Award-Winning Food Photographer based in London. Charlie Bard - Food And Drink Photographer
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How do I get Creative in family travel photography?
Jun 20, 2016 · 1. Shoot the footage first: When we would get to the beach or pool, I would always pull out the camera and film the kids first jumping in the pool or running into the beach water.
There is nothing quite like capturing the joyful moments of an extended family beach vacation, and what better way to preserve those memories than with a stu...
- Family Photography Ideas and Instagram Tips For Your Next Family Vacation Photos
- What Camera Gear to Use For Your Family Travel Photography
- Prepare Yourself
- Composition
- Timing
- Taking The Picture
- Get in The Shot
- Be Creative in Your Family Travel Photography
- Edit Your Family Travel Pictures
- Have Fun
Have you ever had the feeling your family vacation photos don’t end up the way you pictured them in your head (a lot of the time because the kids don’t cooperate)? They don’t represent the way your family felt at the moment or tell the story in the right way? Or do you want to improve your family travel photography to show it off on Instagram or Fa...
The question most people ask us on our Instagram is which camera or lens we use during our travels. Whatever you choose, don’t forget you’re traveling with kids. Think about your holiday, the trips you are planning, the activities you will do. And of course, the kids you will bring along. You don’t want to travel with gear that is too heavy or take...
4. Practice with your camera before you go
You are ready to get more serious about your family travel photography and you have bought yourself a DSLR or mirrorless camera. And there you are, at this iconic place, the kids are all lined up and the magic doesn’t happen. You take a picture and it doesn’t come out the way you want it. So you start adjusting some settings, but by then the moment has passed. You have one annoyed partner and the kids are on the loose. The solution: practice, practice, practice! Trust me, I’ve been there! I o...
5. Look for inspiration for your family vacation pictures
Although I do believe in impulsive and in-the-moment shots, I always do research about a place before we head off to explore. It inspires me and gives me tips on great spots I might otherwise miss. And because you travel with kids, you don’t have the luxury like other photographers to take a shot over and over again or walk around for hours until you find the perfect angle. I mainly use Pinterest and Instagram to find my inspiration for a destination. On Instagram, go to the search option and...
6. Communicate the idea with your family
You’ve done your research, have some stunning pictures in your head, but forgot to tell the rest of the family about it. The result: a cranky husband because he thinks it’s time to go or kids who don’t want to cooperate anymore. Or even worse, you were planning to go to a spot by sunset and it doesn’t fit in the family planning anymore. The solution: talk to each other! I used to make those mistakes too, but now I show my inspiration to the rest of my family. Which often inspires them too or...
7. Frame your picture correctly
One of the basic principles of photography composition is the rule of thirds The basic principle is you divide a picture into three, both horizontally and vertically. This will create 4 lines and 4 intersection points. The general rule is you don’t center your main subject in a picture, but you place it on one of those intersection points. If you couldn’t frame it correctly when taking the shot, no worries. It’s something you also can adjust afterward by cropping your picture in the right way...
8. Be selective
Be very critical when it comes to deciding what should be in your shot and what should be excluded. For example, you can take an amazing shot with the perfect background but that red trash can or ugly car takes away all the intention. Maybe if you move a bit to the right when taking the picture, it’s not in the frame anymore and you have the perfect shot! Think about the story you want to tell with your family vacation pictures!You might want to show how beautiful the scenery is, with your fa...
9. Use different perspectives and angles
To make your family travel pictures interesting, try different things. Go level with your kids to really capture the moment. Try a top-down perspective or go low and shoot up. People have often been laughing because I’m laying flat down in the dirt capturing my kids. By using different perspectives and angles, you’ll draw people into your picture. Because that’s what amazing photography is about. You want to recreate the moment and the atmosphere for people looking at your picture. Pass on th...
A big thing in photography is shooting pictures in the perfect light. For me, this is one of the most difficult things in family travel photography. Chasing the perfect light is so much easier for solo or couple-travelers!
13. Take candid or in-the-moment shots
Although I love those shots of my kids looking at some amazing view or building, the most beautiful family vacation pictures are often candid shots. The photos where they don’t realize they are being captured and they are just enjoying the moment, having fun, or learning something new. It’s the expression on their faces that you’ll want to remember as much as the things you see. For this kind of picture, I love to take close-ups. Candid pictures are honest, they show how your kids really are....
14. Don’t be afraid to stage or coach the kids
I know, I just said you should take candid pictures of the kids but there’s no harm in staging a shot once and a while. You probably have the perfect picture in your head, so tell the kids where to stand, what to do. Otherwise, they will be running around and be everywhere except where you want them to be. If you want to make it feel more natural, let them run towards you or away from you, make them look at each other or away from the camera, take a shot of them enjoying the views. And I alwa...
15. Make the kids cooperate
First of all, don’t ask your kids to pose or cooperate with you the whole day. Let them be kids, they want to play, run around, and just not be doing what you ask all day long. Try to limit the moments you take family vacation pictures where they have to cooperate. Ok, I’ll admit, I bribe my kids too. With candy or a lollipop, the promise of a refreshing pool or a nice playground. Always works. I don’t like it when the kids put up their fake smiles. So I either tell them a joke or get in the...
16. Use a remote and tripod for your family travel pictures
Pictures of my kids… I have hundreds. What am I saying… Thousands! But at a certain point, I realized I didn’t have a lot of pictures with all four of us besides the occasional selfie. Or even just with one of us and the kids. After all, we are on this trip together. So I started to take more shots of our entire family. Trust me, those are often the pictures that make it to our wall. As of now, a tripod is an essential part of our photography gear. We never go anywhere without it. The great t...
17. Don’t be embarrassed
It took us some time (especially Jurgen, the dad in this family) to get over the embarrassment of openly setting up tripods, posing, taking time for pictures while other people are watching or waiting. In the beginning, we felt really awkward, which often translated into the pictures as well. But you’ll get used to it. Now, we often have people copying us after we’ve been taking pictures. So maybe they are not laughing at you but admire you for your great idea!
18. Try something different than the typical ‘let’s all smile in the camera’ picture
Don’t get me wrong, those shots are lovely. And you definitely need to take some of those. But try to be a bit more original with your family travel photography! Walk up towards the camera, be silly, throw yourself in a pile (preferably with daddy on the bottom ?), look at each other, tickle the kids, walk away from the camera, jump, get a drone shot, … The more creative you get with your family travel pictures, the more fun you’ll have!
19. Find the light
Every photographer knows how important this is. You have to find the light! If you don’t have an external flash (which most travelers don’t as it is again a lot of extra weight), try to avoid using your flash. It will make your family travel pictures look unnatural. Instead, find the light in your surroundings. Look for the sun peeping through the trees or a window. Try to play with the light by shooting right into the sun for silhouettes, create sun flares by putting the sun right at the edg...
20. Think about what you wear
I have to admit I will sometimes prepare the clothes we are wearing before we head out to explore. I either try to match all of our clothes, colorwise, to make sure we don’t get a cacophony. Or I make sure the kids are wearing colors that go well with the surroundings. Sometimes I’ll choose soft colors, but mostly I go with colors that pop. It makes family vacation pictures far more interesting when you wear bright clothes. For example in a landscape picture, wearing a colorful coat such as r...
21. Try underwater or drone photography
If you really want to be creative in your family travel photography, try to use an underwater camera or drone. We bought our drone before we left for full-time travel and it has been amazing to take family pictures from a whole different perspective. The drone we use is the DJI Mavic Pro, but we’d love to upgrade to the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. In our opinion, these are the best travel drones, compact, stable, and stunning quality. As far as underwater photographyis concerned, I am not an expert at t...
23. Use an editing app or software to take your photography to the next level
Although a lot needs to happen at the moment you are taking pictures such as the composition and getting your kids to cooperate, it’s amazing how much you can do afterward. I’ve really discovered the game of editing for family travel photography. The better the quality of your camera, the more is possible, especially when it comes to lifting up the darks. I prefer Adobe Lightroom for my editing. In my opinion, it’s still the most complete software. You’ll have to practice a bit in the beginni...
24. Crop and frame your picture correctly
One of the things that really bother me when I see other family vacation pictures, is when the horizon isn’t leveled out. It’s really simple to adjust this and can be done in every app or even right on your phone. A quick win to make your picture more attractive and look professional. Like we said before, don’t forget to crop your photo according to the rules of good composition as well. Think about the rule of thirds, symmetry, lines, …
25. Edit differently depending on the goal
Everybody needs to find their own style. I started with overediting a bit too much, now I prefer the richer colors and leave the shadows darker. Don’t try to overdo it, keep it natural. It also depends on the goal. I sometimes edit differently for Instagram, for a picture that I want to be framed on my wall, for our blog, … Try to find your own style! If you want to have some more travel photography inspiration have a look at the website of National Geographic. Click here and go straight to t...
I hope these 25 tipswill help you to take your family travel photography to the next level. They are quite easily applicable. You’ll be surprised how much better your family vacation pictures can look. But most of all, have fun! You’re on this family trip because you want to have quality time with your kids and partner. You want to explore, learn n...
- Always Be Prepared. Probably the most important thing to take note of is to make sure you are all prepared and have every video equipment you need before leaving the house.
- Plan for Success. As with everything else, planning and preparation is the key to a successful travel video. Start off by conducting some research on the Internet or through a travel guide on your destination(s) and make notes on what is worth taping when you arrive there.
- Create A Story. There is always a reason why a decision is made to record your vacation. Is it the family’s first time on a cruise ship, your parent’s first time on a plane, or your kids’ first trip to Disneyland?
- Establish The Scene With Signs And Descriptions. When on vacation, there will be loads of things to do and places to see, so it’s easy to get caught up with just filming the activity but not the location the activity is at.
- Prepare the kids. Tell your family about the photo shoot you have coming up, and get them excited. Depending on their age, they may have some poses they are excited to try, e.g.
- Make sure everyone is well fed, and rested. Feeling cheerful goes a long way in a photo shoot. Be sure that everyone is fed and rested before the shoot.
- Plan Ahead. The most common piece of family photo shoot advice people ask about is wardrobe. I know it can feel overwhelming, and am happy to help! Plan your wardrobe before the day of your shoot, and make sure the necessary items are dry cleaned/ironed.
- Snacks. Bring snacks that are quick and easy to eat. Snacks should be non-staining, and food that wont get stuck in your teeth. Good snacks: Jelly beans.
Nov 13, 2014 · When taking a family photo during your travels, it’s tempting to simply huddle up and smile at the camera. But this type of photo limits you to the facts—we know where we were and how old we...
May 25, 2021 · Learn how to make a photo slideshow with your favorite family vacation memories in just minutes with this easy user-friendly tool.
