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Stop boring your loved ones and Facebook friends NOW by avoiding these typical travel photo blunders:
1. Lifeless snapshots
Unless you're visiting a bona fide ghost town, there is no excuse for shot after shot of inanimate buildings and objects. Humans are what make a city buzz with energy and diversity, and they can do the same for your photo album.
2. Vertically challenged shots
Just because you see most of the world from a 5'9" vantage point doesn't mean that your camera has to. Instead of striding up to a subject as stiffly as C3P0 and raising the camera to your face, try seeking out new angles by looking downwards from above or even lying flat on your stomach.
3. Foot fetish
Take a cue from magicians and saw the bottom half of a human subject's body clean off. Unless your husband has donned lederhosen or gigantic clogs for a good chuckle at the office later on, legs and feet rarely have anything to offer a photo. Use the extra space to capture more of that cheesy smile.
4. Eye expectations
Ever had to explain "it looked better than that in person, honestly," as you showed off the world's 100-millionth boring sunset photo? Then start envisioning the final, two-dimensional product before you click instead of expecting a machine to automatically duplicate your personal experience.
5. High noon = raccoon
A sunny midday is a terrific time for lunch in the piazza, and the worst time for photography. To avoid "raccoon eyes," those dark shadows around the eyes that make it look as through you're ready to raid a trashcan, use the fill-flash setting or come back later when the sun is kinder.
6. Shutter-nutty
Do you know what a picture of the ocean looks like? It's a horizontal line through the middle of a photo. Yup, that's about it. So you definitely don't need 36 shots of it, and your friends definitely don't need to suffer through a slideshow.
7. National Geographic syndrome
Is the world's best photo magazine sending thousands of people on assignment each week? Because there are a lot of men out there huffing and puffing in their sweat-stained tan vests with multiple cameras, gargantuan bags and tripods slung over their aching shoulders. Take only the bare essentials and you'll be a hundred times more mobile, enabling you to get better shots anyway.
8. Wanna see my ... bank balance?
National Lampoon's European Vacation is actually good for some travel lessons: 1) Dorky American teens can get a look at a German beer maid's jugs with surprising ease. 2) Expensive electronics are coveted by thieves and will be stolen given the opportunity. Leave your state-of-the-art equipment at home and use a middle-of-the-road camera for travel.
9. More clutter than an Egyptian bazaar
Choose a focal point for your photo and make sure that it is hogging the foreground. Any additional elements should complement, not compete with, the true subject of your photo.
10. Beach bummer
Of course you want the camera on hand lest a stunning swimsuit should pass by, but beware that sand, water and coconut-infused oil all have a way of severely ruining cameras. Pack a waterproof case or some ziplocks to protect your gear, or better yet, get a disposable camera for the really sticky situations.