Have more fun vacationing

Your digital camera and accessories.

Extra batteries (or the charger if you're using rechargeable batteries).

Extra memory cards (the more memory, the more pictures you can store).

A good padded case with storage for memory cards and batteries.

Outlet adapter(s), if you're photographing or traveling out of the country.

If you have room on your trip, bring along your laptop so you can download pictures along the way. You can also use a laptop to log onto e-mail and send instant memories during the trip or to organize your photos on a rainy day. If you bring your laptop, make sure to pack the following:

Take candid pictures of your family or group while they prepare or pack. Keep an eye out for people who pack too much into a suitcase and grab a picture of them trying to close their bag. Don't forget to snap a picture of the pile of bags at the door waiting to be loaded. For special parties, take Before and After pictures that show the change from sweat pants to evening dress.

If everyone is getting an early start on the day, set your alarm even earlier and be there to catch the expression on people's faces when their alarms go off.

Take a picture of your plane tickets or boarding pass stubs. Include a brochure of where you're going in the picture, and your passport if it's an overseas trip.

Make sure to shoot a group photo before the event begins or the group departs. If it's a road trip, include a packed-vehicle shot.

Take pictures of people or things that are part of the event preparation or the journey to your destination, for example: the caterer, the people cleaning your house and hanging decorations, the cab or shuttle van, welcome signs as you enter new states, pilots, flight attendants, and even the plane at the boarding gate.

Do take touristy photos on your trips and vacations. Pictures in which your family stands next to a landmark or the evening sunset might seem cliché, but they capture what's special about where you're visiting. (Plus, of course, they prove that you were really there.) Likewise, during special events, don't be afraid to take shots of friends and family hamming it up or doing "classic" things like giving the "thumbs up" sign.

Be aware of what your companions are experiencing. For example, if your family or friends are mesmerized by the fireworks at Disneyland, look away from the show long enough to catch a picture of their expressions. During special events, try to find a behind-the-scene photo to take, such as the man napping in the next room, the couple sneaking a kiss when all eyes are on the couple getting engaged, or the teenager with her back to the party, lost in the music coming through her headphones.

Take pictures of what seems to be mundane: the entrance to the party location, the outside of your hotel, the inside of your room, and favorite restaurants that you visit. These may not be the high points of an event or your vacation, but the images can serve to establish a setting or serve as transitions.

Listen for the things about your event or destination that your kids find funny—they'll clue you in about what makes that moment or that location unique for them. For example, an ice cream-smeared face or a game that they invent at the hotel pool are good subjects for pictures.

On a trip, get a shot of the view from the room where you are staying—even if it's not such a great view, it can be evocative. At an event, get a long shot of the house or building from outside.

Take pictures of people or things that are part of your event or vacation: unusual decorations, odd-looking vehicles (particularly overseas), interesting signs along the roads, memorable restaurant personnel, or unique architecture that captures the uniqueness of the location.

Don't be afraid to take emotional pictures. If the kids are sad to leave at the end of a vacation, capture that! If the new grandfather or grandmother is sad when the newborn has to leave, capture that!

A picture of the sunburned faces you got skiing or playing on the beach is a good recap photo. So is the mess in the living room after all the Chanukkah, Christmas, Eid, Kwanzaa, or Diwali presents have been opened and everyone has left.

Take a picture of everyone who fell asleep on the way back from your trip of before the party ended—if you don't fall asleep first!

Take a picture of your mode of transportation.

If you're flying, make sure to get a photo of your traveling companions at the boarding gate, and don't forget the obligatory shot of your group waiting at the baggage carousel.