With a jam-packed month of travel behind me, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I pack, and style my outfits before a trip. The honest truth? It’s been years in the making, so be sure to read on for my top tips on how to take vacation photos like a travel blogger. Whether you’re a blogger yourself, or even if you just want to take cute vacay pics, all of these recommendations can apply!
Doubling as a person who actually wants to ENJOY their vacation, can be difficult while trying to simultaneously capture content. Over time, Scott and I have created and streamlined our own process, which at this point we kind of have down to a science. The best part? Sticking to these 3 simple guidelines has given us the opportunity to discover some of the most picturesque places at each, and every one of our travel destinations.
HOW TO TAKE VACATION PHOTOS LIKE A TRAVEL BLOGGER:
1. Do Your Research (6 weeks prior to traveling)
Where are you going to be staying? Whether it’s a hotel, friend’s house, or Airbnb, chances are, you can find pictures of the location where you’ll be staying prior to your trip. This helps me to not only plan my outfits (more on this in Step #2!), but also serves as a guide to help me create a list of the places that Scott and I want to see. If there’s any transportation, tickets, etc that need to be ordered, we have plenty of time to plan.
I don’t know about you, but I always want to see the most beautiful sights of any place that I go to, so naturally these places can double as shooting locations. As we’re planning our schedule, I also like to block out a chunk of time that is a blank itinerary – aka reserved “exploring time”. Not only is it one of the things that we enjoy the most as a couple when traveling, but it’s usually where we get the best on-the-ground tips from the locals, and when we are at our most relaxed, and creative.
2. Match Your Surroundings (1 month ahead of time)
Once I have my list of must-see spots, I create a shot list and mood board that supports the color scheme, and serves as a loose guideline for the types of shots that we’d like to capture at the places we’ll be visiting. For instance, prior to this past Florida trip, I saw online that the Ritz-Carlton in Naples had white sand, clear aqua water, and blue umbrellas on their beach. This immediately helped me to realize that:
- I definitely wanted to go to that beach, like NOW.
- I wanted a picture in the water, and I wanted to incorporate the umbrellas into some of my pics.
- We needed a full beach day blocked out. Add that to the schedule!
- I should wear a cover-up that day, bring a bathing suit, a cute towel, and sandals with me. Attire concept-check!
- This muted grey flirty pom-pom cover-up from Tobi.com would be the ideal outfit for me to wear, not just because it was super cute, but also because the colors would POP against the water on-camera. Win-win! Packing was now underway, and I could also begin thinking about any additional items I might need to get before we go.
3. Use the Instagram Geotag (1-4 weeks ahead of time)
Since hotel websites and Google Earth aren’t usually updated on the daily, I also love to check a hotel or location’s geotag on Instagram in advance. Often, a hotel will change up its decor, which matters if you’re trying to match your surroundings. This allows me to see the kinds of real-time shots that people have posted as recently as THAT DAY. It also helps me get a sense of the dress code and overall vibe, not to mention I often get great picture, and venue ideas from geotags.
Most importantly of all, remember to have fun! Don’t stress about getting all the shots on your list. I’ve found that as long as you take a few pictures every day, and/or whenever inspiration strikes, you’ll have a ton of great pictures by the end of your trip.
Was this list helpful? Are you doing any traveling this summer? Let me know in the comments below, and feel free to include any other questions you have there as well. I would love to hear from you, and I’ll do my best to answer your questions in future posts! Be sure to also follow along on Instagram for my daily updates.
*THE OUTFIT*
Pia Pom Trim Crochet Crop Top: Tobi.com
Pia Pom Trim Crochet Skirt: Tobi.com
Sunglasses: Prada (similar here)
Hat: J.Crew
*THE PHOTOGRAPHER*
Scott White: @BloggerPhotographer