Tuesday Tip: Traveler's Guide to Photographing Your Trip

The most common photos we digitize are those from our customers' travels. Here are some tips fromPhotographyTips.com on how to prepare and make the most out of your vacation pictures!

• Take plenty of pictures. You don't want to return home and try to describe a wonderful scene that you could have photographed if you had planned to shoot generously.
• If you are planning to share your adventures while you're on the road, send your most representative pictures to friends and family by email or upload them to a photo-sharing website. Be selective, though, and don't overdo it. People will enjoy seeing two or three great pictures much more than 30 or 40 shots of everything you encountered.
• If you are traveling in a group, each member should bring their own camera, even when one person has agreed to take on the role of principal photographer. You would be surprised at how individuals see photographic subjects in different ways.
• When photographing an exciting or funny event, take the time every now and then to shoot behind you or beside you to show the reaction of others.
• When using a digital camera, take the time to review the shots you took that day, and delete those that are unsuitable.
• Be sure to take along plenty of film or several digital media cards. It's frustrating to come upon amust-photograph scene, and discover that you're out of film or your cards are all full.
• Bring your battery charger along on your trip. Although you can usually charge batteries while they are in your camera, a separate charger permits you to use a second set of batteries while the first is being recharged.
• If you are undecided about whether to take a picture of an interesting scene that has caught your attention, just take it. You can always toss it out later if you don't like it. But, it's usually difficult to return at a later time to find the same circumstances.
• The same principle applies to photographs that you think may not turn out. It may seem too dark or too cloudy, for instance, or your subject may be in deep shade or moving quickly. But, go ahead and take the shot anyway. You will sometimes amaze yourself by how a tricky shot turns out better than you expected. Also, many photographs that have minor problems can be saved using digital editing software or in the darkroom. And, if it simply doesn't work, you know what to do...toss it out.