Top 10 Tips to Taking Better Vacation Photos

Photographs are some of the best souvenirs you can bring back from a vacation - they are inexpensive, they don't take up any luggage space, and best of all they can be cherished for a lifetime. Follow these tips on your next Azamara^® voyage and you'll bring back photos that will wow your friends and family, and provide wonderful memories of your amazing adventure. We'd love to see some of your favorite photos from your Azamara cruise, so please share them with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!  1. Do a Little Research - Before you go on vacation, take a little time to get to know the features and settings of your camera, whether it's just the camera on your iPhone or a professional camera with tons of features. Also, learning the history of an area can help to highlight photo ops that you may have otherwise passed by. 2. Mix it Up - Don't be afraid to mix up the type of photos you take. Instead of taking photos at eye level, get low or climb high to take shots from different perspectives. Everyone takes photos of Rome's Colosseum, make yours special by focusing on the light streaming through an archway. 3. Try, Try Again - The beauty of using a digital camera is that you can take hundreds of photos before your memory is full, so if you can't get the photo to turn out on the first try, keep trying. Don't delete your photos right away either, keep them until you have time to give your photos a full review on a large screen (See Tip 9).  4. Get Lost - Add some interest to your photos by getting off the beaten path. While touring around a new city, along with visiting the main boulevards, take some time to stroll down the side streets. Side streets are generally quieter and less crowded allowing for more breathing room when taking photos, and can lead to new photo opportunities. 5. Candid Camera - Along with taking the usual shots of your friends and family smiling and posing, take some time to snap candid shots when everyone is going about their day. These candids can add authenticity to vacation photos, and help to better tell the story of your vacation. 6. Stay Still - Nobody wants to end up with shaky or blurry images of their trip, so the easiest way to prevent this from occurring is to keep your camera stable. Be sure to hold the camera as steady as possible with both hands and brace it against or on something if possible. 7. Lighting - Lighting can make or break a photo. Make sure the sun is behind whomever is taking the photo. The lighting is often best around sunrise and sunset, so get out your camera during these periods for picture perfect photographs.  8. Don't Wait for the Perfect Photo Opportunity - Along with capturing big picture vacation moments, photograph the smaller moments of your daily life while on vacation, when you are relaxing with a coffee or strolling. Don't be afraid to take a photo of a street sign you find interesting or of a unique store window that you come across. 9. Review Your Work - After your vacation is over, sit down and review your photos. Save the ones you want to keep, but also review the ones you want to delete. When looking over the “bad” photos, try and figure out the reasons why you think it's a bad shot -- was the lighting or focus off? Were there background objects ruining the photo? Learn from your mistakes and you will become a better photographer. 10. Take Better Vacations! - Take a vacation that inspires you to take photographs! Choose an adventure that gets you out of your comfort zone and offers new and exciting experiences worth photographing. The more unique the destination, the more unique your photos will be.  Most importantly, don't forget to pack your camera and be sure to bring along extra batteries, a charger and any power adaptors that may be needed when visiting a foreign country. Also make sure you have plenty of memory space to store your vacation memories! Want to start taking better vacations? Start planning your next Azamara voyage today! We're certain you'll love the experience, the photos you take, and the memories you make, along the way! Share your photos from your recent Azamara voyages with us here: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!