Digital Photographer. Литагент HarperCollins USD

come out blurred, which would destroy what is otherwise an arresting photograph.

      Many cameras are bought in order to photograph holidays, trips overseas and days out. All photographers, experienced or otherwise, will want to record these events.

      Be Selective

      While it is tempting to photograph anything and everything that catches your eye in an indiscriminate fashion, a little planning and attention to detail will produce a much more satisfying visual record. The obvious candidates for photography are local views and landmarks. The postcards in the tourist shops can give you some great ideas for locations and viewpoints. However, look for a new angle on the scene and include yourself or other members of the party in the photography to give it a more personal appeal in the future.

      Additionally, be careful that you do not simply photograph ‘things’. Holidays and outings are not just about the places you visit – they are also about the things you do while you are there. Consequently, make sure that you record your activities as well as local sites of interest.

      USING LIGHT One of the great things about being on holiday is that you have the freedom to take pictures when the light is at its most perfect, because you can be out with your camera at any time of day. This dramatic photograph was taken just as the sun was about to disappear over the horizon.

      Think Before You Shoot

      Travel ‘light’, and this does not stop at limiting the weight of the equipment you take with you. You should also travel light’ in a mental sense, sticking to a simple camera that you can operate without concentrating (you will have other things on your mind), when the time comes to take your picture.

      Local people can make great subjects for your photographs, and we have all seen many appealing and fascinating examples in magazines and photography books. However, it is important always to approach people with caution and, above all, respect.

      Take care when photographing the locals. The best approach is to ask permission loudly and clearly, or at least make it clear that you would like to take a picture. Always bear your subject’s feelings closely in mind.

      Unusual or exotic locations often make for compelling images. However, if you can work in an extra element to your photograph – such as the boy running with a football in the foreground of this picture - you can make an already eye-catching scene even more interesting. Sometimes it is worth waiting around a while in order to capture the best possible shot.

      Protect Your Equipment

      You should also consider the security of your photographic equipment when you are taking photographs while abroad. While branded camera bags are a neat lifestyle accessory, they can also serve as a blatant advertisement for thieves in many places. Plain, unbranded camera bags are generally a safer bet. Try to avoid waving your camera around in too obvious a fashion or leaving it in plain view on a strap around your neck, for example. Straps offer a level of security against pickpockets, but expensive and highly visible camera gear may also tempt muggers, which can result in much more serious problems.

      Cameras may need protection from the elements as well, especially on trips to the beach. Keep your camera in a bag and place it carefully on a beach towel or a chair whenever it is not actually in use. Sand quickly gets into knobs, dials and seams in camera bodies and can be next to impossible to get out again. Of course you want to be able to take photographs in such situations, but care and thought is required. The same applies to any other equipment you take with you. Lenses, lighting aids, tripods and other supports are all expensive items of kit which should last you years if they are looked after properly. However, one overly casual visit to the beach on a windy day could change all that and could prove an expensive mistake in the long run.

      Always be on the lookout for subjects that give a flavour of the place you are visiting. For example, Las Vegas makes people immediately think of wedding chapels, so why not take a picture of one of these, or the inevitable garish sign advertising its services?

      KIDDY PIX Taking pictures of children playing on the beach or in a pool is an essential part of summer holidays for many people. However, make sure that you protect your camera from sand and water, so that these images remain evocative for the right reasons!

      Photographing wild animals is by its very nature more of a challenge than taking pictures of your pets at home – but it can be extremely rewarding. The key to good shots of wildlife is patience, combined with luck and practice.

      Wildlife

      Venturing into the countryside to photograph animals in the wild for the first time can be an exciting experience, but also a disappointing one. Most species quite sensibly stay well away from people, so you need an extremely powerful lens to stand any chance of filling the frame. At the right time of day you may have success with rabbits and deer, but animals such as foxes and badgers may prove elusive unless you have specialist knowledge of their habits and habitats. To stand any chance at all you will need to wear drab clothes, avoid aftershave or perfume, and move slowly and carefully.

      Using a telephoto zoom it is possible to get decent shots of small, distant creatures. Try to capture them doing something interesting.

      CLOSE-UPS Powerful closeups can be created using an ordinary telephoto zoom – as in this dramatic photograph of a horse’s eye.

      ON SAFARI If you are fortunate enough to be able to go on a wildlife safari, the scope for amazing photographs of animals in the wild is unlimited. Take a good telephoto lens and a tripod with you.

      Birds

      Wherever you live, there is a pretty good chance you will be able to take pictures of birds – possibly without even having to leave your house. Though you may not find exotic species like golden eagles in your garden, you will probably have sparrows, thrushes and robins around you in abundance. With a reasonably powered telezoom that goes up to 300mm, you will be able to get a decent-sized image – which subsequently may need cropping and enlarging in the computer to fill the frame. However, birds have far greater appeal when they are on the wing. But capturing them in flight can be far from easy, especially in the case of small species that travel at great speed, such as swallows and swifts. To get good pictures of birds like these, you need fast reactions. Your best bet, therefore, is to get out and about and find some larger birds, such as geese, ducks or gulls, which are slower and more graceful in flight.

      Small birds can be tricky to photograph well, but larger species, such as ducks, can be photographed readily where there is plenty of water.

      If you go to a park, the birds will be used to humans coming and going, and are consequently less likely to be scared away. This is a good way to begin taking pictures of birds and to accumulate valuable experience without complications. Toss the park birds some bread or seeds and you will be able to photograph them as they come in to land or take off.

      GETTING UP CLOSE Move slowly and steadily