They do say that travel broadens the mind, and it can certainly broaden your photographic experience. Sharing your holiday experiences with friends and family by showing them loads of great images is almost as much fun as being there – and is a great way to really make them wish they’d been there too.But don’t just settle for the traditional postcard views – use your creativity and look at your destination from a different viewpoint to get stunning images. Or give your audience a real sense of local flavour by taking intimate details and candid shots as well as more formal images.

It’s definitely a case of have camera, will travel, but you won’t have to lug loads of gear around with you to get great pictures – we’ll help you make the most of your normal kit and tell you the best ways to save the finished results.Don’t just settle for the usual tourist haunts and views. Why not try doing some research before you go to see if there are any events or local festivals taking place during your stay or if there any interesting sights off the beaten track?

So pack up your suitcase, grab your ticket to ride and let’s go…

The Kit
1 Digital compact with zoom lens
2 Cable release
3 Tripod
4 Flashgun

Kit yourself out properly
If you’re intending to return home with more than just sightseeing snapshots, then you’ll need to organise a proper camera kit beforehand. Working on location away from home means you’ll need a lightweight and versatile kit that can be unpacked and used in an instant.

There’s no need to pack every item of camera gear in your case on the off-chance that you’ll use it, but instead limit your kit to a clever compact or a digital SLR with a mid-range zoom lens so you can shoot close, far, wide and narrow. To cope with the varying lighting conditions, your camera should be able to work in manual exposure mode and have the ability to set different aperture values. With these functions in place, you’ll be able to make precise photographs in the most demanding of shooting circumstances.

Working indoors and outside, and even under the glaring sun of a tropical location, you’ll also benefit from a good quality flashgun. Most digital compacts are fitted with a hot shoe flash adaptor, so you can attach a more powerful and more versatile flash unit. Best options are to buy the dedicated unit to fit your camera, as this will synchronise with all your camera functions seamlessly.