5 Tips for Taking Vacation Photos

4. Light the Shot Right

Many digital point-and-shoots and smartphones take admirable vacation shots in bright, sunny, natural light but stumble in poor lighting conditions. And, depending on the camera, use of the flash can result in either crisp shots or washed out-photos. Experiment with your camera's flash to determine its capabilities. If you know you'll be shooting in situations with limited light, look for a point-and-shoot with aperture-priority capacity or a reliable flash. Or spring for a digital SLR, which will let you adjust the speed and aperture to compensate for low light.

5. Know When to Zoom In — or Out

The basic rule here is to zoom in for nature shots and zoom out for sprawling landscapes. It's thrilling to see nature in action, but returning home from a whale-watching excursion with pictures of a small black dot on the horizon probably won't excite your friends and family. When you're on that whale-watching trip or, say, in the bush on safari or even just visiting a zoo, you'll have to adjust for subjects that are some distance away, unpredictable or in constant motion. For such shots you really do need a zoom or long lens to get in close. On the other hand, when your subject is a vast landscape, zooming out with a wide-angle lens will beautifully capture the scene's majesty. Many digital cameras come with 35 to 100mm capability, but you might want to experiment with lenses that are both longer and wider than this.

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