Holidays are packed full of wonderful and unforgettable moments which we all enjoy reliving time and time again once we’ve come back down to earth with a bump. Capturing your best holiday moments and memories on camera is a great way to keep the holiday feeling alive for as long as possible. Here are some top tips on creating your perfect holiday album:

Go for natural shots

Whether you are on holiday with family, friends or backpacking around South East Asia on your own, try to capture the essence of your holiday or your destination by aiming for natural shots as well as posed photographs. If you have children, then action shots of your little angels laughing, playing or splashing in the sea will make unforgettable images. If you are backpacking further afield then you’ll want to create a photographic journal of your trip, so take photos of the weird and wonderful moments that you never want to forget.

machu-picchuIt’s all about the light

Getting the lighting right in your photographs can make or break the perfect image, so check that you have the correct settings on your camera and avoid the brightest part of the day. Sunrise and sunset are ideal times to take photographs as the light creates wonderful warmth as a backdrop to both landscape and portrait images. If you have a tripod then aim for some night shots, particularly for exciting cityscapes, fireworks or festivals, and remember you’ll need to use a high ISO setting.

Vary your subjects

Aim for a good variety of photographs – no matter where you go, there will always be opportunities to capture stunning landscapes, local people, action shots and the more traditional family posed images. It also helps to off-set landscape images with people or wildlife as a focus point. So if you are off to the Greek islands, for example, try to take some shots of local markets or wildlife as well as endless images of pristine coastline or quintessential white-washed buildings.

Beat the crowds

If you are hoping to photograph top tourist locations then you’ll probably want to capture iconic buildings or ancient monuments without thirty tourists in the foreground. The only solution to this involves serious dedication – getting up early and beating the crowds! In Machu Picchu, Peru crowds usually start gathering in earnest from as early as 4 am, so it’s well worth losing a few hours’ sleep to capture your destination in all its natural glory.

Most of all, when you’ve taken your fantastic holiday photos, don’t hide them away! Once you’ve returned from your holiday, make sure that your photographs don’t end up sitting in a computer folder or in an album underneath the bed. Print your favorite holiday snaps as a college to frame and put up in your home, or turn your best shots into a photo-book that can be enjoyed whenever you like. Photographs need to be viewed and admired to keep your holiday memories alive, and that holiday feeling is definitely one worth keeping!