Preparing for a vacation isn’t just about fretting over your travel and accommodation. It can be much more. Begin by visualizing your perfect holiday. It’s different for everyone. For stressed-out people, the ideal vacation is about slowing down and relaxing. For people jaded by the quotidian, the ideal vacation is about going to exotic places, meeting interesting people, and doing fun things. Visualizing helps set the tone, and it gives you the motivation to go through arranging your itinerary.
Then, of course, there’s the vacation itself. During this time, you should focus on doing more than enjoying your vacation. You should also take it home with you. You can do that by taking pictures.
Here are some things you need to know to be able to capture your memories perfectly:
Take a photography training class
Anyone can take a picture, but only a few people can take good pictures. The difference is training. Those who take good pictures learn from a professional photographer how to capture the moment. They learn how to control the shutter speed for optimum results relative to the lighting conditions and the subject being photographed. They understand the difference between a broad light source and a narrow one. And they notice negative spaces.
Simply put, there is a huge difference between someone who knows about their camera’s aperture and who can take sharp, “in focus,” pictures and someone who just relies on the default options of their smartphone. Taking a photography class will teach you all about the technical aspects of taking good pictures and help you discover your inner artist.
See like a photographer
While your photography class will help you get a better idea of how to see the world in a more interesting way, there is much that you will need to learn on your own.
Here are three tips on how to see like a photographer:
1. Learn from the best
In any artistic endeavor, learning from the masters before developing your own style is a preferred approach. It’s a good idea to learn the rules before you break them, to understand best practices before you formulate your own. Research some well-known photographers, find a few whose work you resonate with, and then adopt them as your mentors. Read their biographies, study their photographs, and unearth their secrets.
2. See patterns and geometry
Artists learn to see in more depth, training themselves to also notice shapes, and analyzing these shapes down into patterns and geometry.
Patterns, of course, are everywhere in nature. What does a flower petal, a pine cone, a tree branch, a seashell, and a spiral galaxy have in common? They all conform to the rules of the Fibonacci sequence.
The Fibonacci sequence is a pattern that you’ll start noticing as a photographer. These are a series of numbers arranged in a particular pattern, and you’ll find the next number in the series by adding the two numbers before it. The sequence starts with 0 and 1. So a Fibonacci sequence will begin like this—0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and so on. Of course, you don’t need to understand mathematics to appreciate symmetry; it’s intuitive.
By learning to see patterns, by noticing geometry, you’ll learn how to appreciate the depth and intricacy of what you’re seeing.
3. See negative space
Negative space is the space between two or more things. We often notice things but fail to notice the space between them. Understanding the empty space between two objects can make the picture pop out. By noticing negative space, you can frame the subject in a much more interesting way.
Photography makes travel more fun
When you travel, everything is new and exciting. You see things you’ve never seen before—unusual architecture, unique archaeology, interesting native costumes, and surprising glimpses of nature. Photography helps you capture your novel impressions of the world.
By taking professional pictures when you travel, you’ll enhance your experience in two ways:
First, you’ll stop and really look at something, taking it in more fully. You won’t just stare in awe at a beautiful sunset, you notice how the shape of the clouds and the different colors blend to make it beautiful. You’ll appreciate its pattern, geometry, and hues.
Second, you’ll capture the moment to share with others so that they, too, can be part of your wonderful adventure. You’ll immortalize the experience.
