While on vacation, the typical Australian family will take an average of 77 photos a day. When visiting one of the countless superb Family Parks scattered across Australia and New Zealand, you will undoubtedly want to take a good many photographs and video clips to remember your special family vacation by. While there is no rulebook that states exactly how many photos you can take and how you must go about taking them, a few simple guidelines will go a long way in helping you take beautiful photographs that will keep your holiday memories alive forever.
DO: REMEMBER TO TAKE CANDID SHOTS
Some of the best photographs and videos in the world are those taken when the subjects are blissfully unaware that they are being photographed or filmed. Although there is nothing wrong with taking a couple of posed photographs, those depicting your family frolicking in the water, falling asleep in awkward positions after a long and exciting day or engaging in a spontaneous food fight will end up being the ones most treasured by your entire family long after you have returned home and resumed your daily lives.
DON’T: OVERDO IT WITH THE SCENIC SHOTS
While no one can dispute the fact that Australia and New Zealand boasts beautiful landscapes, you don’t want to spend all your free time taking photos and videos of the surrounding scenery, especially if your family does not feature in any of them. If you really want to remember the exquisite views, capture a handful of photos, make a video or two or, alternatively, buy a postcard. The best scenic photos are always those with your loved ones in them as they not only make your pics and videos a lot more interesting, but memorable as well.
DO: OPT FOR QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
As tempting as it may be to take thousands of photos and videos in an attempt to capture every minute of your vacation it is very important to opt for quality over quantity. Taking good photos is not nearly as difficult as it may seem. As long as you have a fairly decent piece of equipment, whether it is a professional camera, a smartphone with a good camera or a camcorder, you can capture the most memorable moments of your holiday. Don’t be scared to use your zoom and experiment with different angles. More often than not a close-up photo of only certain aspects of a scene is a lot more impactful than one that is taken from a distance.
DON’T: FORGET THE BASICS
Very often it is overlooking the basics that lead to the greatest disasters as far as taking videos and photos of your family trip is concerned. Forgetting to charge your phone or camera (or leaving your charger at home) could result in you failing to capture those moments, such as your baby taking his first steps or an eagle swooping down on its prey, which only come along once in a lifetime. Other basic considerations to keep in mind when taking photos and videos include making use of the flash when needed (if you have an auto-flash setting, use it), ensuring your lenses are clean and that you have enough free space available on your device to take photos. You don’t want to be forced to randomly delete photos in a rush just so that you can take a couple of candid shots of the family.
Regardless of which Family Park you choose to visit with your family, it will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most memorable trips ever taken together. Thanks to the beautiful photos and videos taken during your trip, you and your family will be able to reminisce about all the fun you had while on your special family vacation.
Lucy Lees is a professional freelance writer with many years experience across a variety of sectors. She made the move to freelancing from a stressful corporate job and loves the work-life balance it offers her.
