Raise your hand if you LOVE vacation!?! We are right there with you, folks. Now that vacation season is upon us, it is one of those times that many of us find ourselves picking up our camera’s to capture those incredible memories. Whether you are spending hours soaking up the sunshine on the beach, pitching a tent in the woods, or exploring a new city, we all want to capture images that accurately depict what we saw and felt on our vacations. So today we are talking about a few tips for taking GREAT vacation photos, whether you are shooting on a DSLR or on your phone, you can apply these techniques while capturing your vacation!

P.S. Remember back in the spring when we road tripped to Charleston, today we’re sharing a few of our OWN vacation photos!

Focus on the details 

Taking photos of the details of your trip will help to tell the story of your vacation better. And it may even help you to later remember some of the sweet nuances of your trip that made it so special. Narrow in on that warm cup of coffee or that favorite meal. Remember for ever wide photo you take of the incredible landscape before you, to focus on a few of the details that make up that scene.

Keep it Candid

Not every photo has to be of someone looking at the camera. Pull the camera out every once and a while and capture those moments as they happen.

Shoot Wide 

If you’re anything like me, you might need to remind yourself of this one. I can come home from the beach with dozens of photos of my feet in the sand and my boardwalk fries, and not a single one of the shoreline. Remember when composing your landscape portraits to fill your photos with either 2/3 of the sky or 2/3 of the land or water. This creates a more interesting image, rather then having the horizon right in the middle of your image.

Put the people in photos

Putting a person in your landscape photos will elevate your images interest. If you are standing on the edge of a ridge have someone stand and look out at the view. Also having a person stand next to, or in front of that massive monument, tree, mountain, or building will show how big that structure really is.

Know your phone’s shortcuts 

This is embarrassing, but for the longest time I didn’t know that on my iPhone if I swipe right when the lock screen is up, that it will bring my camera up. This comes in handy when a fleeting moment occurs, and you need your camera quick. Go online and research your phone’s shortcuts, so you don’t miss a thing. Or just ask a young person (except for me, don’t ask me. 😉 )

Less is more

We all want to remember all of the fun we had on our vacations, and it can be easy to take WAY too many photos. Make sure you put down the camera or phone every once and a while, just to soak it all in! There was actually a really interesting study done about how taking photos can actually effect how well we remember things.

Get in those photos

Make sure you are in some of your vacation photos. Seriously, no matter what season you are in make sure you get in front of the camera. And If you want some sweet encouragement to get in your the photos watch this TedTalk!

PRINT EM’ (!!)

Don’t let those amazing vacation photos just sit and collect digital “dust” on your computer or phone. When the winter blues hit you mid-January, you’ll want to grab a stack of summer photos and reminisce! Try and print your vacation photos as soon as possible. If you let a lot of time go by, you’ll be less likely to get it done.

Happy Wednesday!

Below are a few of my favorites that I took with my phone!