How to take the perfect holiday selfie

Professional travel photographer Gemma Day has worked all over the world for clients ranging from The Sunday Times to British Airways. Here she gives us her top ten tips for taking the perfect holiday photo.

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How to take the perfect holiday selfie

1. Tell a story

One way to create more engaging holiday selfies is to tell the story of your trip from start to finish. Taking pictures at key moments, such as travelling from point A to point B, will help build a narrative of your journey and inspire you to photograph more unusual subjects. Consider photographing the contents of your suitcase before you leave and the view from your airplane window, as well as the people and places you encounter along the way. Then when you put together a photo album you will have the full story of your trip.

2. Set a theme

One way to get those creative juices flowing is to set yourself a theme. For example, on a holiday to Greece I decided I would photograph all the inflatables I saw on the beach. I still captured the beauty of the beach but added an extra dimension that made it more unique and personal to me, while giving a different twist to the typical beach view. You can also use them as the perfect holiday backdrop for your holiday selfie!

3. Change your point of view

Changing your camera’s point of view can dramatically alter the image that you take. Most photos are taken from eye level so getting high up or low down can be a great way of creating a more interesting and original composition. Alternatively, try walking around your subject or turning a corner to try to find a less obvious spot to take your shots from. Pause for a moment and look around – you may find an unexpected photo opportunity and discover a new perspective, showing a point of view people don't normally see for your holiday selfie.

4. Take plenty of pictures

The best way to improve your holiday selfies is to take a lot of photographs, trying different camera settings as you go. When you go through your pictures later you can see what type of shot works and what doesn’t. You will also become much more familiar with the workings of your camera. One of the advantages of digital photography is the ability to take hundreds of pictures without having to develop them all, so snap away.

5. Sweat the small stuff

Sometimes you get so blown away by the big picture that you completely overlook the details that sum up the atmosphere of a place. For instance, the Grand Palace in Bangkok is an amazing building, but focussing on a single mosaic detail may give the best impression of the workmanship involved in its creation. Textures can make pleasing detail shots, as can repeated patterns in your holiday selfies.

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