Vacations are one of the best times of the year! You enjoy, explore and spend quality time with your loved ones. And by photographing your family vacations you can cherish those moments for life! 

In this article, I’ll help you out with some tips and tricks that will take your family vacation photography game to the next level! Moreover, starting with technical tips about gear and cameras, you will also learn how to make your photos creative!

Gear

Traveling light is ideal. We are a family of 7 so “light” is a relevant term.

My Vacation Gear List

You may want to take images in front of famous buildings, or big epic landscape photos then WIDE-ANGLE lenses are the best option. A wide-angle lens is also great for taking photos indoors or in smaller areas.

Tips for memorable photos

DECIDING WHAT TO SHOOT:

• Your family (group and individual shots) ***I frequently try to get all of my kids in 1 frame
• Location: Where are you? What makes this place special? What makes it not so special? 
• How is this vacation different? Is everyone wearing masks?
• Food: What are you eating? Where are you eating? 
• Details: What are the little things that are significant on this vacation? Sunscreen, face masks, coconuts, the flowers, etc. Think about the things that you want to remember about this vacation. The details help convey how a place feels
• Activities & downtime

Plan ahead

Come prepared. Charge all batteries before you leave for your trip. And triple-check that you have sd cards!
Make sure to keep your camera near you so you won’t miss those little moments between your family or kids. It doesn’t mean you should not relax or enjoy but be mindful of the moments.

Look for inspiration

As a  documentary photographer, I photograph life as it happens but I also prepare myself before going to a new location. I search for famous places in that area. By doing a little research I not only gain knowledge about that place but also some tips on some perfect spots that I may have missed!

I use Pinterest and Instagram to search the destination for creative ideas and locations! Hashtags are also best to find the location and ideas.

Communicate with your family 

You have planned everything about the location, creative ideas, and many more so don’t forget to discuss it with your husband and kids.
Collaborate and discuss ideas! Maybe they have some more interesting ideas in mind.
Consider planning a photo walk just to take photos.

Tell a story from your photos

Capture every single detail of the location you are traveling to. The food, interesting spots, restaurants, parks, and many more. Such pictures will reflect the culture of that place and while looking at your pictures people will feel as if they were present at that moment! 

Also, when you look back at those photos, all the memories will revive back in your mind! And when your kids grow and look back at those photos they will enjoy that too. 

Adventures

Capture the little & big moments. Record their reactions. Also anything your kids are doing for the first time. Like snorkeling or swimming in a lake or a craft project. It could be anything.

Just remember that adventures are adventures no matter big or little!

Be brave

Don’t worry about what people would think if you take photos publicly. Chances are you will never see these people again. When I first started documenting my family,  I was extremely hesitant to take photos in a public place. As a result, my pictures never turn out well! 

But, over time, I trained my mind not to worry about what people would think or if they were looking at me.

Capture B-roll photo

Other than the pictures of your family, don’t forget to capture the street photos, meals, landmarks, restaurants, buildings, grocery stores, buses, and every single detail that reminds you of that place! These photos are called B-roll. These photos take you back to that moment.

Lighting conditions

Sunrise and sunsets are the perfect timing to capture some super amazing shots of you and your family. Some locations in the world give the best result at sunrise. So, if you wake up an hour before the sunrise, you can make the most out of it!

However, life happens during all the other hours of the day! Light is light! Use it! 

• Hard light- In simple words, hard light is the lighting condition during the middle time of the day. Most photographers avoid shooting at this time. But you can use this light for strong, high-contrast, street-style photos.

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Photographing a family vacation is so much fun!

I hope this article will be helpful to you. Now all you have to do is to book a flight to your vacation or hit the road and you are on your way to documenting all the memories!

Happy vacations and happy photography!