Memories are great and allow us to relive our favourite holiday moments. Unfortunately over time, and with our hectic lives, these memories start to fade and before you know it you have forgotten that perfect sunrise over the Bilene lagoon or the fun the kids had in the pool. Fortunately, with our phones and many digital camera options, it is now so easy to snap up your favourite holiday moments to keep and come back to when you want to relive these moments.

Plan ahead

Don’t miss out on the perfect “aaaah!” moment – make sure your camera / phone is fully charged and old photos have been saved elsewhere, so that you have a clean memory card to save all those pics.

Get up early

This is probably the last thing you want to hear when you are on holiday, but the early bird definitely catches the worm. Early mornings have the best lighting for scenery shots. On the plus side, you will have more time to go exploring. Late afternoons are the second best time if you can’t make those early mornings.

Remember to include people

Often we get carried away by the beautiful landscapes and sunset and forget to take any people shots. Don’t forget that memories are made not only by where you go, but also who you share your time with.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

After you have taken the obligatory ‘full length’ picture of the family or the place you are visiting, take some zoomed in shots to fill the frame. This will give you much more detail in the shot.

Surprise them with your shot

Candid photos are so much more meaningful than the standard posed shots. Plan to sneak your camera along so that no one is expecting it. That way you will have many fun and unrehearsed memories to talk about.

Get down low

The angle of the shot can make all the difference to creating a perfect image. For the ideal perspective, especially for kids and animals, you need to get down on your knees and connect at eye-level.

Use your flash outdoors

Most people think that using flash is only for indoors and at night. A flash can however be a great tool during the daytime to fill the shadows and even out harsh contrasts. Try it out and see your images become masterpieces.

Plan your cover shot

Whether it is for scrapbooking, creating a photo book or just for your own photo gallery; a creative cover can make all the difference. This should be based on the area you are visiting and include ideas like writing something in the sand at the beach or creating letters from fallen leaves on the grass – unleash your creative juices and be original.