As you travel this summer with family and friends, you’ll surely want to take pictures to commemorate the occasion. Here are five tips from Eric to help you capture your beautiful memories.
1. Get Close
Everyone wants to get a picture of someone next to a great landmark (waterfall, Eiffel Tower, scenic vista). When you take a photo of someone with the entire landmark, though, the person gets lost in the picture. So take two photos….one with the whole landmark, and then a second one focused on the person with the landmark as the backdrop. Move closer to the person when you take the picture and they will be larger in the final image.
2. Don’t Shoot into the Sun
You usually don’t want to take a picture of something with the sun directly behind it. If you do, two things can happen: Either the sky will be very washed out or your subject will be very dark and you will lose all the detail. If you have to shoot with the sun behind your subject, get close and use your flash.
3. Golden Light is Your Friend
Professional photographers all love “golden light,” the natural light of the early morning and the late afternoon. Because the sunlight is not coming from directly overhead, your pictures will have greater dimension and deeper color.
4. Be Aware of Your Composition
Look carefully at what is actually in the frame of the photo. When you focus your attention on the subject, it is easy to overlook an unsightly beverage can in the foreground or a branch that appears to be growing out of someone’s head. Take a moment to really look. And don’t be afraid to change your own prospective. Get low, get up higher or maybe shoot from the side. A straight-on photograph is not always the best option.
5. Know When to Put the Camera Down
Remember sometimes it is great to be in the moment, especially if you are sharing the time with loved ones or friends. Even I try every so often to enjoy the sunset. See your vacation through your own eyes, not always through the lens of the camera or phone.