Planning a family vacation tends to take a lot of money and energy but once you get there, the effort is always well worth it.

Vacations are all about making memories with the people you love and being able to capture those memories is an added bonus. Your vacation spot instantly provides you with hundreds of backdrops and photo opportunities and knowing how to take full advantage of them will ensure that you come home with a camera filled with printable photos.

7 Tips for Taking Memorable Family Vacation Photos

1. Create your own photo opportunities. Candid shots are wonderful but if you happen to spot the perfect shot, get your family involved and set it up. For example, if you’ve found the perfect spot for a beautiful sunset, plan to take a few photos with your family at that spot as the sun is setting.
2. Watch out for clutter. When you’re capturing photos of your family, keep an eye on the background to make sure that there isn’t too much noise or clutter that could take away from the main subjects of the photo.
3. Don’t forget about the details. If your vacation destination has a lot to offer in terms of nature or history, don’t forget to capture some of these details too. These types of shots are great additions to your albums or photo wall and really bring the theme of the shoot together.
4. Let your children make requests. If there are moments where your children ask you to take a photo of them or of something they’ve spotted themselves, take the photo. Not only does this show that you value their interests but it means they get to add something to your family photo albums too.
5. Don’t forget to include yourself. Very often the person behind the camera is so focused on taking the best family photos that they forget to include themselves in the photos too. Make a point of taking turns with another family member so that you can also be in the shots. A tripod can also come in handy here.
6. Use the late afternoon light. Golden hour is a must when you’re on vacation. The soft afternoon light that fills the sky just before or after the sun sets makes for wonderful photos so be sure to take full advantage of it.
7. Take a photo while nobody’s watching. Sometimes there will be moments that are picture perfect so just go with it and take a photo of the people you love without bringing their attention to it.

Last but not least, don’t forget to put your camera down every once in a while and take in these special moments with your family.