How to Photograph a Vacation Without Annoying Your Family

I love photography and I love vacations; however, I learned long ago that I needed to be a vacationer first and a photographer second. My dawning moment came while preparing for a vacation to Nova Scotia. I was packing my photo bag with over 40 rolls of film and my wife looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Do you intend to spend ANY time with me?" This lesson has led to a happy marriage and many memorable vacations. It is natural to want to take pictures of your family on vacation, but use some common sense; they don’t HAVE to have their picture taken in front of EVERY museum in Washington, do they? In this article I will try to provide some common sense steps on how to get some memorable images--and still maintain family harmony!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A camera
• A Family
• Some vacation time

1. 
   Leave the Computer Behind

   This is hard to deal with, so get ready because the first step is to leave your laptop, card readers and non-vacation paraphernalia at home. Take your cameras, cell phone and lots of film or memory cards, but leave the computer at home. Nothing is more irritating to family members than to watch you sort and edit your images during downtime. You are supposed to be relaxing, so leave the editing for when you get home. You will have a better vacation and so will they.

2. 
   Include the Family

   By all means, take pictures of the family. This is my wife and daughter years ago in Paris, a very important image for me. Know when to stop, however. One happy photo like this is worth a thousand forced smiles in front of monuments. The next vital rule you need to break is to NOT take your camera everywhere. You are not covering your vacation for "Newsweek" and you don’t need to lug your camera to every dinner and night out. I know we all learn to carry our cameras at all times, but for the sake of your family, leave it behind sometimes.

3. 
   Local Color

   Plan your photography junkets. My wife likes to sleep longer than I do and early morning light IS the best. Plan to get up early and get to your photo target. Plan your target location the night before, so you can be efficient. Shoot until you are satisfied and bring some coffee and croissants back to the hotel room for you to enjoy as your spouse awakes. You get pictures of some local color and nobody gets hurt.

4. 
   Describe the Location

   Make sure you get some images the family will like when you are out on your junkets. This will make them like your photography more when you make them look at the pictures. Take photographs that “describe” your location. This was taken at the famous Kukenhoff Gardens in Amsterdam. How could you go to Holland and not take pictures of tulips? If you are in the Midwest, photograph the cornfields; in Colorado take pictures of the mountains. Take pictures that will help you recall the fun you had on your vacation

5. 
   Postcard Pictures

   Take the postcard pictures. Every location has some key sites that you must take just to remind yourself that you were there. In Paris it is the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. In New York it is the city skyline. In this picture is Place de Armes in Montreal. These key sites will help you remember your trip, and if you go a lot of places you will have your own “postcard” pictures from around the world. It’s your vacation, so enjoy it. They are your memories, so record them carefully. Most of all, they are your family--so be kind and considerate.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, other people may be on vacation also; try to respect their personal space and share the monuments and parks.
• In some areas of the world it is considered rude and may even be illegal to take pictures of local people. Know the culture of your destination and treat it with respect.

[niteowlgardener]

on 8/31/2009 Glad I learned this lesson a long time ago, hehehe. Wonderful article to remind me that family comes first and taking photos comes second. Thank you.

[survivoryea]

on 8/23/2009 My husband loves taking photos ---ALL THE TIME! ---think I will leave this article around for him to see! LOL 5*

[mattsaboy]

on 8/22/2009 5 stars and a recommendation. Thanks

[sux2dochemo]

on 8/7/2009 Thanks for the reminders of "it's a vacation". I spend a lot of time taking photos and editing (at home) all the while I am losing precious moments of life. The reminders are best for me. 5 from me and my family

[cliasays]

on 7/30/2009 Nice Article!