5 Mistakes to avoid when photographing your family vacation

Summer vacations are the perfect time to unwind, spend time with family and enjoy long days in the sun and water. But photographing your summer vacation can be tricky. You want to be present with your family, but you don’t want to miss capturing those memorable moments. And it can be hard to balance your need to relax and take a break with your desire to stretch your creative muscles. Plus, what about those grouchy moments that inevitably happen during every holiday?

I’m going to share my tips for photographing your summer vacation in the form of five common mistakes to avoid. Because summer vacation photos should be fun memories to look back on for years to come.

Mistake #1: Waiting for the perfect moment.

We all want to capture that perfect, happy, postcard moment with gorgeous light and smiling faces, don’t we? In a perfect situation, here’s a list of summer vacation photos I’d love to take:

• A beautiful portrait of each child
• Shots of my children playing at the beach
• A classic sunset photo with happy children splashing in the water
• Happy kids eating watermelon

But, honestly, I’m lucky to tick one of these photos off the list. Sometimes it seems like the more I want a particular shot, the less likely it is to happen. Don’t limit yourself to only capturing perfect moments!

We camp as a family every summer, the kids are around all day, my husband is off work and everyone is having a good time. This is the perfect time for me to try out new photography techniques in a relaxed, no-pressure environment.

Pro tip:

Challenge yourself to photograph all day, in any situation and try to get something, even if it’s just an idea for another day. If you don’t get it right today there is always tomorrow.

In this image, I had noticed the beautiful window light inside our tent, so I waited until I found my daughter inside and took the photo.

Mistake #2: Forcing your family to have their photo taken.

I have four kids, so there is generally always one child who doesn’t want their photo taken. I get it, this is their summer vacation, and they would like to do their own things. But photography is my thing, and I would like to collect memories and spend some extra time on my hobby. So how can we work together?

Avoid hard feeling by making family photos a fun collaboration.

I’ve discovered that a collaborative attitude helps in getting the vacation photos I want while preventing my kids from running away from my camera. Here are my tips for photographing your summer vacation without forcing cooperation:

1. Make it fun! During the holidays my husband is around to help me, so I can point out a spot that I would like the kids to run through and he will set up a game that gets them all laughing and playing.
2. Involve your kids in what you are doing, share your passion for photography and let them have some of their own ideas.
3. After you snap a few shots, thank them and show them the photos you took.
4. Let your kids take some of their own photos. I will often hand my phone over to my 6-year-old and let him take photos on it. We talk about what he is photographing and why he likes the photos.
5. Don’t forget to put the camera down. When you see a great shot, snap it, then put the camera away and continue being present with your family.
6. Lastly, celebrate your vacation photos! Print them when you get home, send some to grandma, make a photo book of your holiday and use it to look forward to next summer.

Mistake #3: Only photographing the smiley moments.

I want to look back on our family vacation photos and see everyone having a good time, so I photograph all the smiles and happy moments I can. But, I love to collect those in-between moments, too. You don’t have to share them with the world, but those grouchy moments are part of who they are in this moment. Plus, my older kids love hearing stories about the strange things they did as toddlers.

Here are some in-between moments to capture:

• Grumpy teenagers
• Toddler tantrums
• Husbands putting up tents
• Ice cream that falls on the ground
• Kids who are too wound up for bed

Mistake #4: Not protecting your gear.

Getting sand in your camera is a huge problem and hard to fix. My old Canon 550D still has sand in it. This year for the first time I bought I small shoulder bag that just fits my camera and lens. It’s waterproof and padded and meant that I could take my camera to the beach, park, pool, everywhere without worrying about it getting damaged.

Mistake #5: Leaving your camera behind

Take your camera everywhere you go. I promise you won’t regret it. You don’t have to constantly hold it and be pointing it at people, but have it nearby for those special moments. I have a whole collection of disappointing photos (usually taken on my husband’s phone) of moments when I wish I had my big girl camera on hand.

I also find summer holidays are a great time to try out some fun techniques, too. So as long as you’re photographing your family vacation, go ahead and bring along your Lensbaby, your brass ring, plastic bags and colorful straws… Play around and see what magic you can make!

Photos by Gem Clipsham

More tips for photographing your family vacation:

Storytelling through video fusion: 5 Helpful tips for photographers

8 ways to balance photography on your family vacation

Pro Secrets: The 24 best photo & video tips for your trip to Disney

Memories matter most: Why we regard photos above all else

Want to rock your phone camera like a pro? 10 mobile photography tips you need