A photographer on vacation is still a photographer. The temptation of packing all the gear and spending your time hunting for the next great shot is big. However, the vacation shouldn’t be your next photo session, but a time for relaxation, family, and recharging your batteries (not the cameras!). To make the most of your free time and still satisfy the photographer inside, check out the following vacation photo ideas.
Leave Your Photo Equipment at Home
Resist the temptation of packing three cameras, seven lenses, a sturdy tripod, and all your filters and accessories. Take just one camera and one lens (preferably a prime one) or a bridge or compact camera if you have one. In extremis, you can leave home with just your phone camera.
Advantages: With a fast photo setup in place, you won’t spend a lot of time with technicalities. You will still have a camera at hand for capturing anything that catches your eye, but by limiting your options you reduce the urge to take 100 photographs with slightly different settings.
Photo by Marek Syroka on Unsplash
Enjoy the View
When a photographer sees a beautiful scene, they automatically go for the camera, compute mental composition rules, and start thinking about camera settings. For the duration of the vacation, try to take in the view without framing it. Enjoy the moment and observe the view’s effects on other people. Even if you think you miss out on a great picture, you actually earn by improving your ability to see and attention to detail.
Advantages: Photography means much more than technical skills and composition. The art of seeing requires empathy, profoundness, and availability. Enjoying simple moments without reaching for the camera improves your connectivity and storytelling.
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Keep a Journal
Instead of continuously looking through a viewfinder, keep a journal of places you enjoy, moods you feel the need to photograph, and people you may want to see again. Write how a particular view made you feel, how the colors of the sunset moved you, or how the joy of your children on the beach inspired you. Make precise notes of locations and times of the day with artistic potential, but also note concepts, ideas, and things that inspire you.
Advantages: A journal allows you to go back to a location or concept when you return to work. It helps you plan your next photo session and reminds you why you’ve become a photographer and what you want to say in your photographs.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Find Sources of Inspiration
While on vacation, you may visit new places or meet new people. You may attend festivals or weddings. You may find yourself in the proximity of a museum you’ve never visited before with plenty of free time. Any place, person, or activity may become a source of inspiration. Use this time wisely and explore the world.
Advantages: It isn’t a solitary activity. You can easily invite your family and friends to join you in watching birds, visiting an art museum, hiking, or playing sports. Furthermore, by inviting people to join your quest, you benefit from their ideas and perspectives, which can only boost your creativity and morale.
Photo by Zalfa Imani on Unsplash
Like all people, photographers need time off to ease their minds, refill their souls and connect with people and places. Photography is just a medium of expression. You need to connect with the world to have something to express. So, take your time and enjoy the vacation.
We hope this helps you with your next Vacation Photo Ideas!
Cover Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash