Taking Great Family Vacation Photos

With the arrival of summer, so starts the season of family vacations. If you're like me, you plan each vacation carefully and always have the best intentions to take some nice family photos while you are away. Even for us photographers this is not always an easy feat. There's not much advice I can give you to help navigate some obstacles you might encounter such as "grumpy dad that doesn't like taking photos" or "toddlers hopped-up on ice cream and treats", but I  would like to share some basic tips that might help you to take nice looking family photos while you're on vacation. 

1.  Choose the right time of day for better lighting. 

     Typically the best time of day for photos is late evening or early morning. During the day, when the sun is overhead, it can cause some pretty dramatic hot-spots on your skin, with deep, unflattering shadows on the face, as well as cause squinting. It's best to try for early morning or late evening. If you choose an early morning shoot, just make sure it's early enough that the sun is still low on the horizon. Depending on the time of year and your location, around 6:30-7AM is a good time. 

    If your family aren't early birds (especially on vacation), then a late evening, just before sunset, would be best. This is when the magical time known as golden hour happens. Golden hour is the hour just before sunset. The sun is low on the horizon and has a warm soft look to it which works great for photos. A quick google search can lead you to the actual time of sunset at your location. Plan to start your photo session at a time that leaves plenty of time to finish just before the sun sets. 

    If you have to shoot during the day, when the sun is still high in the sky, try to keep the sun to the subjects' backs and if your camera allows it, a flash (yes, even during the day) can help to fill in some light into their faces to help fight off some of those harsh shadows caused by the sun overhead.  

2. Make sure you have the proper equipment.

    A cameral is best if you have one, but a cell phone can work. Both usually have a timer option which is great for setting the shot and then running into the frame to include everyone. Be sure the pack a tripod. A simple, inexpensive tripod is great for framing the shot when using a timer. 

3.  Composition.   

     Composition makes ALL the difference when taking an aesthetically pleasing photo. There are some basic composition rules that should be followed. First, is the rule of thirds. This means that when you are looking through the viewfinder on the camera you should imagine the frame split into thirds from right to left and from top to bottom. Try to position the subject on one of the imaginary "hashmarks".  Also, try to keep the horizon straight, especially if water is in the background. Choosing an interesting angle, rather just straight forward shooting can also add some appeal to make a simple photo more interesting. See the "Rule of thirds" example below. She is placed in the frame at the left third hashmark, and also to the bottom third hashmark.