Have you ever been scrolling through your Facebook and Insta and see other people’s holiday pics and think, how on earth do they get them to look like that?!
Well, we’re here to assist you with some photo-taking tips, so that next time you go away, you’ll be able to take your holiday snaps like a pro!
With just a few helping hints and a quick check of your photo settings, you will be coming away from your next escape with holiday pics that wouldn’t be out of place in National Geographic. Here’s the things you need to do!
Framing
One top technique for suave shots is the art of framing your photos. All that basically means is finding something that acts as a natural frame, and then taking the photo of you or your loved one inside it!
Good examples would be a doorway, an archway, a pretty wall or even some foliage. Use any of things to ‘frame’ you and your picture will look naturally scenic!
Filling the frame
Another good technique when taking photos is to ‘fill the frame’. Often there’s a main ‘subject’ in your photo – say you, or your partner, or perhaps a palm tree – and so all you need to do is make sure most of that object fills your photo.
Just try to make sure there’s not lots of unneeded extra space around them – it’s better if they’re the main focal point of your picture. That way, there’s no distractions from your subject, and your eyes are naturally drawn to the most captivating point – you!
Good lighting
One of the best ways to make sure your photo comes out picture-perfect is a very simple one – having good lighting!
Heading on holiday is the perfect time to make use of a photographer’s best asset – golden hour! Golden hour is the time just after sunrise and just before sunset, when everything around you will be bathed in a gorgeous, golden-hued light. Any photo, of anyone, or any thing, looks fabulous with this kind of natural lighting!
If you’re really committed to getting a good photo no matter what the lighting situation, then you can always invest in a clip-on phone light, which will help to illuminate you in lesser-lit areas. No more hiding away in the shadows – get ready to shine bright!
Invest in a good selfie stick
If you’re a solo traveller or you simply want photos of your holiday party altogether without having to ask a passer by, then one of the best little tools you can get is a selfie stick!
Simply clip your phone into the stick and within seconds you’ll have a device capable of capturing everyone! They generally come with a long extendable arm, so you’ll be able to get a much wider shot than if you were only using your hand. Perfect for capturing you and all your scenic surroundings!
Take multiple shots – or even a video!
Don’t be afraid to take multiple shots – in fact, you’re more likely to get the perfect pic by doing so! There’s nothing more annoying than an ‘almost perfect’ photo – so be sure to take a few at once that you can pick from later on. Or, simply record a video and take a screen grab if you want a section of the video saving as an image!
Most camera phones have the ability to take ‘burst photos’, which are basically multiple shots captured as your subject moves. You can then look at your selection of burst photos and pick the best shots later on.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro even has a feature known as ‘Best Take’ – where it gives you the option to correct mistakes in your photos by merging them with other photos you’ve taken. So you don’t have to worry about that amazing photo where one person’s eyes are annoyingly closed. Best Take will sort it!
Turn on your grid
One of the best things you can do to help you take better photos is to turn on your framing grid! The option to do this is usually found in your settings. Simply toggle it on and you’ll now have a handy grid appear on your phone screen when taking photos.
Having these grid lines on aids you in multiple ways – from helping you keep the horizon straight (no more wonky photos!) to seeing how your shots square up, and helping you to place your subject within a certain area of your grid to make the most of your surroundings.
Play around with your phone’s camera settings
How often do you look at your camera settings? For most, the answer is probably never! Our phone’s are pretty good-to-go for taking photos for the most part, but to truly make the most out of your phone’s capabilities and to deliver top-quality pics, it’s time for a deeper delve into your camera options.
It doesn’t matter what kind of device you have – an android phone like a Samsung, a Google Pixel, or an Apple device such as an Iphone – your phone will have some handy camera settings that you can have a little play around with to improve your pics.
Most camera phones now have certain ‘modes’ that instantly help you achieve better photos. For example, Portrait Mode on most phones automatically blurs out the background, and makes the focal point of your picture – say you, or a flower – really stand out, resulting in a really professional looking pic.
Night Mode is also really handy for areas that are dimly lit, and actually help you to capture the best photo by highlighting the small amount of light there is. So your holiday evenings don’t have to mean dim and blurry photos!
Most modern camera phones also give you the ability to instantly brighten or darken your shots as you’re taking them – on an Iphone you can tap your screen and drag the little sun icon in various directions to affect the photo you’re taking. So brighten up those pics of your dinner or darken the portrait of your other half for a dramatic look!
You can even get really technical if you like – just head to your manual camera controls and have a play around with the various options. You can adjust things like shutter speed for if you want to capture a moving object, ISO (your camera’s sensitivity to light), swap between different lenses, and even turn on RAW capture if you’re phone allows you to do so – meaning you capture a higher level of image detail, resulting in higher quality images. This does mean they take up much more storage as a larger file on your phone however, so something to be mindful of! Have fun playing around, especially to see what unique holiday pics you can come up with!
Ready to take perfect holiday pics?
Now you’re fully equipped to take top-notch photos, you just need a holiday to go on! Here’s some of our best holiday deals to get you snapping away in the sunshine soon…
Facebook
Twitter
Email 
