How to make the best holiday photo ?

26 July, 2018

Do you want to come home from your holiday with the most beautiful or original photos? Even if you’re not a professional photographer, you can take unforgettable, fun photos during your holiday. How? We’ve put together seven practical tips to capture all the special moments of your holiday. And you can practise at home!

1. Get to know your camera

If you’ve bought a professional (SLR) camera and you’re not an experienced photographer, then this may be our most important tip. Get to know your camera! What can you do with the different functions and how do you use them? Practice with the camera before you start the real work on vacation. You might even consider taking a course.

Do you only use your smartphone to take pictures? Then the settings are usually already automatically set to give you a pretty nice photo. Or you could also put a filter over it. The quality of course depends on the lens and the software that your device uses. With some phones, you can also change the settings to shoot the perfect picture manually, so play around with it.

2. Don’t always look straight into the camera

Just laugh at the birdie … and click! That’s probably your memory of the school photographer or the photos that were taken on your birthday. Looking into the camera is fun, but not always necessary. And if you don’t want to be the main subject of the photo, you may not want to look into the camera at all. For example, look out over the city or walk away from the camera. Because you’re not demanding all the attention, there’s a lot more attention to spare for the environment in the rest of the picture. You’ll finally see that beautiful building!

Take a step to the right

This is another easy way to focus more on the environment, rather than on yourself. People often choose to frame the main subject right in the middle of the photo. But if you choose a different composition, you’ll get a picture that looks much more playful and you get more depth in the picture. So as a photographer, take a step to the right, get on your knees or even lie down! Look at the photograph to be photographed from a different angle and it will undoubtedly yields surprising results.

Focus on the residents

Most people take a lot of photos of themselves and each other during their holiday – in front of a church, on the beach, in front of a statue or on a bench in the city. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but if you really want to capture the atmosphere and culture of the region, you often need the locals. Alternate pictures of yourself with pictures of local residents or take pictures at local events. You’ll take a truly cultural experience and a taste of the atmosphere of the region back home with you! Of course, always ask in advance whether you can take someone’s picture.

Time of day

Does the term ‘golden hour’ mean anything to you? And no, it’s not when your dad busts out his old record collection on Sunday morning. The golden hour is a familiar term for many photographers. It’s the ideal time for a perfect atmospheric photo with a soft glow. When is this golden hour? At sunrise or sunset!

The light is at its best and the shadows are soft and romantic. Do you want to know when the golden hour starts at your holiday destination? The Golden Hour Calculator lets you know exactly when you need to get your camera ready. Another advantage of shooting during this magical hour is the fact that you won’t have to fight with other tourists for your shot.

Don’t forget yourself

These tips will help you become an almost professional photographer, which means you’re more likely to enjoy it. But are you completely absorbed in your new hobby? Then there is a chance that you won’t be appearing much in the photos afterwards. So make sure that you also put yourself in the picture from time to time and teach your partner or children to take good photos, too. Or use the self-timer!

Have fun!

We can’t stress this last tip enough. Because on holiday it’s all about fun, and of course you want to see that reflected in your photos. So enjoy taking photos and don’t set the bar unrealistically high. Not every picture has to be perfect and not every composition has to be original. And don’t forget that there’s much more to do on vacation than just taking photos. Enjoy the environment and culture in real time!