pictures and watch as the cars blur into streaks. It is strongly advised that you use a tripod.

Portraits Of The Locals

Taking photographs of the locals when you are on holiday makes really nice memories. When you look back on them, it shows a personal side to your holiday snaps. But asking strangers for their photographs can be a daunting prospect. So how do we go about doing this? The first thing to keep in mind is that it is not illegal to take photographs of people in public spaces. There are no laws against it. However, there are laws about what you can do with those pictures afterwards.

You should not ask for permission if you want to take a picture of someone who is clearly going about their daily business and has no idea they’re being photographed. But if they have stopped to look at something or are otherwise doing nothing in particular, then it’s polite to ask their permission before taking a picture. The best way to ask for permission is by saying, “Excuse me, can I take your photograph?” and then waiting for their response.

Conclusion

Always remember to charge your batteries and empty your memory cards before you go on holiday. Photography is fun, so enjoy it and take time to enjoy your holiday. It’s too easy to just see everything through a lens.