Over the next few weeks my family will be heading out to see some sites. . . travel and do a little camping.  I’m planning on taking some photographs during these outtings  and I’m starting to organize and plan.  I thought I would share with everyone a few general tips I try to keep in mind while shooting on vacation.

1. Take the least amount of equipment possible. I always try to narrow things down to the basics.  1 or 2 lenses (versatility is the word of the day ) and an add-on flash.  I always travel with my tripod but not everyone has the room or the desire to cart it around everywhere.  In those cases you can find things in the environment to use as a support such as a railing or a wall to steady yourself and your hands.  I also don’t like to carry a purse along with my camera bag so I’ve invested in a camera bag with enough compartments to carry everything I need.

2. Make things interactive. Whenever you can, take pictures that show your family interacting with the environment you are in.  This helps to make the picture more interesting and look less like a snapshot.

3. Take care of the kids first. Anyone with young children knows that they can tire quickly and a once happy child, when hungry and tired, can end up being very grumpy.  That is why, when visiting a new location or landmark, I like to scope out a good background and get the shots of the kids taken right away against this background.  That way we have pictures of happy, cute and clean children.

4. Show off your shots. I always find that the longer you wait to get your pictures off the memory card the more likely you are to forget about them.  You want your shots to be seen, so as soon as you can after returning from vacation, get those pictures off the memory card and share with your family and friends.