Travel & Hotspots

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY PHOTOS EVEN BETTER THAN THEY ALREADY ARE

7 tips from a pro

That amazing nature reserve, pretty little bridge, cute little fountain or capturing yourself with your loved one on a city square; it all seems so simple. One press of a button and voilà, a memory that will last a lifetime. Only to then come home and realize that the photo isn’t really all you hoped it would be. Sound familiar?

This seriously happens to me every time I leave the country. It drives me insane. I always think it looks brilliant when I check it out on the tiny screen of my camera, only realize it’s blurry when I get home. Or crooked. Or just generally a lot worse than I thought it was. Well guys, there’s finally hope for us.

And that hope comes in the form of a 29 year old photographer from the Netherlands called Laura Vink who probably has the best job in the world. After graduating from college, she traveled the globe to thirty different countries, brought her camera along and work a book about travel photography – Explore Discover Capture, a book filled with 376 pictures of the world. Believe me, this woman knows what she’s doing, and she’s here to share it with us.

Here are 7 simple tips to help make envious photos on your trips:

1. Get out early

“Don’t sleep in every day, but try to get out of your bed early. The sun won’t have risen entirely yet, which will give you the best lighting. This will result in the prettiest photos of landscapes and nature rather than taking them in the afternoon. Another advantage: all the tourist places won’t be packed yet.”

2. Don’t photograph the same thing too much

“Because of all the new impressions you’re being introduced too, a common mistake is to try and get as much into one photo. This will make it messy and not entirely clear what the photo is all about. Less is more.”

3. Think about the composition

“By being conscious about the composition, the photo will immediately be more interesting. Don’t put the subject (or the horizon) right in the center of the photo, but next to it. Give it more depth by photographing the view with something else in the forefront. Branches or flowers for example.”

4. Use postcards for inspiration

“As soon as you arrive to your destination, pop by a local tourist shop and check out their rack of postcards. This will give you an overview of all the tourist high lights and it’ll give you a ton of inspiration for your own photos. You’ll come up with creative compositions, an interesting angle and you’ll see the advantage of photographing in the evening.”

5. Get to know your camera

“No one ever praises Van Gogh or Rembrandt about the fantastic brushes they use. Same story when a camera is involved. For great light and clear photos, it’s important you know exactly how your camera works. Educate yourself before you leave about your device. Which feature is best for when? Once you know how it works, it won’t matter whether you’re photographing with a DSLR, a compact camera or your phone.”

 6. Try and tell a story

“By telling a story, you draw in your audience. Do you have a day of rock climbing on the agenda? Don’t only take a photo when you’re at the top of the mountain, but take one while you’re climbing too. Another way of telling a story is by combining overview photos with detailed ones. Combining these two is a hit when you put them all into one photo album.”

7. Make a selection

“Without a critical selection, your best photos are going to drown in a sea of regular photos. Be conscious of what you’re going to pick and present. None of your friends or family members are going to get excited if they look at the same thing six hundred times.”