Capture your precious camping & holiday memories and take photos of your family, amazing wildlife photos, and awesome landscape pictures and use your imagination to make memories to treasure.

Part of the fun of any holiday is browsing through your photo album, you will be taken back to your favourite camping trip every time you view and share your photos.

These tips will help you take great camping and holiday photos

Have you got a newish camera, the digital camera has improved amazingly in the past few years, they are getting better, far better value for their price than they used to be.

Check that the image is set to a high quality image and set the time and date, so when you return and upload your photos you will know exactly when they were taken.

Take a lot of photos, the beauty of digital is that the unwanted ones they can be deleted. Pack a spare battery or charger, make sure you have plenty of memory card space.

Be inspired by your surroundings, take photos on different angles, have a look at postcards of the area, this will show what the pros have captured and the local highlights. You don’t have to do the same try something different.

Take some detailed photos like your family with an amazing view behind, sunrises & sunsets create superb photos, capture a sign that says where you are as part of your photo, get close-ups of foliage or natures wonders, or before you start your journey pick something in particular that you want to photograph in every town or place you visit and make it a collection or series of photos.

Get up early sometimes and catch the morning light sparkling on the water, or the animals and birds out early, the sunrise can make the everything glow.

Before you take a photo think about it (if you have time) and make it interesting, instead of just the beach, try to add a few subjects, like people swimming or walking on beach, maybe there is a ship out on the horizon. Look along the beach rather than standing back on the sand, maybe someone has left footprints, take a photo looking along the footprints disappearing.

Most of all enjoy taking photos and bring home some great memories.
Take Photos and only Leave Footprints wherever you go!

In Part One of How to Shoot Amazing Portraits, you learned about the value of choosing suitable locations, keeping your portrait subject comfortable and filling the frame with more of your subject’s face. In this second part of the article you will learn more about how to be in control of the creative portraiture process while letting your subject feel that he or she has command.

Portrait Tip #4: Speak-Up and Listen-Up!

As a professional photography educator, I’ve had countless occasions through the years to teach students who were sincerely terrified of social human contact and who did not possess the interpersonal skills that are so crucial to the occupation of full-time photographer. The truth, whether or not they wanted to hear it, is that most full-time professional photographers earn most of their income by photographing people rather than by shooting abstract macro images, Ansel Adam-ish landscapes or surreal photo manipulations. Yes, there is a market for non-human images and a small portion of photographers make a full-time living shooting these very genres for stock photo services or through publications. But consider that most of these photographers likely built-up their skills, repertoire, network and revenue base earlier in their careers by catering to “people” photography.

-This brings us to the inescapable truth that for almost all photographers, portraiture will be the bread and butter, from a revenue and daily activity standpoint, that supports the inanimate artistic forms of photographic expression.

-So, what’s the portrait tip associated with this particular revelation? Quite simply, portraiture deals with people and people like to talk. While you need to have the technical skills and stylistic presence of mind, you also need to engage your subject in conversation during the entire portrait shoot! -Do what Dale Carnegie taught us about being successful in business and friendships; ask a lot of questions! Listen intently to your subject’s answers. Ask more questions based on their answers and on your sincere interest in what more they have to say. Do all of this continually while you shoot. I guarantee that the resulting portraits will be truthful, natural and revealing. In short – compelling.

Portrait Tip #5: Experiment!

-It’s interesting to note how many photographers of “things” are more than willing to experiment with angles, perspectives, lighting, reflections, textures and so-on, but how the same photographers seem stuck in a rut when it comes to portraits.

-Experiment with angles; try getting higher and lower than your subject.

-Experiment with perspectives; position yourself so that your subject’s body is facing away from the camera and then engage them with conversation so that he or she swings the head around to face you. Poses with the body and face in different directions are interesting. Try getting half of the face in the frame. Experiment with eyes, mouth or profile exclusively.

-Experiment with the “silly”. Through your shared conversation and active listening, you’ll get a sense of how far you can or should explore the unconventional. You may find that your subject needs a break from the business of serious photography and welcomes the opportunity to show a different side. There’s far more to learn and, best of all, it’s all free! Visit www.FreePhotoCourse.com, for more totally free but comprehensive lessons, pro-secrets and tips, free digital images, contributor’s gallery, great prices on top-selling cameras and gear, and photographer’s forum. You can also find Part 1 of this article as published at this site and elsewhere on the web. – Article by Steve Kristof

This basic concept covers several elements of design. To have balance in your image the subject must match the format. To make sure the subject is the main focus of your viewer, you must be aware of the background so it does not distract. Of course, the easiest way to eliminate visual distractions is to move in closer.

Getting back to the painting analogy, most painters are very aware of the point of focus in their finished product. Likewise; as an up and coming photographer your next photo tip to remember is to always be aware of the viewer’s point of focus. Just for clarification, I am not talking about depth of field. When I use the phrase “point of focus” I am referring to what the viewer sees within your image. You might think that is obvious, they are looking at my subject. That is only true, if you shot your subject correctly.

For example, let’s say you take a picture of a girl at the beach. Regardless of what format you choose if the horizontal line of the water crashing on the sand is dramatically off it will distract your viewer. If in the background there is a little boy playing with a big round ball, this will also pull your attention away from the main subject. If the subject is fairly light skinned and you have her lying on a bright red towel, that color will also visually distract.

To this end, learning the rule of thirds will greatly enhance the odds that your viewer is looking specifically where you want them to look. If you divide any image into thirds, (both vertically and horizontally) the points where those thirds meet are the natural focus points of most viewers. Therefore if you design the image so that your subject falls on one or more of those natural focus points, you will have a great advantage over those who shoot everything dead center. The third photo tip is this; place your subject where it is visually the most pleasing.

Most painters when they have finished their great work of art will frame it. Why is that? A frame helps draw your attention into the image and says, “Hey look at me, I’m important!” While you can do this in the same way that most painters do, when it comes to photography the word “framing” tends to take on a different meaning.

In most cases, framing consist of something in the foreground (usually slightly out of focus) that helps set off something in the background. One of the reasons this is such a powerful tool, is that this is exactly how the human eye sees things. Think about it: A flower at the edge of a canyon, you can either focus on the flower or the canyon, but not both. Your camera, can make both in focus at the same time (depth of field), but that’s not really how you saw it. Another great photo tip is to make the viewer feel what you felt. This can often be done by framing and the creative use of a narrow depth of field.

To summarize:

A) The format (vertical or horizontal) must match the subject. (Don’t waist space, plan every inch of your canvas.)

B) Always be aware of the viewer’s point of focus. (Don’t let lines, shapes, or colors become distractions.)

C) Place your subject where it is visually the most pleasing. (Use lines and the Rule of Thirds to your advantage.)

D) Make the viewer feel what you felt. (Use framing and Depth of Field to your advantage.)

If you were already an artist, composition might come naturally. But for those new to photography, this is the starting point not the final destination. Each of these tips helps you to remember several other issues involved in making a great photo. It helps if you think of yourself as an artist and each image as a work of art. Study the elements of design. Be aware what lines,shapes, colors, texture, and balance can do for your image. Take pride in every shot you take, and above all . . . have fun!

“Sure!” You say enthusiastically, then almost as an after thought you ask, “What are we shooting?”

The person you are talking with has decided to go for the World Speed Record in a wheel chair. Now, I’ve taken photos of people and I’ve taken photos at more traditional sporting events, like Football, Basketball, and Soccer; but how do you gear up for something you have NEVER shot before? The first photo tip to remember is to always have business cards with you. Because even though he said “the other day” you realize it has been almost two years since you had this discussion, but you did give him a business card and obviously he kept it.

Back to the problem at hand, this photo shoot is prior to the actual event. The photos he wants you to take are to be used as promotion shots. The customer suggests a local park for the photo shoot location. The first photo obstacle is the location itself, yes there are some nice points but, this park has office building on one side and a huge school on the other side. Always be aware of the background in your photo shoot.

Admittedly this was a new situation for me, but the first dozen shots or so just didn’t feel right to me. Then my mind starting thinking about how I take photos of little kids at weddings; I get down on their level. Yes, this was a full size adult, but the photos didn’t feel right until I was at the same level he was. If the subject is looking down and you photograph looking down at him, there is no interaction. Always take your photos with interaction in mind.

This particular person designed this particular wheel chair specifically for racing. Being totally naïve regarding handicap racing, I had to reply on his expertise to get the right photo. Regardless of the type of event you are shooting, remember this photo tip: use other people’s knowledge to make your photos look more professional. In wheelchair racing for example; the front wheels control all the steering. If I had only shot photos with his hands resting on the back wheels, anybody who did know the event would know I (the photographer) didn’t know what I was doing.

Even though we started this photo shoot early in the morning, the higher the sun got, the more dramatic the shadows got. When the subject was in an actual racing stance and he was leaning forward in his chair it did create some really deep shadows. I experimented with a reflector, a flash and some photos with both. Even though it was a beautiful day, quote “not a cloud in the sky”; I had to be prepared to control the existing light.

To review the lessons learned when photographing something totally out of your everyday experience, this is what I had to learn, or relearn to get the job done:

A) Always have photo business cards available, you never know when they can lead to new and exciting photo opportunities. (Even two years later.)

B) Always be aware of the background! That sounds obvious, but you want to make sure the subject is the main center of attention in your photo, not a reflection off an office window.

C) Always take photos with interaction in mind. Originally I was going to say at the same eye level, but during this photo shoot I also got down and took pictures at ground level as well.

D) Always use other people’s expertise to make your photos look good. This is especially true when shooting things you have never shot before. The subject is much more likely to approve of your work if he or she knows they actually helped with the input.

E) Always be prepared to control the light in your photo to meet the needs of the shoot. A bright sunny day is not always the best time to take a great photograph. Remember this: the brighter the light, the harsher the shadows.

A final thought, as a photographer, your most valuable tool is your mind and the ability to think and see creatively. Do not get so wrapped up in one specialty area of photography that you forget to apply those same photo tips to other areas as well. Life is a journey, not a destination. Likewise, who and what we are as photographers is what we learn from the different types of things we allow ourselves to photograph.

When packing for your memorable vacation, keep in mind these things:

• Camera, batteries + extras, memory card(s), battery chargers

• External flash (if needed), tripod, portable storage device

• Power adapter (if traveling abroad)

• Camera case—waterproof if going to a beach or wet vacation spot (you can also purchase silica gel packs from your camera store to reduce moisture further)

• Underwater camera if traveling to a beach location (even a small disposable one will get those unforgettable shots!)

• Be sure to get a wrist-strap for your camera—you don’t want to lose your camera when you are traversing the rainforest treetops!

Be sure to charge your camera batteries before you leave home, and clear your memory card. It is always a good idea to take an extra memory card with you. Don’t be afraid to shoot lots of pictures of the same subject – a digital camera can hold a lot of pictures and you can sort out the good from the bad before printing them when you get home.

Before you leave home, do a little research on the spot you are traveling to and try to pre-plan some of the shots you may wish to take. Use travel guides, books and magazines to help plan what you may wish to include in your memory album. This may also be helpful not only in planning what type of shot you may wish to take, but may affect when you travel to a certain location. Would you like a shot of the sun rising majestically over the Rocky Mountains? Or how about a shot of elephant feeding time at the San Diego Zoo—or even fireworks over the Eiffel Tower? Make a list of these potential shots and plan your trip accordingly.

PROVE YOU WERE THERE:

When you are taking pictures on your vacation, be sure to remember to include the human element. You don’t want only pictures of the scenery, but this should be a memory experience at the same time. Include pictures of your family and friends, even people you meet at the location. All of these elements ad to the ambiance of the experience.

Try to get at least some pictures with you in it. There is always some passerby around to take a picture of you in front of your cruise ship—just be sure it is someone trustworthy not to run off with your camera. Another good idea for this is to give the passerby a cheap disposable camera instead of your expensive one so that if he does drop the camera or runs off with it you won’t have much to lose. You may not get as good a picture quality, but at least it will be a memory shot.

TIPS ON INCLUDING PEOPLE IN YOUR VACATION PHOTOS:

• Capture the anticipation of your trip by using people. Try photos of packing up the car, arriving at the airport, getting on the plane. This type of picture will lend a great story line when displaying your pictures in an album. The same goes for the end of your trip. Have a shot of your wife sleeping on the plane after a whirlwind European vacation. Personally, I always end our albums with a display of all the things we acquired on our trip—everything from that gorgeous purse I bought in Panama, shells from the beach, to the airline tickets and the Spanish phrase book we used.

• Place your subject off-centre using the rule of thirds. Divide the picture into a tic-tac-toe like grid and rather than placing your subject into the centre square, place them onto one of four lines. This makes for a more interesting picture and is more aesthetically pleasing. A great portrait would be placing a person to one side with the horizon filling the rest of the picture.

• Try to get the people in your pictures to tell a story rather than just standing in front of a landmark. Eating, leaning on street signs, browsing through roadside markets, swimming on the beach are all ways to achieve this.

• Don’t have your subjects stand so far away that you can’t recognize who they are. Get them to stand closer and have the landmark in the distance. You can always take an extra shot of the landmark by itself.

• Sometimes it is good to get a photo of someone in the distance, perhaps with their back to the camera. This comes off as a candid shot and can create great drama in the picture.

• Try to get some action shots. Try taking a candid shot of kids or adults playing on the beach. Or capture someone’s face when tasting that chocolate covered ant. Use the Action Shooting Mode on your camera for a fast shutter speed to stop action so that you can get clear pictures without the blur. The Burst Mode lets you take multiple pictures with one click of the shutter button to catch a sequence of moves—for that Mexican dancing scene.

LANDSCAPE TIPS

• Study the area and plan your photograph. Would the picture be better if taken from the right to include the shadows? How about a different angle? You can crouch or take a photo looking up at the Eiffel Tower instead of straight on—wouldn’t that seem more dramatic? Use perspective to your advantage.

• Think about the distance you are away from your subject. Try to get as close as possible. Sometimes that house in the distance that you like will just be a spot in a 4X6 picture. Use your zoom as much as possible.

• Consider the lighting. The light can be harsh in the middle of the day and less intense in the early morning or late afternoon. Also you can achieve better results with lighting by taking pictures in inclement weather. Experiment by taking pictures at different times of the day. Even the shadows created in a landscape by taking advantage of the early morning light can be interesting and dramatic. Another lighting tip is to use you camera’s flash when shooting in direct sun to reduce effects of shadows on faces or other objects in the picture. If you happen to be in low light, try using a tripod. And experiment…is the light shining in the back or on the side? The placement of light and shadows in a picture can create a great shot.

• If you are taking a picture of a landscape, make sure there are no stray objects that may detract from your composition. Check before you shoot.

• Use colour to your advantage. You can often achieve very dramatic shots of colourful houses, fall foliage or azure beaches to add vibrancy to your photos. If you have a Beach Mode on your camera, use it to capture bright seaside scenes.

• Take advantage of the landscape mode in your camera, which adjusts the aperture so that objects near and far are sharp and clear. To achieve the same effect manually, you need to set your aperture to a high f-number (like f6.3), which will provide a wide range of focus to ensure everything near and in the distance is in focus.

• Panorama shots are very popular and some cameras offer in-camera panorama-stitching which is a feature that uses up to five single shots to create one seamless image right in the camera. Sweeping beach scenes are perfect for the Panorama mode. Tips for panoramic shots: (1) make sure your camera is as level as possible, (2) be sure to stand in the same position for all the shots, (3) overlap you images by 30-50% horizontally. Consider using panoramic shots for breathtaking mountain range shots, sunsets, cityscapes, or even a cascading waterfall.

• Use the Sunset Mode on your camera to achieve ideal dramatic photos of early evening or dawn when the sun in near the horizon. Image that perfect beach with the sun setting in the background.

SNOW OR BLACK AND WHITE SHOTS:

• The key to capturing magical winter shots is in the white balance. To achieve realistic winter scenes, some cameras have a Snow Shooting Mode which will automatically adjust the camera’s white balance to compensate for the snow and lighting conditions. You can also use your camera’s manual controls to adjust the white balance until the snow colour is correct. The image will change on your camera’s screen so you can adjust it up or down until the image appears accurate.

• Black and white pictures accentuate lines, textures and edges making great dramatic photographs. This can be a great choice for beach scenes and coastlines alike.

VACATION PHOTO ART:

• You can turn your vacation photographs into works of art using computer software to manipulate the pictures. If you have an artistic nature this is a great way to display your vacation photographs and receive rave reviews from family and friends.

Another tip on vacation photography is not just to take pictures of landmarks and people. Pictures of birds, flowers, and street signs all add to remembering where you visited.

I hope some of the above tips help in your vacation photography. At home, I love reviewing our photographs and reliving our travel experiences. We always take lots of pictures and share them often with family and friends.

I want to be up front with you. I have 30 years photography experience, 10 years web page design experience, but only two years of writing photography articles experience. So, you ask, why am I writing about writing if that’s what I have the least experience in? I write about 48 years of lifetime experiences and relate them to photography. In other words, all that we are as photographers or writers comes from ALL that we are.

On my own website I currently have about 120 photo articles, 120 photo tips, 120 photo quotes, etc. The reason I choose 120 as the magic number was so that I could list 10 new photo articles, 10 new photo tips, 10 new photo quotes etc each month on my front page. This way my home page would have new and different information showing up each month for a whole year before anything was duplicated.

That having been said, I ran into an interesting design problem. When I had to list an article with a title like: “Depth of Field – A Major Player in Creative Control”, it physically would not fit in the small space I had on the left hand side of the page. At first I shortened the link to something like: “DOF- A Major Player”.

Keep in mind that web pages and articles have several things in common; one of the most obvious being that they do better when “Key Words” are included. Key words are those words people will type into Google or Yahoo to find your website or article to begin with. To give you an idea how important they are, my first photo website was called: “lordtedric.com”, simple, unique, easy to remember. The problem is: it said nothing about photography. Unless someone knew me personally, they had absolutely no reason to go there.

I had learned that lesson when I designed my current website, but I still had not applied it to my articles yet. Maybe I get too focused in on one problem at a time. At the time I was thinking about web page design not articles, but I did realize I had a similar problem. Rather than using the short description “DOF- A Major Player” I went to “DOF in Your Photo”. Presto! Problem solved. Short, concise, to the point, and now my link had another Key Word on my home page.

Sometimes one good idea leads to another, and another, and another, etc. I figured if it would work on my article, why don’t I change ALL the links to include a key word? This is where I got my education about article titles. I did NOT write most of the photo articles on my site. There are many photo articles written by very good photographers, but a surprising number of them never mentioned the words photo or photography in their title. I am not passing judgment, because I did the same exact thing. True, “Depth of Field” is a key phrase, but not as basic or as widely searched for as photography or photo. By changing the title of my photo article to: “Depth of Field – A Major Player in Your Photography”; my search engine response for that article increased dramatically.

Notice the current article you are reading has the keyword “photo” in the title, twice. It is also no accident that I have started writing articles with my web site’s name in the title as well. This is something that has been learned over time. I had already written 60 photography articles, when it finally dawned on me that I REALLY needed to include key words in the main title. For me, having the word photo or photography in the title of a new article is not even an option any more. No matter how clever or catchy a title may appear if it does not include a key word, (like “photo”) then it defeats the purpose for having written the article to begin with.

Like wise, it is possible to write a photography article and only use the key words two or three times. Yes, it is possible to do this; in fact it is amazing how many people do, but if the reason you are writing your photo article to begin with is to draw attention to your photo website, then you need to include those key words in the body of your text as well. The article you are reading has the words “photo or photography” in it at least 30 times. Is that over doing it? You tell me. Read this article again, does it feel like those key words were forced? As long as the key words are relative to what you are talking about, use them as often as possible.

Personally; I believe photography is a gift from God, as is the ability to write clearly. Speaking as a parent (and as a grandparent), I also believe the best gifts are those that can be shared. A great photo can motivate, uplift and inspire. Do you know anybody who does NOT need a little more of those traits in their life? Go out and make the world a better place. Share the gifts you’ve been given with the world today!

Have you ever wondered why the ‘people’ photos you take with your digital camera end-up looking more like snapshots than the compelling portraits you intended to create? You’re not alone; this is one of the most common experiences shared by amateur and, yes, professional photographers. It’s not surprising that this is such a common problem, given that most of the photographs produced around the world at any given moment on any given day involve a human subject as the significant theme.

But if you count yourself as a member of the “BPB”, or the Boring Portrait Brotherhood as I like to call it, you’ve already set yourself apart from the pack and will likely be able to improve your results – perhaps even dramatically. That’s because most of the fingers snapping those shutters belong to people that simply cannot discern the difference between a compelling portrait and a rather ordinary snapshot of a human being. The fact that you want to improve the portraits you create suggests that you already recognize there is a difference between what you compose and what you’d like to compose.

Try some of these easy-to-follow tips to begin creating portraits that appear thoughtful, original and that show an authenticity of expression or personality.

Portrait Tip #1: It’s Like Real Estate – Location, Location, Location!

-Try to find locations that compliment your subject rather than compete for his or her attention.

-Avoid flat backgrounds and walls; they tend to produce “mugshots”. -If you can’t avoid a flat background, try to set your subject closer to the camera with greater distance between the subject and wall.

-Find a location in which your subject will feel comfortable and relaxed.

-Choose locations that fit the subject’s mood or the overall atmosphere you intend to bring about.

Portrait Tip #2: Comfort is King!

-One of the main stumbling blocks concealing the authenticity of a portrait subject’s mood or personality is the artificiality of the entire situation. That’s why many of today’s up-and-coming portrait photographers prefer to go to their subject’s home or meet them at another place of the subject’s choosing. While the controlled environment of a studio can enhance a photographer’s confidence, it also unfortunately tends to mute the subject’s genuine response. Ask your subject where THEY would like to have their portrait taken.

-Consider having your portrait subject DOING something while you snap the shutter. Whether he or she is manipulating something with which they are familiar, are at work or are at play, the act of “doing” tends to encourage more natural, relaxed and honest expressions.

Portrait Tip #3: Get Closer!

-Most pro photographers have one very important piece of advice for amateur photo enthusiasts who wish to improve their portrait skills. It goes like this, “Get closer. Now get closer again. O.K., now get even closer.” Filling more of the frame with your subject’s face will make it hard for momentary expressions and revelations of various personality traits to evade the camera’s lens.

-Try using a “gentle zoom” to get a bit closer. This will have the added benefit of shorter depth of field, which is sought-after in most portrait images. (Short depth of field allows the subject to be in focus while the background gets increasingly blurry with greater distance from the lens.) For those with some technical savvy, try using a zoom in the 80-120 mm focal length range which will allow you to get a closer shot without being in your subject’s face and yet avoid the distortion that often comes with longer focal lengths.

There’s far more to learn and, best of all, it’s all free! Visit www.FreePhotoCourse.com, for more indepth photography lessons, pro-secrets and tips, free desktop images, contributor’s gallery, how-to’s, photographer’s forum and great deals on top-selling cameras and photo gear. You can also find Part 2 of this article as published at this site and elsewhere on the web. – Article by Steve Kristof