Summer is finally here, and many of us are planning how and where to spend the summer holidays. Holiday photos keep our memories alive – I’d like to share a few tips on how to capture vivid photos, that you and your family will love turning back to year after year. These photos are from my Easter holidays, as I was visiting family in Paris.

On the Road

A fun part of holidays is the traveling itself, weather it is by car, train, bus, ship, or an airplane. The excitement is almost tangible – the feeling of being on holidays comes over us as soon as we start the car or jump into the taxi to the airport. These moments are nice to look back to, so remember to take a snapshot as you are “on the move.”

Local Food

The holiday culinary experience often includes tasting something new, or trying desperately to find something familiar and safe. Even if these experiences are stored in our taste buds, a few photos of favorite restaurants and unforgettable dishes does help to bring these moments back later on.

Different Point of View

The impressive monuments and architecture does have a great effect on us when sightseeing. We often wish to capture the magnificent feeling that is over us, as we stand on a memorial place or are in awe of a view. Instead of trying to fit everything in one picture, you may want to try taking a few photos where you change the point of view. Try to find new perspectives and capture interesting details in what you see – look up, look down, look to the sides. Remember to keep it simple, leaving negative space (empty space) in your photos.

Focus on the things you are naturally drawn to, capture interesting details in what you see.

A Collection of Local Charm

The street signs in Paris did catch my eye – there is charm in these blue-green signs! I took a bunch of photos and made a fun collage of the signs after returning home. You may be drawn to something else – gates, doors, post boxes, coffee cups, or even cars! A friend of mine came home from Cuba with the coolest snapshots of veteran cars.

Local People

You may have a person or a specific place in mind, when you think about your latest travelling experience. The local baker that makes the most scrumptious croissants, or the smiling expedient at the store who always had time to ask, “How you’re doing?” People matter – especially when we are on holidays, so remember to include them in your photos.

Focus on Your Daily Life

Our daily routines get renewed charisma on holidays: brushing teeth by a riverside or by a window with a view over a metropolis is something else! Even if the camera just captures a visual memory, the pictures, scents, tastes, and sounds come back to us just by looking at the holiday photos! Take a few pictures of the everyday situations during your holiday – like an afternoon coffee with the local magazine and the vintage-like kitchen furniture.

Souvenirs

Souvenirs often represent some of the monuments or special features of the country or district that are an important part of the cultural heritage or in other ways symbolize the nation. Instead of taking a photo of Mona Lisa in the Louvre, I took a photo of a poster of her by one of the street boutiques by Seine. Another advantage of taking a photo of a souvenir compared to buying one, is that the photo takes up less space in your luggage!

Before your holiday, be sure that you have memory cards, batteries, and chargers for your camera. Besides my DSLR, I brought my iPhone and an extra charger for it with me. By placing the camera gear in my hand luggage on the plane, I was sure that everything was in one piece when I arrived.

Remember to have days without your camera – Holidays are time for exploring, experiencing, tasting, seeing, and being together. Not just looking through a camera lens.

And finally – when you come home, get the pictures out of the camera and use them! Make a photo book or print them out for a collage on the wall.

Happy Holidays!