11 Epic tips to make your photos come alive

There are ok holiday photos and there are amazing holiday photos - why settle?  Capture your favorite memories just as you remember them by following a few simple tips can make your holiday snaps come alive….

 

 

Be unique

Don’t settle for that dull fake smile photo in front of every tourist attraction, get creative and try to find a shot that still showcases the attraction, but that also gives you a different view – try laying on the floor (where possible of course, in the middle of a busy street, will just get you trampled), up high, from a different vantage point etc.

 

 

Use ISO instead of flash

Using flash on your camera can be really unflattering, giving harsh light and causing red-eye. If you set your camera to a higher ISO setting, you don’t need as much light. This is easy to practice before your holiday, so you don’t frustrate your group by spending hours adjusting the settings on your camera as a miserable or annoyed face in a photo is never good!

Find reflections

A really easy way to make your holiday photos stand out is to focus on the reflection rather than the object itself. This way you get to incorporate interesting colors and blurriness while still capturing the essence of the object you want to focus on.

 

Take your camera out at night

Some of the best images on holiday take advantage of illuminations against a dark sky background.  If you increase your ISO setting the background will look darker so the illuminations stand out and the colors in the foreground remain vibrant. Having a night setting on your camera is key.   Some cameras also have a night vision – you can get some really interesting effect with this.

 

Look for Action

Action photos are the best as they really help you to remember those special moments on your holiday. Make sure you have the best vantage point and take lots of photographs in quick succession, so you have a range of different styles and frames to choose from. The best way to re-live the feeling of your holiday, as well as providing you with plenty of laughs along the way.

Be Opportunistic

Most people have been instilled to dislike posing for photographs, so try to take photographs of your group in action shots and without the need to stand and pose. Work quickly and make the process fun and natural, before people start to clam up and pose uncomfortably. Add emotion to your photos by making people or telling them to jump and take picture mid-air (often these photos are hilarious and make everyone smile).

 

Go 360

When you reach a high point that you can look down at the sights below, more often than not you take several photographs to try and cover everything below. To create an all-encompassing panorama, use a 360 degree camera to take one perfect photograph of the whole view. 360-degree cameras can be perfect for action shots too and are a great way to capture the hustle and bustle as well as gorgeous scenery panoramas.

Think about the composition

Ow, do the colors of whatever you are photographing complement each other?  Some landscapes, for example, are beautiful but can look plain on camera, by finding a spot where you can capture some flowers for example in the corner of the image can really make photos come alive as the contrast of the colors.

 

 

Get wet

If your holiday includes some swimming in the sea or splashing around in the pool try experimenting with some underwater photography. The light and reflections can create dazzling colors in the water and can give you some beautiful images. By using high shutter speed, you can capture the moment of a dive in spectacular style and create some amazing images.  Getting some nature shots while snorkeling is also a great idea.  If you don’t have a waterproof camera/phone case you can use a zip lock bag, simply pop your smartphone in and zip it up (test it out on something less valuable first to make sure it’s fully waterproof and make sure you get a good quality one).  Alternatively, you can use an action camera.

 

Get up early

When the sun is low in the sky, it casts a warm and beautiful light. The best time for capturing this light is either early in the morning or just before the sunsets. By getting up early, you can create warm and glowing photographs of the beautiful scenery around you. In addition, you are likely to be the only one there, so your scenery will not be interrupted by lots of people.

 

Get fancy

Depending on what camera or smartphone you are using to take photos you may have some different capture modes to take panoramic photos, annular photos or photos with effects.  If you are using an action camera you can take great photos on helmet cameras and other attachments too. Using capture modes like these will really make your photos unique.

 

Did you know you can get a 360 degree action camera that takes still photos, video, night vision, and panoramic photos?  It’s affordable too!