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Taking Travel Photos That Tell a Story

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Going on vacation? Whether your travels are taking you to the beach, Disney, or on a once in a lifetime trip, you’ll want to make the most of your photo memories! To ensure that your travel photos tell a story, take the time to organize before your trip (just a few easy steps!), and then while you’re traveling, you’ll want to “mix it up” with the types of pictures you take. Unfortunately some of the tips I’m about to share with you I learned the hard way!

1) Take pictures of the sights, but don’t forget about the people.  A couple of summers ago, my daughter had the opportunity to play in an international soccer tournament. It was an amazing experience! We did some sightseeing in London before heading to Sweden for the tournament. There was so many fascinating historical sites that it would have been easy to forget to take the people pictures. I have to admit I did get so caught up in the history that I did forget to take people pictures on occasion!

The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben

The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben

At the Tower of London

At the Tower of London

2) Don’t forget the photographer! Often times the person taking the pictures is forgotten…most of the time that’s me! I find that I am very seldom in any of our family photos, let alone vacation photos. If this is happening with you as well, hand over the camera and let someone else take the picture once in a while! Photos tell the stories of our lives, and if you aren’t in any of the photos, your story is in danger of being forgotten! This is one of the few pictures I was in on this trip. On more recent trips, I’ve made an effort to try to get into more of the pictures.

Opening Ceremonies at the Gothia Cup,  one of the few pictures I am in

Opening Ceremonies at the Gothia Cup,
one of the few pictures I am in

 

3) Capture the things you find interesting and unique. When we travel, we see many things that are different from home. I love seeing the world outside of my little corner…it’s fascinating to me to learn about new places. Make sure your pictures reflect the uniqueness of your travel destination. In London, we loved seeing the old world architecture, and we also found it interesting to see ads on so many of the cars and the occasional old fashioned phone booth. We didn’t get to do as much sightseeing in Sweden because of the tournament schedule, but the girls were excited to find that when we went to the amusement park across from our hotel, that instead of winning big stuffed animals like we do in the US, they won giant size packages of candy bars or potato chips! What fun!

London, old world architecture

London, old world architecture

Ads on cars were quite common in London

Ads on cars were quite common in London

It was fun to see the old fashioned phone booth!

It was fun to see the old fashioned phone booth!

Giant candy bars at the amusement park

Giant candy bars at the amusement park

 

4) Don’t forget the details. The details can be anything from photos of a fabulous meal to architectural details to street signs. I tend to take photos of local architectural details wherever I go…and this trip was no exception! The scene at the Opening Ceremonies of the Gothia Cup was also amazing to see. Teams from all over the world attended this tournament…it was really exciting!

Beautifully detailed door

Beautifully detailed door

Stadium at the Opening ceremonies of the Gothia Cup

Stadium at the Opening ceremonies of the Gothia Cup

 

5) Change it up. Don’t limit yourself to posed shots…make sure you take candids too!  Candids paired with the posed shots help capture more of the story you are trying to convey. Since we were there for soccer, I have lots of action shots! I also made sure I got the high fives and the group hugs…photos that showed team comaraderie and bonding as well as play time. Capturing emotion adds dimension to your story.

Fierce Competitors

Fierce Competitors

Hugs all around after a win in the final

Hugs all around after a win in the final

 

I try to take a mixture of photos when I travel, from scenery and buildings to posed and candid shots of my travel companions. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on how to create a photo book with your vacation memories!

What types of travel photos do you like to take on your vacations?