Whether you’re frolicking on a beach in the Caribbean, or visiting cultural wonders in the heart of Mexico, there is no doubt that photographs are essential in keeping the memories of your favorite vacations alive.

However, while it may be easy to aimlessly point and shoot, it can be tricky to make your pictures stand out from the crowd. 

If you want to turn your amateur photography into envy-inducing images that look super professional, then just keep reading –  In this post you'll find the best vacation photography tips.

While you might choose to stick with the ever-improving quality of your smartphone camera, you might also be inspired by something a little more advanced.

Don’t be afraid to shop around and find something that fits with what you’re looking for- both in terms of budget, and what you’re hoping to achieve with it. There are so many great cameras to choose from!

Canon’s EOS 200D: Our favorite!

This DSLR lets you shoot 2.4-megapixel photos with incredible quality and has been lauded as the ideal beginner’s camera.

It has the perfect gadgets: a simple-to-follow tutorials built-in, a vari-angle screen, and a Bluetooth connection that can send your favorite images straight to your phone.

Bonus: as a DSLR, you can invest in a variety of different lenses over time as your photography experience expands. Also, it’s super lightweight and easy to carry around – the perfect travel companion!

Good alternatives

• Sony Cyber-shot If you’re in search of a decent camera but would prefer to keep costs a little lower. It produces some awesome pictures and film,and its great for anyone on a budget!
  
• GoPro Hero7 If you’re the type to make every vacation a true adventure, this is the perfect choice. It will follow you on every adrenaline-filled experience, capturing everything- from scuba diving off the Yucatan Peninsula to cliff-side hikes in Hawaii.

There’s nothing worse than seeing something that would make for an incredible photograph only for your camera to have a flat battery or a full SD card.

That is why we recommend when packing for your vacation, a spare battery and a spare SD card or two. This way, enough battery and storage to shoot lots of photos each day without worrying about deleting any photo.

Also, if you have a DSLR, be sure to include any extra lenses that you may want to bring for different types of photography.

While your camera’s automatic settings will likely get you some great shots, mastering a few basic technical skills before your vacation could go a long way in improving your photography!

One of the best vacation photography tips would be adjusting your camera’s shutter speed to make it faster and achieve a sharper picture. You can also play around with the aperture on your camera to achieve different depth of focus in the foreground and background.

You can also experiment with your camera’s ISO settings. Generally, use a lower ISO when photographing in bright light and opt for a higher one when it’s dark.

You’ll likely be able to find detailed advice on these technical elements in the user’s manual that came with your camera.

This tip is what will keep the memory of your trip alive for years to come! Of course you’ll always want to remember your helicopter tour over Hawaii, but what about the turtles crawling across Laniakea Beach, or the hand-painted coconuts in Molokai? While it’s always good to get shots of the ‘bigger picture’, don’t let your whole photo album be filled with landscape shots.

Zoom in on all the special details that make up your vacation; from the succulent Mexican cuisine you’ll enjoy on the Riviera Maya Food Tour in Cancun, to the intricately carved Mayan symbols at Chichen Itza.

Is there a pole sticking out of someone’s head, or a dog taking a dump in the background? You laugh, but we see these mistakes in people’s vacation photos on a regular basis!

Move around to different approach angles before you take the pic, and really take a good look through your viewfinder before you take the shot. Experiment with shooting from all sorts of angles – from high up, or down low, or even in a reflection. Try focusing on different elements within your shot.

Don't forget that one of the best vacation photography tips will be shooting in good light. You’ll likely beat the bulk of the midday crowds by exploring a location at sunrise or sunset- both of these times provide optimal light for photography.

Try to avoid always relapsing into the typical ‘tourist stands in front of famous landmark’ picture; it’s been done a million times before!

Try and find a new and more innovative way to photograph these landmarks. Approach them from different angles- or perhaps using long exposure for an artistic movement or light trail effect.

While the occasional posed photograph is harmless, you’ll form a more genuine visual narrative if you try to photograph the people around you in more candid moments. This could include not just you and your travel companions, but the locals as well!

Moments like these are when you’re more likely to capture the real emotions that your vacation inspired in you and the authenticity of your trip will really shine through!

Even though you’re well on your way to becoming a skilled photographer at this point, even some of the best images need a little retouching here and there!

You don’t have to be a Photoshop whiz to execute some well-edited images: there are plenty of great photo-editing apps available for smartphones at little or no cost, which allow you to easily retouch your photos, even if you’re on the go! Some of our top picks include Afterlight 2, which costs just $2.99 USD on the Apple store, or even Snapseed which is completely free!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will undoubtedly be familiar with Instagram, which allows you to take, edit, and share your pictures all from one, free platform!

Yes, everyone –including your kids! Working together to achieve some great family photos can be an awesome bonding experience and gives everyone a chance to get in touch with their creative side. Just make sure everyone makes full use of the camera’s safety strap! 

It’s great to see the holiday from every perspective, and you never know-with this vacation photography tips you could end up with an accidental work of art on your hands!

We hope that by mastering these all-important tips, you’ll be taking phenomenal pictures on your next vacation that will take our breath away! Happy holidays! Don’t miss out on our blog for more great travel tips, itineraries, and much more!