13 Tips for Taking the Perfect Family Vacation Photo

When taking a family photo during your travels, it’s tempting to simply huddle up and smile at the camera. But this type of photo limits you to the facts—we know where we were and how old we were. Consider capturing a family travel photo that tells a story instead. Wherever the road may take you and however foreign the culture may be, you can experiment with these simple photo tips and storytelling tricks to create a family travel photo that captures the spirit of your journey.
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    © Me Ra Koh

    Use windows or doorways to frame your family.

    This family lives in a quaint town in northern Italy. They love the view from their second-story window, so I thought it would be fun to capture them all in that spot. There are three things I considered in the composition of this photo. 1. Capture one of their favorite spots in the home (that’s the story). 2. Place them off-center so we get the feel for the village surroundings with the lamppost and hanging baskets (accentuate the story). 3. Let the window frame naturally frame the family (frame the story).

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    Let your hands accentuate the story.

    While traveling by bamboo raft to film Thailand’s deep jungle, we decided to get a family photo. Instead of looking at the camera and smiling, we staggered our bodies and all did something different with our hands to accentuate the story of our photo.

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    Create sunrise or sunset silhouettes.

    While waiting for the sunrise in Egypt, our family decided to have fun taking silhouettes. With the camera’s timer set, we danced like Egyptians. The trick is to have an unobstructed horizon behind you so you see clear definition of your bodies’ movements and shapes.

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    Consider black and white to add a timeless feel to the photo’s story.

    I love to capture a family in its environment. This family lives in Thailand’s jungle and spends many hours reading books and playing under the mosquito net. (If you’ve ever spent time in a tropical jungle, you know that mosquito nets are a big part of sleeping through the night or surviving monsoon season.) When you see a lot of contrasting tones (i.e. white mosquito net, white bed sheets, dark hair, dark colored shorts, etc), consider shooting in black and white to enhance the sense of timelessness.

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    Be mid-step when taking a walking shot.

    My husband Brian and I did a hiking trip to Mt. Rainier in Washington state. We wanted a family photo that captured the story of our adventure. If you want a family photo of everyone walking, there is a trick to it—make sure you’re in mid-step when the camera clicks. If both feet are planted, it will look like you are standing still.

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    Get the right equipment.

    We set our camera on the ground with a Joby GorillaPod, and then used Sony’s a7 camera and Smart Remote app to see on our smartphone what the camera was seeing. We positioned ourselves to where we wanted to be in the photo, then triggered the camera from the smartphone. This app revolutionizes self-portraits; it takes all the guessing away, and you don’t need anyone to take the photo. Read more about how I’ve used Smart Remote here.

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    Incorporate the background.

    Rule of thumb for how much background should be in your photo: If the background enhances your story, take the wider-framed shot. I had this young family sit in the middle of Italy’s cobblestone streets because the romantic setting accentuated their love and joy.

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    Know when to get in tight.

    This Muslim mother lives in Al-Fayoum, Egypt, where she runs a humble pottery business. She is raising her daughter to learn the trade. I wanted a family photo that spotlighted their beautiful, gentle smiles and head coverings. That is why I got in tight and have a blank wall behind them. If the background doesn’t add to your story, either step closer to your subject(s) or zoom in with your lens.

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    Ignore the camera.

    We often see the spirit of a family much clearer when they aren’t looking at the camera, but rather just enjoying each other’s company. For this Seattle family, I turned the couch around to face the window for more light and asked everyone to sing songs and tell stories on the couch. Consider taking a family travel photo where everyone is looking at one family member, especially if it’s a child. Kids eat that energy up and often give the cutest, most unexpected smiles.

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    Play with lines.

    Look for lines to accentuate your family travel photo. Lines can be found with fences, hand railings, tree lines, walking paths, or old train tracks. I had this Washington, D.C. family sit in the middle of the railroads tracks because I wanted the lines of the tracks to lead our eye to them that much more.

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    Get into costume.

    When traveling abroad, our family always jumps at the chance to get into cultural costume. Wearing the culture’s clothes brings the history and awareness to life that much more. While in Israel, we took a day to study the ancient history and way of life. Instead of looking in the camera (because we want a story that says more than “we did this”), we decided to point and look into the distance as if we were seeing our home for the first time. A family travel photo with everyone in costume looking into the distance is the perfect idea for a comical holiday card.

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    Show some profile.

    When you want a family travel photo of everyone with their backs to the camera, make sure you and your spouse or you and the kids look at each other so the picture captures your profiles. Our family rented a home in Thailand’s jungle for six weeks. While waiting for a long tail boat to take us (and our groceries) back to our jungle home, we had someone take our family photo with our smartphone—but notice how Brian and I are smiling at each other. You can feel the emotion of the story that much more. If we all looked straight ahead, we would lose the emotion.

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    Mother knows best.

    The most common question I am asked by clients is, “What should we wear to look our best in a family photo?” There is only one answer: Have mom wear what she feels most beautiful in, and then have everyone else complement her. Instead of buying a whole new wardrobe for her kids, this Seattle mom pulled out her favorite top and cardigan. She had the boys and dad complement her with lighter shades of blue, and she bought a lilac scarf for her daughter to tie everyone together. If Mom doesn’t like the family photo, it will never see the light of day, no matter where you are in the world.

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    Add a pop of color.

    You don’t have to wear Santa hats or have snow-covered trees to take a holiday photo that looks festive. This New York City family brought a bouquet of red balloons to add a pop of color to their holiday card. For more of Me Ra’s simple holiday, travel, and family photo tips, check out her latest book in the best-selling series Your Family in Pictures.