Most people, who go on a family beach vacation, take plenty of photographs. Once you're home and you view or print them out; are you ecstatic, bored, or disappointed? Be honest, now!
Does this sound familiar? You arrive at your destination, check the place out, and quickly change to go to the beach. Happily, you've remembered to take your sun block, nose plugs, and bathing suit. Maybe you remembered your camera, maybe you didn't.
Going on a family beach vacation brings up contradicting desires. On the one hand, you want everyone to have a wonderful, fun, relaxing, memorable vacation. On the other hand, most people don't want to do what's required to preserve the memories.
We will show you how to have the best of both worlds. By providing photography tips, you can capture outstanding beach vacation pictures, enjoy taking the photos, and ensure that when you look at the photos at home, you won't be thinking: "Was this OUR vacation!?!"
Can't-Miss Beach Vacation Photo Tips
1) Packing the Right Equipment
When you pack for your dream beach vacation, remember these essential items: Camera, batteries, memory cards, camera case, battery chargers, external flash (if available), tripod, and portable digital storage device. If you have an abundance of memory, you can leave the storage device at home.
2) Consider These Purchases
I know? you're already spending more than you want to on the vacation. So the last thing you want is some stranger suggesting you spend more on photo accessories. But, read on and find out what these low cost accessories will do for you before you skip to Tip #3.
Consider purchasing a circular polarizer filter for your lens. STRONGLY consider it! It will be one of the least expensive accessories you can buy, and you will LOVE the results. What are the results? A bluer sky, the ability to see objects under water, and creating colors that will "pop" off the page.
3) Insurance
Do you have insurance on your possessions? Did your camera cost more than $25.00? Then do yourself a big favor and buy a UV filter to place over your lens for protection. If your lens becomes damaged, your camera is ruined. You can probably get a good UV filter for under $20.00.
4) The Magical Landscape Shot
If there are colorful bluffs, harbors, or other landscape picture opportunities on your beach vacation, you want to capture them, of course. Not only that, but wouldn't it also be impressive to add some family member(s) to the shot and have the people AND the background in focus?
Set your F-stop for a high number (at least F-11, or at the "infinity" or "landscape" setting of your camera). Position the people in the foreground, the landscape in the background. Focus on your human subject(s), while being at least 15 feet away (25 is even better, if you have a telephoto).
Adjust the circular polarizer filter to obtain the desired shade of blue in the sky. Skip this step if you didn't purchase a filter. Don't worry, though. If you don't like the vividness of the sky after the print is developed, you can always take out a magic marker and color the sky. (You didn't hear that from me.)
Finally, gently squeeze the shutter and? voila! A perfect "postcard" photograph.
5) Silhouettes
Silhouette beach vacation pictures (or, non-beach vacation pictures for that matter) produce one of the most artistic and/or emotional-looking photographs possible. Most people never take silhouette photographs, and yet, they are just as easy as photographs taken during the day light.
The best time to take silhouette photos is from approximately 1 hour before sunset, to ½ hour after sunset. Use evaluative or matrix metering (which is probably your default metering mode anyway), and focus on the HUMAN SUBJECTS, with plenty of the cloud-filled sky in the background. Then compose the shot, as desired.
Did I mention that sunset shots without clouds are fairly disappointing? Sort of like winning the lottery and losing the ticket.
The silhouette effect results from the camera thinking the overall scene is brighter than it is, and therefore under-exposes the dark areas (human subjects).
To see sample photos and additional tips, check out http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/beach-vacation.html.
Article courtesy of http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com, where you can see numerous sample pictures & photography tips on many subjects and events.
Copyright 2005 Robert Bezman. All rights reserved.
Robert Bezman is a professional photographer and owner of Custom Photographic Expressions. Robert has created http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com to help the digital photography users create better photographs. Robert has a blog at http://www.best-fami ly-photography-tips.com/family-photography-news.html
TENT CAREYou should seal all floor seams and those seams... Read More
The beautiful Salmon River stretches through over 400 miles of... Read More
1. Take the early morning drives on safari even though... Read More
SAFE WALKING TREKKING OUTDOORSIf you are contemplating a long distance... Read More
If anyplace on earth is a natural paradise, Plitvice Lakes... Read More
Have you ever thought you might like to try a... Read More
"Do you know about Wal-Mart camping?" We didn't know, but... Read More
My favorite outdoor related quote comes from John Muir, the... Read More
Picture this. You are stuck at home knee deep in... Read More
If you're a birder, you want to keep a list... Read More
Okay, it wasn't quite a sleeping bag. However, it was... Read More
This amazing drive through the White Mountains of New Hampshire... Read More
If you've been dreaming of traveling the highways in your... Read More
San Diego offers a bevy of interesting hikes. With the... Read More
For most people, outdoor cooking is synonymous with barbeque, but... Read More
Which is the best African safari company for my safari... Read More
Live your golfing dreams on an Ireland golf vacation.The K... Read More
For the 92nd time, the Tour de France has started.... Read More
Going on a gorilla safari must rank as one of... Read More
(NC)-With approximately 42,000 mosquitoes for every person in Ontario, most... Read More
Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices... Read More
If you are on a tight budget and can't afford... Read More
We weren't planning to go rock and arrowhead hunting in... Read More
It was the end of my first year as a... Read More
In a previous article, I wrote primarily about box ovens.... Read More
For some 30 years I practiced law in Mesa, Arizona.... Read More
Having traveled from state to state and every city in... Read More
Prevention is your best protection against lightning. Be sure to... Read More
Spain: sun, sea, sand and Spanish... discover us! Spain, a... Read More
Mt. Washington Valley Trails & Mt Washington - NHThe highest... Read More
Oregon's Rogue River is one of the nation's most beautiful.... Read More
Hawaii snorkeling is a fun activity available to almost any... Read More
My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack... Read More
You aren't lightweight backpacking if you are carrying twenty-five pounds... Read More
Don't all of us love to have the money to... Read More
For the dedicated water sport enthusiast there can be no... Read More
There are so many selections available when it comes to... Read More
Why should you use hiking poles is perhaps the first... Read More
Recently we stayed at a state campground in Michigan near... Read More
Costa Rica is a small country - just 75 mi/120... Read More
Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is pleased... Read More
My favorite outdoor related quote comes from John Muir, the... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula,... Read More
How to get discount lift tickets for popular ski resorts... Read More
Maybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner.... Read More
It was the end of my first year as a... Read More
I stood at the observation point on the balcony at... Read More
For the 92nd time, the Tour de France has started.... Read More
When you think of "adventure travel," what crosses your mind?... Read More
Phillip Island is a small island and nature reserve off... Read More
It seems like the most adventurous thing in the world.... Read More
The Udzungwa Mountains National park was created primarily for the... Read More
Of course you know about Southern California's premier attraction, Disneyland... Read More
Hello Again,Today we will be talking about meal planning. Meals... Read More
When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio... Read More
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was... Read More
Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good... Read More
Any vacations in Africa will not be complete without going... Read More
A saddle is a static object, but your horse is... Read More
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More
Oregon's Rogue River is one of the nation's most beautiful.... Read More
A camping gear checklist is an important tool to help... Read More
Hiking shoes versus hiking boots? Hiking shoes win. Okay, next... Read More
Visitors to Hawaii frequently see dolphins from shore or on... Read More
White-water rafting can be one of the most exhilarating experiences... Read More
Outdoors |