If you understand some of the basics of photography, you can use your camera’s automated settings to capture beautiful photographs almost every time. You can play with manual settings too, but they don’t always give the results you want within the timeframe you need. You should also know how to frame your shots, and how to use lighting to your advantage. All of these tips are simple to understand, difficult to master. Still, with this advice you’ll soon have friends complimenting your photographic eye as they take a visual journey through your vacation.
Remember the Rule of Thirds
Framing your shot is just as important as getting the proper exposure. You can have a beautifully composed picture where the subject looks off, or the background isn’t very prominent. Use the rule of thirds by imagining a dividing line that creates a grid of 9 squares. Your subject should be aligned with the points of intersection, and the horizon should be near either the top or bottom line in your grid. This allows the eyes to view the photo linearly, which is a good method to draw focus.
Lighting
The best kind of lighting for a shoot is a cloudy day, so those travelling to England should have perfect photo weather almost all the time. Avoid backlighting your photos, unless your objective is capturing silhouettes.
Avoid Manual
Manual settings should really only be used if you know exactly what you want out of a shot, or if you have the time to take some test shots. Most shots are taken while on the go, so not many people on vacation really find the time to stop and fiddle with camera settings to get a shot that is just right. Automated modes handle most of that heavy lifting for you.
