5 Tips for the Best Family Photos on Vacation

It’s summertime (whoo hoo!!), which for many people, includes a family vacation. As an important chapter in your family’s story, you want to document the trip while still being present with your people. There are lots of easy ways to make sure you’re capturing your favorite moments and locations using still photos, video and even hiring a photographer on location. Here are 5 tips for the best family photos on vacation.

Pack a small tripod to make everyone gets in the picture

Tripods for your phone are compact and light, making them easy to pack in your suitcase (and day pack). You can use them to take time-lapse videos of a family activity or set the timer so that everyone in your group is able to be in the shot. This is the one I use (and it even has a remote).

Hire a photographer on location

Use a website like Flytographer to find a local photographer wherever you’re going and let them capture your family vacation photos.. We are actually doing this on our trip this summer (a good friend is taking ours) and I’m so excited to have photos of my family in a place we’ve never been (and I get to be in them, so that’s a bonus!!).

Use an app to take short videos or still photos and stitch them together for a montage

I know a few people who use the 1 Second Everyday (1SE) app to document their year and this could be really fun on vacation, especially if you’re visiting multiple places each day. This particular app only allows 1 second of footage per day for the free version. The Pro version is $49.99 for the year or $9.99/month. Capcut and iMovie are great for longer videos.

Take selfies (or us-ies) at memorable stops along your journey

This is (sadly??) how most of our family photos are taken but it’s become something of a tradition for us. We actually don’t ask other vacationers to take family photos of us anymore. We just squeeze together and maneuver the camera around until whatever we want in the background is visible. It’s made for some very interesting family photos but I love that it has become our thing. Waterfalls, sunsets, in front of the Christmas tree, white-water rafting… it doesn’t matter. We love documenting our lives this way!

Make a photo book of all of your amazing memories

The photos you take aren’t meant to stay on your phone! What better way to relive your favorite family vacation than printing all of your photos in one place where you can look at it whenever you want to remember how amazing it was to spend time with your people. Shutterfly is my go-to for printing vacation albums but I know several people who use Mixbook and love it! Both have lots of options for customization and are easy to use.

And two bonus tips for making the most of your trip…

Encourage your family to collect things along the way to create a memory box. A favorite rock found along the river (just make sure you aren’t stacking any rocks while you’re there!!), a seashell (minus any critters that might have once lived inside), brochures from places you visited, ticket stubs…anything that helps you remember how special your trip was! Put everything in a box and label it with the location and date of your trip for a little time capsule of your vacation.

Another fun thing to do (especially if you are going to multiple places) is to collect postcards from each location and have your kids write their favorite things about each stop on the postcard. While they aren’t YOUR photographs, they provide a written account of everything you loved about your trip.

Taking family photos on vacation doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time or cause you to miss being part of the action. Buy a small tripod, hire a local photographer, take a few selfies along the way…but most importantly, enjoy this time with your people. Each chapter in your family’s story is so special and deserves to be fully experienced. And documenting your trip in whatever way feels best will help you cherish those memories later. Safe travels, wherever you go!

If you’re staying in town this summer and want a local photography session, check out my blog for the best type of session to schedule this summer!