Your vacation was spectacular - clear skies, brilliant water, lush foliage - but your photos didn’t do it justice. By following a few simple tips, you can take better picture of your next tropical vacation. Finally, the emerald waters, the magenta flowers, the saturated sunsets, and the pastel homes will be preserved for your scrapbook as they appeared.

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting

Photography is all about lighting. In fact, it’s the very basis by which the technology was invented - exposing film to light. Hence, light is the single most important factor in taking a good picture.

Take a tip from movie makers and snap your favorite views during the "magic hours," which are at dusk and at dawn. If you’re a morning person, dawn won’t be a problem. But, for most vacationers, dusk will be a more viable option. (It’ll be right around time for your first happy hour drink.) This soft lighting, from the sun at a low angle, will produce vivid, beautiful pictures of both people and scenery.

General Rules About Light

Keep bright light behind you. If you want to play with shadows and silhouettes, experiment with the light at different angles.

Cloudy days are great for portraits and bad for landscapes. So, take close-ups of those people your vacationing with when the sun is obscured. This filtered light is flattering for people. And, as an added bonus, you’ll finally get vacation pictures of people who aren’t squinting.

Experiment with Light

Pick one spot, or view, that you particularly like. A good option is the view from your hotel balcony or from the veranda of a favorite restaurant. Choose a place you have access to over the extent of your vacation or even just a full day. Then, take several photos of that view at different times of day. (Try to stand in the same exact spot each time.) When you get your photos back you can mimic Claude Monet and mount four of them in the same frame. It's not just a memory of your vacation but also a study in light.