These days, holidays have been transformed from lazy rest periods spent tanning and sipping drinks to more active and energetic plans. They often involve strenuous physical activity, or travel to remote and amazing destinations that require military-level logistics and specialised gear, or grand plans for enlightenment or, more humbly, plans to capture amazing images with our increasingly powerful smartphones or our dedicated DSLR cameras.
When your holiday is centred at least in part on the latter goal, you often also have the eventual destination of those images in mind as well as part of the plan – and frequently that destination is going to be canvas prints on your wall. If you’re going to enshrine your holiday photos on your walls, there are a few rules of thumb you should keep in mind while on your travels. These simple rules can be the difference between triumph and failure in your room’s design.
Rules for Canvas Prints #1: Have a Plan
You put a lot of time, energy, and funds into selecting your holiday destination. Whether it’s a coastal town, a big city, or an exotic overseas destination, there are plenty of opportunities for amazing photos. After all that planning, why leave this aspect to chance?
Do some research: When do the touristy areas get crowded? Get there early or late to avoid the crowds, and come prepared for low-light situations. Are there special approaches for better views or that enable you to get closer? Finally, make sure you’ve created an agenda that gives you time to visit all of the places you want photos of.
Rule #2: Allow for Inspiration
A plan is necessary – but don’t forget to allow a little wiggle room for sudden opportunities. Sure, getting that perfect shot of a monument or other feature of the local landscape took immense planning, but sometimes you’re in the local market and a scene just presents itself, tied with a bow and ideal for your wall. Don’t miss it – and that means having your camera with you at all times and your eyes open.
Carrying your camera gear all the time creates risk, of course – here are some practical tips from professionals on how to travel with cameras.
Rule #3: Variety is the Spice of Life
If all of your vacation photos are of the same things, your wall full of canvas prints is going to be pretty dull. Sure, if you’re in Egypt you want photos of the Pyramids – but don’t overlook the amazing scenes all around you – the people, the buildings, the artwork, the landscape. Sometimes the most common images are the least desirable. Ultimately, you want your photos to tell your story – the story of your trip, not someone else’s, and certainly not the story the local travel agent is telling.
These three rules will help you come home with not just a tan and some souvenirs, but with amazing photographs that tell a story of adventure and that look great on your walls. And when you do come back, click here and we’ll do the honours of transforming that adventure into art for your walls.
