Photography is becoming more and more of an 'amateur's' game thanks to the range of affordable and effective cameras on the market and so whether on a relaxing family vacation or action packed trip with friends, brilliant holiday photos are easier to achieve than they have ever been.
Whether you are photographing symbolic subjects or your friends and family, getting creative with your composition adds individuality and always has a greater effect on an audience. This means paying special attention to how you organize the various elements in each photo. It is easy to achieve creative and professional looking photos. For example, try off-centering your main subject. Instead of placing your main subject in the center of the scene try balancing the main subject of the photo with an interesting scenic background to the side.
With the advances in camera technology, zoom capabilities are now readily available and most cameras include this feature. This means you can move in close - a friend photographed in front of a confusingly dynamic background, for example in a party, will not come across well, but using zoom you can focus the camera around your subject much more specifically.
If you want to try something that will be sure to get a reaction, set your camera to a slower shutter speed - anywhere from 1/2 second to 2 or 4 full seconds (most cameras have the capacity for this variation, consult your cameras instruction booklet if unsure). If you then purposefully move the camera while taking the picture it will create a soft blurred effect which, when carried off, looks very artistic and professional. Even better, rather than moving the camera manually, zoom out with the zoom function to give a more clear but equally effective image.
Flash is an undoubtedly useful aspect of a camera. However, the light from flash units - especially from the tiny on-camera flash units found on most cameras - tend to produce harsh, flat, and cold light which is rarely complimentary. Instead try to use as much natural light as possible or turn on lights etc. Also, don't confine your use of flash to indoors. Although it is not always necessary, flash will get rid of unwanted shadows and can make a photo really eye-catching.
Not being able to predict the future has always been a problem faced by photographers, so learn to be assertive with the camera. It is easy to miss a golden moment so always carry a camera with you and be ready to take a photo at a moment's notice. Ironically, this will make you and those around you more relaxed - accepting that photos will be taken at some unplanned point is much more low key than pulling out a camera and subjecting everyone to 'say cheese'.
Now, all these techniques are useful and will introduce a lot more form to your holiday photos but it is very important to realize just how variable the results of your photos will be - photography is very much about trial and error, and a bit of pot luck always helps. However, this shouldn't be a problem, just make sure you're armed with a couple of spare films or blank memory cards and take A LOT of photos. This is probably the most important single aspect of achieving great holiday photos, so don't hold back.
Having returned from your holiday you will hopefully be laden with brilliant photos and an evening can be filled with looking through holiday snaps. However, if you have any outstanding photos, try holding them back. Many printing companies will develop personalized greetings cards from your photos and family and friends always appreciate this personal touch. Alternatively a beautiful or touching photograph, well framed, makes a great gift that always goes down well, especially with family members.
Good holiday photos are much easier to achieve than people think and taking photos does not have to take over the holiday completely. Remember, a photograph is more than just a still image - the right photograph represents a memory and however long your holiday lasts, a photograph will last much longer.
Happy snapping.