Taking beautiful family travel photos and capturing those precious memories isn’t as hard as you think. Knowing how to produce a great photo and how to use your camera properly are the two most important parts of taking a great photo.
Once you have have avoided the usual travel photo fails and mastered our basic photo tips, think about what you want to feel when you look back at your travel photos. At the same time: How to be practical. As we always say, don’t turn your family holiday into one endless photo shoot session.
We usually travel with our Canon 70D camera with a 18-135mm lense, Velbon tripod and a remote control trigger. All these easily fit into a Manfrotto camera bag or in a backpack together with our son’s bits and pieces.
Here are our intermediate tips for taking better family travel photo:
1. Play with compositions
Don’t always put your family in the middle. Put them of centre. Try standing a little bit further. Take a variety of shots from close ups to wider frame shot – especially if the background looks great.
For more details look up: Rule of thirds, Leading lines
2. Play with the angles
Consider raising or lowering the camera. Tilt your camera up or down. You don’t always have to take photos from eye level.
This is particularly true when photographing little kids. If you get down to children’s’ eye level you will get more interesting photos.
3. Let there be light
This is the most important (and longest) tip of the lot! Light is a key component of photography. In most photos you will want the sun behind or to the side of you. Position yourself so you are between the sun and your subject.
Ideally, you want to shoot closer to sunrise and sunset and less around midday. Yup, bright sunny (middle of the) day actually makes it very hard to take pictures — the light is harsh, you will get strong shadows, not too mention your family will be all squinting their eyes.
If you have to take photo during this time, try to find a spot of shade. This is why cloudy days are the best! Clouds will act like a big filter over the sun and can help get rid of those harsh shadows.
Lighting around sunset and sunrise offers a warmer, softer quality to photos. Ever noticed most great photos on Instagram are usually taken at sunset or sunrise? So plan your day, try visiting your family photo spots at these times?
Avoid shooting directly into the sun, you will end up with a black silhouette.
4. Go beyond the Auto setting
Auto function in newer cameras will do a pretty good job in most situations. But consider learning to use your camera’s semi automatic modes. Learn how to use Aperture priority mode (how much of your photo is in focus) or Time priority (how long exposure) will help you take your family photos to the next level.
Your aim is to have your family properly exposed. Practice before your trip. To adjust the exposure, find the exposure compensation controls in your camera (red your manual), adjust up the exposure one or two clicks, and take try again.
For more details look up: Shutter speed, Aperture
5. Consider the accessories
Stick to the essentials.
Camera bag: Spend a little extra on a good camera bag. Your camera equipment is not cheap. With little ones in tow, don’t bump them by accident, keep them in a safe place and don’t lose them.
Tripod: A tripod can really expand your travel photo possibilities. It lets you to get in the photos yourself – less of those one missing family member shots! Also allows you to take longer exposures shots in the evening. We have used our light, easy to fold tripod for many years.
6. Know your camera
Most will buy a new camera before a family holiday in trying to get better photos. But I guess if we use tennis as an analogy, just because you bought the same racquet as Roger Federer, it doesn’t mean you will start winning grand slams. Practice makes peRFect.
Get your new camera out of the box and start practicing before your trip. That is because while your new camera might be capable of taking better photos, it is going to require a bit of time and effort to learn how to make the most of it.
7. Use photo editing – but not too much
Straightening the horizon, playing with sharpness and contrast etc etc. You can use detailed editing apps to make your photos better. But basic programs like Instagram editing tools are already pretty good for editing.
For places we have visited, Checkout our website’s travel Destinations section. We buy of our travel essentials online via Ebay
