Create the best memories for your children and yourself
Childhood memories can be fleeting, heartwarming and sometimes you just wish that the bad ones would go away. More than a third of adults, according to a new survey, say that their favourites come fom family holidays.
In the study commissioned by HomeAway.co.uk, over a third of those questioned associated their favourite memories with holidays, rather than Christmas, schooldays and birthdays.
On a positive note for the UK, over half of adults polled said their favourite holiday memories were from breaks here at home. Surprisingly, Spain, a traditional package holiday favourite, lagged behind with just 13 per cent of the vote, whilst France secured third place with 11 per cent. The U.S.A. was the only destination outside Europe to evoke the best childhood holiday memory.
Tim Boughton, General Manager for HomeAway.co.uk, says: “Our research confirms that family holidays have an enduring place in the nation’s hearts and minds. We’ve seen an upsurge in families staying in holiday home rentals – especially in Britain – as today’s busy parents opt for a ‘home away from home’ where they have the space to simply relax and spend quality time with their kids.”
The delights of the great British family holiday proved truly unforgettable, with the top cherished holiday memory being building sandcastles on the beach, closely followed by eating ice-cream, playing in the sea and enjoying our traditional seaside meal of fish and chips.
According to the research, it is these treasured childhood memories that help dictate where today’s parents take their family on holiday. Four in ten adults said they would like to revisit their favourite childhood holiday destination with their kids to reflect on the past, whilst nearly a third wanted to re-create the same experience for their children and help build the same positive memories.
Jon Furniss, Celebrity Photographer says; “As a photographer, I find it sad that people are no longer printing their photos as they prefer to leave them on computers, memory sticks or social networking sites, never to be seen again. When you take a photograph you capture a memory - it was obviously important at the time, so why neglect it after the moment has passed? I love the fact photobooks are available. As much as it’s fun and easy to send pics to friends and family via email etc, you can’t beat sitting back and looking at photobook or album, which can be saved to look at again and again”.
Jon Furniss’ top tips to take the perfect family holiday snaps:
For Better Family and Group Portraits
The first and most important thing to keep in mind when photographing groups and families is you need to have fun doing so. Making your family and friends feel relaxed and comfortable is the key. Allow time to persuade the camera shy and compose a great pic.
Alter Your Perspective
Try different angles when taking your picture; experiment by shooting from high or low. The best picture isn’t always taken straight on at eye level. Instead, try a combination of angles and choose the best later.
Play with Eye Contact
Most people tend to take photos at eye level with the subject looking directly into the lens – this is great to create a connection between the subject and the person looking at the image. There are a couple of other things you can try to make portrait images really stand out, such as getting your subjects to look off camera into the distance, or even having a group looking within the frame at each other.
Shoot your Subject Off Centre
Instead of placing your main subject in the centre of the scene with a lot of dead space around it, move your camera until the subject is off to the side so you can get the beautiful view of your holiday destination in the rest of the frame un-interrupted. Remember the rule of thirds and try to get your subject into a third of the frame facing the other two thirds. It adds interest to your pic and draws the eye around the whole frame, not just the subject.
Experiment with Lighting
Another key element that you can introduce to your portraits is the way you light them as there are almost unlimited possibilities when you use the light. Try to get a spark of light in your subject’s eyes as it brings them alive and makes them stands out in the pic. You can achieve this even in the shade. Always turn your subject toward the light source to make this happen, or think about having something bright behind you to act as a reflector to catch the highlight in their eyes.
Move Your Subject Out of their Comfort Zone…
…or shoot candidly, as either can give great natural images that are less staged than the usual holiday snaps. You can ask your subjects to jump in the sea or off a rock, or alternatively sneak a few images of them when they aren’t looking so you capture some natural moments that will last forever. Have fun with your subjects and suggest crazy ideas, they may not take you up on them, but you’ll get a laugh from them, which will improve the shoot!
Be Aware of what is in Your Background…
…as you don’t want anything that will ruin your pictures when looking at them in the future. Alternatively, you could use the background distractions to add humour to your pic. Play with perspective - if there is a ship far in the distance, it could look like a toy ship in your pic, so you could get your subject to try picking it up!
Ski Photography can be Hard…
…so the best thing you can do is take your skis off and prepare the location so you know what you are going to shoot and from where. Also, it’s important to get some fingerless gloves so you can operate the camera without getting frostbite! Take several shots of other skiers before yours to test the light. Bright snow can throw off your camera, so experiment first.
Timing and Weather is Key
The most flattering time of day is early morning or late afternoon as the sun is lower so the glare from the mid-day sun doesn’t ruin your shots. On sunny days, if shooting in the mid-day sun, try to move into shady areas, but don’t shoot with full sun behind you as your subjects will be squinting.
Finally, Play with Your Images with a Photo Image Program
There are many free photo image program packages - it’s now part of the fun and process of photography. Don’t think it’s cheating, but use it as a great tool to play around with your holiday snaps when you get home to get them just right. Erase red eyes, delete the litter on the beach, or even add an effect like black and white or sepia to ensure your holiday snaps are ones you will cherish forever.
Childhood memories can be fleeting, heartwarming and sometimes you just wish that the bad ones would go away. More than a third of adults, according to a new survey, say that their favourites come fom family holidays.
In the study commissioned by HomeAway.co.uk, over a third of those questioned associated their favourite memories with holidays, rather than Christmas, schooldays and birthdays.
On a positive note for the UK, over half of adults polled said their favourite holiday memories were from breaks here at home. Surprisingly, Spain, a traditional package holiday favourite, lagged behind with just 13 per cent of the vote, whilst France secured third place with 11 per cent. The U.S.A. was the only destination outside Europe to evoke the best childhood holiday memory.
Tim Boughton, General Manager for HomeAway.co.uk, says: “Our research confirms that family holidays have an enduring place in the nation’s hearts and minds. We’ve seen an upsurge in families staying in holiday home rentals – especially in Britain – as today’s busy parents opt for a ‘home away from home’ where they have the space to simply relax and spend quality time with their kids.”
The delights of the great British family holiday proved truly unforgettable, with the top cherished holiday memory being building sandcastles on the beach, closely followed by eating ice-cream, playing in the sea and enjoying our traditional seaside meal of fish and chips.
According to the research, it is these treasured childhood memories that help dictate where today’s parents take their family on holiday. Four in ten adults said they would like to revisit their favourite childhood holiday destination with their kids to reflect on the past, whilst nearly a third wanted to re-create the same experience for their children and help build the same positive memories.
Jon Furniss, Celebrity Photographer says; “As a photographer, I find it sad that people are no longer printing their photos as they prefer to leave them on computers, memory sticks or social networking sites, never to be seen again. When you take a photograph you capture a memory - it was obviously important at the time, so why neglect it after the moment has passed? I love the fact photobooks are available. As much as it’s fun and easy to send pics to friends and family via email etc, you can’t beat sitting back and looking at photobook or album, which can be saved to look at again and again”.
Jon Furniss’ top tips to take the perfect family holiday snaps:
For Better Family and Group Portraits
The first and most important thing to keep in mind when photographing groups and families is you need to have fun doing so. Making your family and friends feel relaxed and comfortable is the key. Allow time to persuade the camera shy and compose a great pic.
Alter Your Perspective
Try different angles when taking your picture; experiment by shooting from high or low. The best picture isn’t always taken straight on at eye level. Instead, try a combination of angles and choose the best later.
Tagged in Travel travel tips