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Taking better vacation photos.

Are you tired of just lining everyone up in a row and taking a picture of them in front of the Washington Monument and then at the next stop lining them up again. If that's how you approach taking vacation photos, it's time to make some creative changes. Remember that you will probably use the pictures to tell the story of your vacation, so make them fun and interesting to take and to view.

If you are vacationing with your family, enlist their help in getting a better batch of photos this time. Help them to loosen up by having them give suggestions on good shots at every stop along the way. Maybe each day of the trip a different member of the family can be responsible for coming up with a plan for the photos.

Work on the composition of your photos. Instead of taking shot after shot with the subject of the photo in the center of the picture, line the subject of your picture up in the left or right third of your shot. This will lead the viewer's eye into the center of the picture.

Work on optimizing the lighting in your pictures. Take as many pictures as you can at dawn or dusk. The lighting at these times is much more interesting than at other times. On a vacation, it's not always possible to take pictures at these time, so do the best you can. If the sun is high and bright, try to keep it at your back. Move your family members around to accommodate the picture and the light. If that's not possible, take the picture and try to imporve it later with editing.

Another way to enhance your pictures is to frame them naturally. This makes your pictures more interesting. For example, frame a picture of the kids swinging by taking the picture through the jungle gym so that the metal bars frame the picture. Or take a picture of a sunset or sunrise by taking it with a leafy branch of a tree at the top of the picture or across the top and down one side.

Plan ahead to make sure you take all the camera equipment with you, so you don't get caught short. For example, be sure to take extra batteries as well as an extra memory card, so yours doesn't get filled up halfway through the vacation with no way to empty it.

Take along a travel journal or notebook to help remind you later of the important facts about the pictures. For example, if you visit an historical landmark, be sure to write down where it is, what it is, and why it's important. After all, you'll want to have something interesting to say about it when you show someone the picture.

Learn more about this author, Lou Belcher.
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