Tell vacation stories with photos
Every picture tells your story
Published: June 20, 2005
What a great vacation! Don't you wish everyone could experience it the way you did? The sounds, the sites, the smells—your pictures can certainly conjure up some great memories. These are the memories that you'll want to share with others or revisit yourself over and over again throughout the years. This article shows you how to capture great vacation photos that will help you to tell your story best.
That's right, your vacation (or any other event, for that matter) is a story; it has a beginning, middle, and an end. Capturing your photos in a way that tells the story is the first step in really taking your vacation home with you and sharing it with others.
Digital photography has dramatically changed the way you can share your vacation experiences with others. Among other changes, it provides many new options (beyond the traditional scrapbook) for telling stories using images. For example, you can create a digital scrapbook or slide show to share with others. You might burn images to a CD and ship them to your parents or email them to family and friends around the world.
With a program like Microsoft Photo Story, you can even create a movie of your still images, complete with music, movement, and narration.
No matter how you end up sharing your digital photos, with a little planning you can make sure you're telling a great story. Here are some ideas to help you do just that.
Getting Ready
You can prepare to photograph a trip even before you start packing. To start, make a list of the items you'll need. For example:
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Your digital camera and accessories. |
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Extra batteries (or the charger if you're using rechargeable batteries). |
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Extra memory cards (the more memory, the more pictures you can store). |
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A good padded case with storage for memory cards and batteries. |
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Outlet adapter(s), if you're traveling out of the country. |
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If you have room, bring along your laptop so you can download pictures along the way. You can also use a laptop to log onto email and send instant memories during the trip or to organize your photos on a rainy day |
WARNING: Bringing a laptop on vacation can be tricky and may well require negotiation with your traveling companion(s). They may demand written assurance that the laptop will in no way be used for anything business related. If you can't secure their permission, leave the laptop and the remaining items in this list at home.
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The cable that connects your camera to your laptop. |
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Your laptop power cord. |
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Digital imaging software and digital photo album software. |
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Local dialup access numbers for area(s) in which you'll be vacationing. (Alternatively, many hotels, package mailing stores, cafes, and other locations provide high-speed internet access, usually for a daily charge.) |
Getting there: the beginning of your story
On the way to your destination, start shooting right away! The beginning of your story includes your preparation for the trip as well as the journey to your destination. Keep your camera close at hand to capture the events that happen while you're in transit. Here are suggestions for ensuring a good beginning to your story:
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Take candid pictures of your family while they 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. |
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If everyone is getting an early start on the day, set your alarm even earlier and be there to catch the expression on your family's faces when their alarms go off. |
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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. 
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Make sure to shoot a group photo of the family before you depart. If it's a road trip, include a packed-vehicle shot.
Take pictures of people or things that are part of the journey to your destination: the cab or shuttle van, welcome signs as you enter new states, pilots, flight attendants, and even the plane at the boarding gate. |
Ahhh, vacation: the middle of your story
Now that you've captured the journey in images, what kinds of photos are worth grabbing in the day-to-day events of your vacation to ensure a good middle to your story? Here are a few things to remember:
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While on your trip, do take touristy photos. Pictures in which your family stands next to a landmark or the evening sunset might seem clichéd, but they do capture what's special about where you're visiting. (Plus, of course, they prove that you were really there.) 
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Be aware of what your companions are experiencing. For example, if your family is mesmerized by the fireworks at Disneyland, look away from the show long enough to catch a picture of their expressions. |
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Take pictures of what seems to be mundane: the outside of your hotel, the inside of your room, and favorite restaurants that you visit. These may not be the high points of your vacation, but the images can serve to establish a setting or serve as transitions. |
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Listen for the things about your destination that your kids find funny-they'll clue you in about what makes 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. |
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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. |
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Keep taking pictures of people or things that are part of your vacation: unusual vehicles (particularly overseas), interesting signs along the roads, memorable restaurant personnel, or unique architecture that captures the uniqueness of the location. |
Travel picture tip:
The worse the travel circumstances, the more important it is to take pictures. My wife and I recently took a vacation to a small Hawaiian island where we decided to head out on our own one day for a little excursion. A photo that I captured that day tells the story of how we got there and just how lost we became. In terms of our vacation story, this one photo is definitely worth a thousand words-some of which are not appropriate for print. At least we now look back on it and smile, and that's the point.
Heading home: the end of your story
As you head back home, don't forget to document that journey, too. Your story needs a good ending.
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Don't be afraid to take emotional pictures-if the kids are sad to leave, capture that! |
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A picture of the sunburned faces you got skiing or playing on the beach is a good recap photo. |
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Take a picture of everyone who fell asleep on the way back (if you don't fall asleep first). |
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Take a picture of your mode of transportation. 
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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. |
Photo movie tip:
If you are planning to make a photo movie of your trip when you return home, here are a couple of suggestions that can add that special touch to the movie.
1. While on vacation, collect the flyers that tell you about the places you visit. They can be handy for adding interesting narration to your story.
2. Buy a CD with music that captures the flavor of the place you're visiting to use as background music for your story.
Don't think, just shoot
When you take pictures with a digital camera, you can afford to experiment and capture some of the details of your trip that you might have skipped when shooting with traditional film. In other words, when you're using a digital camera, don't think, just shoot. You'll end up surprising yourself with some great images that really tell your story. Also remember that the images that touch your eye can also touch your heart. Be aware of what really makes good times good, and have your digital camera ready to capture those special moments.
 | Tony Northrup is a writer, an Internet engineer, and a digital photography enthusiast. Tony has a decade of experience making networks and servers connected to the Internet run smoothly. He has authored and co-authored eight books about using Windows and written dozens of articles about Internet technologies. When he’s not on his deck writing, he toys with home automation technologies and takes pictures for display in a Web photo album. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Erica, and cat, Sammy. You can learn more about Tony by visiting his Web site at http://www.northrup.org.
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