Great Holiday Photos - Don't Point, Don't Shoot!

How many times have you come back from a holiday or vacation and found yourself flipping despondently through a sad group of photos where nothing seems very distinct, or looks anywhere near as good as it did in real life?

You could dismiss yourself as a lousy photographer and leave it at that - OR you change your ways -- and henceforth be known as the Mister/Miz Cool of Photodom!

Here's a basic problem: many people, because they have a "point and shoot" camera, think that all they have to do is.... point and shoot. Let us shake our heads sadly at these people. Because by taking just a little time to follow these few pointers, you can easily turn your holiday photos from woeful to WOW!

1. Fill your frame. One of the most common errors is to have your subject too far away. Don't try to get a whole building in the shot. Instead go for an ornate doorway or window, or part of a steeple, etc. You'll get lots of interesting detail that way. In the case of multiple objects or people, decide what is most interesting to YOU and make sure your intended subject is much closer to the camera than everything else, and let the rest form a background. But TAKE YOUR TIME! Look carefully in your viewfinder or LCD screen to ensure that you are not chopping off anything unintentionally.


2. Put your light source behind you. Never take pictures into the sun, unless you don't mind everything in silhouette. But if you can't avoid it, you can work wonders by using your flash to illuminate the object or person in the foreground, provided they are no more than 4 to 5 feet away.


3. If you try to get both shaded and sunlit areas in one photo, usually one or the other will not look good - either the shade will be dark and underexposed, or the sunny area will be washed out. This is not always easy to avoid on bright sunny days, but with intermittent cloud you can often get a much better picture just by waiting - cloud cover gives much more even lighting.


4. Avoid taking holiday photos through the windows of fast moving vehicles - you'll end up with a lot of blur in the foreground. And don't shoot through windows at all if they are dirty or clouded - your picture will have the same effect!


5. When shooting at night, or in very low light, remember that most flashes have an effective range of 6 to 7 feet at most. But don't get too close to your subject with a flash either, or you'll get a washed out effect. Four to five feet is usually optimum, but check your camera manual.


6. If your digital camera has an option that allows you to take several photos in quick succession by holding the button down, this can be especially useful for photographing objects that won't stay still, such as children or animals - later on you can choose the best, and delete the rest!

Just these few tips can give your holiday photos that drool factor that lesser beings can only wish for. Practice makes perfect, so don't get discouraged - keep at it, and if possible, invest a little time and try these techniques at home BEFORE you go away.