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How to Take a Good Photo During Your Vacation
By Jen | January 11, 2009
I love my husband terribly. He’s a good man, courteous and hardworking, the kind of guy who walks nearer the outside of the street and stands up when a woman leaves the table. He can ride a mountain bike straight up, then bring it back barreling down. He knows the ins and outs of just about every car ever built and has read all the James Bond books countless times. All that and he leaves the toilet seat down. So all in all, I have no complaints.
Except my husband cannot take a decent photo to save his life. Most of John’s pictures consist of someone (could be family or friend, or may just as likely not be) in the general vicinity of whatever the focus of the photo is, doing something. That something may be walking away from the photographer, peeking into a big cavernous hole, hiding behind a tree, or yakking with a group of people, of which NO ONE is looking at the camera.
John dislikes posed photos. He wants to capture the “action” as it’s playing out, not a frozen moment of time where we all stop to say “cheese.”
And I get that. I really do. But it makes it difficult to find suitable photos to email to the grandparents or print out and frame.
Needless to say, I’ve appointed myself the resident picture-taker when we go on a trip and I”ve learned a few things about taking a good photo, a photo you’ll want to keep for awhile, pinned up on the fridge or memorialized in a real frame.
- Have a digital camera? Pack extra memory cards and batteries.
- If you’re using an old school film camera, bring extra rolls of films.
- Practice with your camera before hand. Digital cameras, specifically, have different functions suitable for portraits, lighting, action shots, etc.
- Take several shots of the same scene. This is especially useful with digital cameras, as you can easily delete the pictures that don’t work well.
- Use the “rule of thirds.” This great technique for framing your photos will make them more appealing. Basically, your main subject should be placed approximately one third of the way from the sides or top or bottom of the image.
- Get in up close and personal. It’s okay to chop someone’s head off in a picture if the close-up details make up for it.
- Shot from different angles. Get up higher or down lower for a new perspective.
- The best photos are taken just after sunrise and just before sunset when the light is warm and soft.
- Don’t forget to put the camera down and enjoy where you are, what you’re seeing, what you’re feeling.
Cameras are terrific for capturing memories, but your whole trip shouldn’t be viewed through a camera lens. Live the moment, don’t just hold on to it for later.
Topics: Travel Tips |