Tim’s Travel Tips – Holiday Memories

Tim, COTA Insurances’ Insurance Manager, offers his travel tips on taking travel photos and looking after them.

For many people taking holiday photographs is synonymous with travel. Photos are visual memories that can take you back to a long forgotten place complete with feelings, thoughts and smells. A well-taken photograph that captures the once-in-a-lifetime moment can be the best souvenir of your trip.

So first things first, in order to come home with a memory card filled with fantastic images and holiday memories you will need to actually take some pictures! This means not only remembering to take your camera with you but having it at hand when needed. Doing some research when planning your holiday destination for photo hot spots will ensure that you will be prepared.

For traditional cameras, think about what equipment you want to take with you – this is where your research will start to pay off. Do you need a specific type of lens? Would a carry bag be handy? Do you need a tripod to take that perfect picture?

Many smaller cameras, and even mobile phones, can provide a convenient portable alternative to the more traditional cameras in regard to size and weight.

DO:

• make sure you have enough storage on your camera’s memory card to take photos or videos – if in doubt pack a spare memory card.
• make sure you have your charger or back up batteries. Nothing worse than trying to take that perfect picture and running out of power!
• make sure you have taken some practice photos before you go on holidays to either familiarise yourself with a new camera or to blow the cobwebs off the existing one.
• be aware of local customs and laws that may limit or restrict where you can take pictures. Remember it’s always polite to ask for permission when taking photos of locals.

DON’T:

• put yourself or others at risk to achieve a stellar shot.  People can and do get hurt from accidents as a direct result of not paying attention while trying to get their perfect photo. Always be aware of your surroundings and put safety first.
• get too preoccupied with immediately uploading your photos to social media. While it is fun to update friends and relatives, don’t let that get in the way of spending time in the place you’ve been dreaming about! Instead try to use truly free time such as at the hotel at the end of the day or perhaps a long airport wait to work on your social media postings.

Photos can be a fantastic way to record your memories and capture the moment so when you return from your trip there are a few steps to take.

Keep them safe – Backup a copy of all your photos to a computer, portable hard drive or cloud storage solution.

Create a new “Holiday” folder and hand pick some of the highlight photos of the trip to make it easy to review your trip and to share with others.

Print some hard copies – Consider printing your highlight photos and remember that printed photo books can be a great way to collate your memories.

For more tips and ideas – check out your local photography store, photography club or online (e.g. YouTube videos). There are many experts who are happy to share their love of photography and the joy it can bring.

Tim.