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Read this before you invest in a new camera for your vacation cruise!

Better cameras don't automatically equal better photographs! The time-honored axiom among photographers is: "A good photographer with a bad camera will get better results than a bad photographer with a good camera." Makes sense, doesn't it? Before you consider upgrading your equipment, re-evaluate your skills. The road to better memories might be much cheaper-and lots more satisfying for you.

One of the best ways to improve your vacation photos is to simply bend your knees! Or climb a staircase. Especially when you are photographing iconic tourist sites (Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, you know who they are), find a point of view (POV) that is different from the other 99.9 % of the shots you have seen.

One common mistake many folks make is in the way they hold their camera. Today's point-and-shoot cameras have sometimes dispensed with viewfinders in favor of LCD screens. I have no issue with thatI use an LCD screen frequently when I'm using my point-and-shoot pocket camera instead of my "pro" kit. The issue is stability. By holding the camera out at arm's length, as many do, you are increasing the chance that the shot will be blurred, suffering from (tech term alert!) "camera shake." Even if your camera has an "anti-shake" feature, sometimes called image stabilization," built in (increasingly common, and worth having), the steadier you can hold the camera in the first place, the better your result. And, the more you zoom in from a distance, the more pronounced the effect of shake will be! Don't be reluctant to brace yourself or your camera against a pole, a wall or other steady object.
Consider your background. Really "busy' backgrounds, where there is a lot of activity or lots of stuff, t will distract the viewer from the subjectyour family, and make them less the feature of the shot. I always take a moment before every shot and ask myself: "What is the subject of the photo I'm about to take?" Your answer should be the main image in the shot.

Next, look, really look through that viewfinder. Look for stuff growing out of your subject's head, like tree branches, or electrical wires running through someone's ears, or just nearby bright objects that draw the eye. Move, or move your subject, but do whatever it takes to unclutter and remove distractions before you press the shutter.

You and your subjects all have the same objectivegetting a good memory. Take the time you need to do it properly, and don't feel

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