The best holiday souvenirs are always the photos that you’ve taken yourself. Whether you take photographs just for your own pleasure, or for your travel blog, you want unique holiday photographs instead of routine images. There are already far too many of those on all the usual internet haunts. Let us show you how to make distinctive holiday photos that will remind you of your travels for months and years to come.
 

Early Bird or Night Owl?

You probably know this problem: you want to take a photo of the Spanish Steps in Rome, and hundreds of other people are in the area and blocking your view. You’ll find the same thing at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Angkor Wat in Cambodia or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. How do professional photographers manage to take perfect pictures with nobody running in front of the camera? They get up early in the morning, and they visit all these interesting places before other holidaymakers have even got to the breakfast table. Of course, you’ll want to have some days during your holiday when you can have a lie-in and start your day at a gentle pace, but it is worthwhile, at least on one occasion, to set your alarm for sunrise. That way your chosen target will be in full view, and you can enjoy the scene in perfect peace and quiet. You’ll also benefit from the fantastic quality of light that’s available early in the morning.

​

Get up early and avoid crowded tourist magnets if you want spectacular photos

If you're a night owl, you can do exactly the opposite: instead of forcing yourself out of bed early in the morning, you can just wait until everything's calmed down a bit in the evening. At dusk the quality of the light is wonderful. If you're holidaying in one of the more rural parts of Europe, you might find that you come across a timid deer or a cunning fox on your photo safari. And a photo of an impressive building by night is every bit as beautiful as one taken in the daytime. Just make sure that when you're taking night-time photos, you adjust the ISO setting on your camera correctly. If there are no external light sources at all, you'll have to use flash.

Find something special in everyday things

Spectacular beaches, breath-taking architecture, exotic markets and much more – you’ll want to capture some very special subjects so that you can impress your friends and family. That’s what everybody wants to do, and so every album from a holiday in Milan will have photos of Milan Cathedral, while holidays in Thailand yield countless photos of temples and statues of the Buddha. A holiday trip is a very personal experience, and it’s usually not the tourist hotspots that make your holiday a unique experience. Really, it’s all about the little details of everyday life. Try to capture these details, and discover something special in everyday things. If your hotel is in a picturesque little side street, perhaps that would make a good subject for a photo? Or if you buy your morning rolls every day at the same little baker’s shop, maybe you could take a few pictures inside? When you’re travelling abroad, you’ll be keen to discover different cultures, so observe how the local people go about their daily jobs, and take pictures of what’s happening in the street.

Always take your camera with you!

The best subjects are often off the beaten track, and far away from the places that most people visit. So, always take your camera with you, even if you're only nipping out to grab something from the shops or if you're taking a last evening stroll before bedtime. Just keep your eyes open and be inspired by the shapes, colours and moods that you encounter. When you're out with your family and friends, there might be a golden opportunity for a group photo.

Spontaneous snapshots add a playful touch to your holiday photo collection

Snapshots, too, are an absolute must when you're on a trip somewhere – there should always be some of them in your holiday album! Imagine, you buy your child an ice cream, and before she has the chance to taste it, a scarlet blob of raspberry ice drops on to her pure white top – the colours and the facial expression will make a fantastic photo! You might meet some people and get along with them like a house on fire. Take a picture of yourself with them, and send the photo on to them after the holiday is over. This could be the beginning of a wonderful friendship!

Play with perspective and format

If you want to get interesting and expressive photos, you should definitely play around with different perspectives. If you’re taking pictures of famous sights, it’s worth changing the perspective. Not only will you present a familiar subject in a new way, but you’ll also get to know the surrounding area better. Explore the area and find a spot that gives you a great view of the subject you have in mind. Or take a photo of a building from a worm’s-eye view. You can also vary the format as much as you like. Cameras are made in such a way that you’re automatically prompted to take pictures in a landscape format. But sometimes a portrait format is definitely the better choice. Pictures of buildings especially, but also pictures of people can show the subject to best advantage when they’re in portrait format.

Develop a passion for close-ups

There are already heaps of great photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, or the Reichstag in Berlin, and you’ll find it very difficult to make a big impression on anyone with this kind of image. If you want to document your visit just to make sure you remember it, then of course it’s fine to take photos like this. But close-ups are much more interesting. They’re not taken so frequently, and they can express your own take on the subject. If you’re struck by a particular carving, or your attention is drawn to a certain inscription, or even if you like the surface texture of a building, then go ahead and take a photo of it.

Close-ups often make much better photos, and there won’t be any tourists in the way

If you're taking close-ups you often have to get very close to your subject. Think about how to approach your subject, and try out different options. You can take your time to do this, because there won’t be anyone standing in the way; most holidaymakers want long shots, or want to have a photo of themselves standing in front of a building or natural phenomenon, so they won’t be bothering you.

You can tell stories with a series of photographs

You can tell complete stories with your photographs. This is what makes your holiday into something special. Instead of taking single photos of great tourist sites, delicious meals, or lively action on the streets, you can create a photo story. A day at the beach in Bali or a visit to the Vienna food market are just as suitable for a photo story as a safari in Kenya or a shopping trip in New York. Exotic markets with fruit, vegetables and spices are also a fantastic subject; take pictures of details and people as you find them, and make you own personal photo story. And most important of all: display your work in your home with photo canvas prints so that youll always be reminded of your wonderful holidays!