A vacation, by definition, is something that passes, so it is a great idea on those trips that you enjoy so much that you want to remember them for a long time. You also want to take plenty of pictures of the best bits to keep them alive in your memory.
The changing face of photography
Taking a picture used to be a lot more difficult, requiring a camera, flash unit, different lenses, and rolls of film. Nowadays, however, technology has made the camera not only smaller and easier to carry around, but digital. Gone are the rolls of film or the need for an outside party to develop the prints. You can take a photograph, look at it on the digital screen and decide straightway whether it is worth keeping or not. Of course, with the smartphone, you do not even need to have a separate camera.
The first step to achieve good photographs is to get as close to your subject as possible to ensure that the viewer’s attention is focused on the camera rather than the surroundings. If you pull back too far, you are in danger of filling your photograph with wasted space. If you are taking a shot of a person or people, being closer also has the advantage of allowing you to see facial expressions that help capture the mood of the moment.
Lighting is very important in achieving a good photograph. Consider where the light is before you snap away, whether you are using natural light from the sun, or artificial light from a flash or a lamp. Consider how the light affects your subject, whether it causes shadows that are unflattering to the face, or highlights an area in an interesting way.
If you want to be good at anything, the key is to practice. So to make sure your holiday snaps are as good as they can possibly be, practice at home and it is possible that as you practice, you develop a particular style of photography that becomes inherently ‘you’, making your final photographs that much more original. The other element that may help you to take quality pictures is not a fabulously expensive camera, but knowledge of techniques and tricks that you can pick up from photography books written by experts.
You should also consider that your vacation photos may have a life outside of your computer or family circle. High quality photographs are always in demand, as they are often used to illustrate newspaper or magazine articles, add interest to websites, or serve as ebook covers. You can make money with your super snaps by submitting them to websites dedicated to holding Stock Photos & Images. Every time someone buys your photograph for his or her own use, you receive a royalty payment.
Anyone can take a photograph, but it takes some skill to take a picture that not only captures the moment but also stimulates positive memories later on. Achieve this by doing some research and setting the scene before taking your pictures.