Take GOOD Family Vacation Photos

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In this episode of the Picture This! Phtography Podcast, Tony and Chelsea Northrup give tips for how to get better photos while on a family vacation. We all know the struggles that come with rallying the family to stand in line and "say cheese". Learn how to prepare your family for photos, bring the right gear, find good locations and light, and enjoy the photos for years to come!

[@ToddPangburn]

Great video and tips guys. My tip is, don't stop shooting when you get home! I had a couple years where I had taken thousands of family photos but all from only 2-3 weeks of the year. Keep shooting those candid pics all year long. Five years later you may find you treasure the photo of everyone sitting on the couch laughing, more than the one where everyone is standing in front of some landmark.

[@bricelangston8634]

The best portait of me that occurs on my vacations is on my passport.

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

Hopefully that changes after this podcast 😅

[@martiipeacock4698]

😂😂

[@Obercincy]

“They’ve been warned.” Is the most accurate description of family photography 😂😂

[@zachswy]

If you are worried about gear getting stolen, but want a non-smartphone camera, used DSLRs are cheap, cheap, cheap. A Nikon D300 or a D90 will set you back $125 or so for one in really good shape, which opens up the wonderfully cheap world of screw-drive AF Nikkors. Pretty easy to be out the door with something that suits the needs of the trip for under $200 shipped.

[@mikephotos225]

One thing I like to do is to take a tour bus that goes to the interesting places. Don't take your camera - just your phone and take a photo of places you want to visit. Then you can go back to the location later with better light and at a time that doesn't interfere with your family plans. It also keeps you from trekking to a special place and then finding that the site is under construction or otherwise not a great shot.

[@ejm922]

you guys chatting is the best- do lots more please! its funny, fun, informative and unique! thank you!

[@parrmike]

Going on vacation Saturday, so this is perfect timing! Can’t wait to put these tips to use.

[@Bladeclaw00100]

I have been recording lots of family and vacation videos and turning them into short video Memories. I had to learn specific techniques for making them. I used a small camcorder for making them because it's very easy to move around and carry around. This allows you to reposition yourself and get many creative angles. The camcorder also has a 12X zoom from 35mm - 420mm, while also staying small and lightweight. Able to fit in a small bag or jacket pocket. The zooming capability is amazing since I can recompose and reframe very quickly without switching lenses, getting several shorts in a short amount of time is so easy this way. Much faster than switching lenses. I also have a wide-angle adapter lens on hand just in case I am in a small environment such as a car or small room. I use the camcorder's built-in mic which sounds fine to me since I am recording more authentic experiences rather than narrative works. The Surround Sound adds that extra touch for making soundscape experiences. I also carry a mini tripod in a small bag, 2 extra batteries, and extra SD card, wall battery charger, and fiber lens cloth. Enough to last me for about 7 hours before needing to recharge. The entire bag with supplies is only about 2 pounds strapped to my body and difficult for others to steal. To setup, my camera batteries are always ready and charged, and memory cards are empty. I just grab the bag on my way out the door. No thinking required. When I capture clips, I keep in mind how they will be edited. I plan on editing usually in chronological order. So, I record small sequences from different angles such as action and reaction shots. Sometimes I do have to keep an eye out for profanity or sensitive conversations people are having which are usually are masked with music or other audio edits. I can carry and operate my camera with one hand and even record selfies or zoom without even looking at the LCD screen. Many times, I will keep the LCD screen closed and just have the viewfinder out to keep the camera on. This is for those rough situations which requires me to use one and to do something like hold on to something. I also make sure I capture some clips with empty space to add text and a thumbnail. I edit using Vegas Pro. I drop all the footage on the timeline and do a special type of rough cutting technique that I created called rail editing. This means I preview the footage in real time which adding editing regions and markers in a single pass. This allows me to preview all the footage without skipping anything, keep duplicate takes, and lay all the cuts chronologically on the timeline. No need to rewatch footage or scroll back and forth multiple times. Once I watch through all the footage, the rough edit is pretty much completed. Next, I add music and match the edit to the music using beat and rhythm measures. Then, I add check the color and audio, add visual effects such as the titles, transitions, and other elements. I have a small collection of preselected music which is easy to add a and drop. Big time saver. Or I can search for a custom song for special occasions. I also can add narration voice overs but I haven't done those too often. Usually, my narration is done in camera. Finally, I render and compress the video for memories and sharing or social media. I also create a fun thumbnail as well. The thing that bugs me is that I want to upgrade my camcorder to a newer one, more suitable for lower light but the small camcorder market had really dried up. It's been a very long time since a camcorder has been released. I have a mirrorless camera, but the lenses are much larger and heavier. And they don't provide that amount of zoom for the size. Phones also don't do justice, since their audio is really poor, they don't have a reversible screen for selfies, and the batteries are not easily swapable. Not to mention, the lack of zooms, besides the Samsung S23 Ultra. Phone also interrupt the recording when someone is calling while I am recording, and it's difficult to record with one hand. A simple camcorder fixes all these issues. Too bad the market is drying up and I have to find a new adaptable method of recording for the future.

[@eahughey]

The tip about bringing an all around fun camera vs a work camera. I have been that guy hauling a big camera bag while trying to vacation with family. I upgraded to a Samsung S22U smartphone that is capable of raw photos and I carried my regular camera bag and the phone was good enough and I never pulled the big camera out of the bag. The convenience of the cellphone allowed me to enjoy my family and capture the moments without some massive lens and flash pointing at my family. My family appreciated it and my back appreciated it. Also Tony's tip about stashing cheap memory cards made me realize why he's had memory card failures. Every failure I have had with SD cards has been with cheap cards that usually can't keep up with the write speed of modern cameras.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Most of our failures are with Sony/Sandisk cards. There's no correlation with brand. We get more failures because we generate more data-about 100TB of files in the last decade.

[@billvandermolen5907]

Oh, wow. Hit the nail on the head in that first minute. Took a trip to Moab two years ago with the family, and its not that setting up a tripod at 7AM is boring, ITS 7AM and we have teenagers. Teenagers who want to spend spring break sleeping in, and spend spring break not putting on ski caps and gloves in the cold spring desert where they were expecting to warm up. The "expectations" talk happened a few days in, few days too late.

[@RandumbTech]

Once I stopped trying to force the family pics, vacations got a lot more enjoyable. Used to bring the tripod, cameras, lenses, etc. now I bring my Q2 with spare battery and that’s it. I do carve out time later in the day to go explore by myself. By then, everyone needs a break from me anyway 😂

[@JasonFiske]

Another tip would be to ensure that your camera time is set to local time. Also remember to take a photo with you iPhone. That way the photos app will match the photos and automatically build better videos based upon the location and time information.

[@peterwilson7532]

Really enjoyable casual video with some great advice.

[@andrewshieldsphoto]

Great advice as always. When we travel with friends we also do the shared albums. Now that the kids are in their teens we make certain to share to them as well. We just got back from upstate NY and I was amazed at some of the shots the kids contributed to the album. One tip, set loose rules about one photo per scene/ share you best, not your whole camera roll, 😁.

[@stephencampbell8616]

Love the tip about geo-tagging the good potential spots with a phone photo!

[@TroupeGoal]

So many good points there,I especially liked the giving kids something to do for candid shots. I’ll definitely use that. One thing I find is having sometimes a couple of hundred photos each day starts to be a drag to edit, so I try and whittle them down to the keepers during spare moments on the trip so there’s at least less to do when I really come to edit them. Cloud-based editing software helps with this I think.

[@conradjalali]

Your advice is great. I just went on to Italy with my family. I decided to go as light as possible, so I took my Sony A7r4, just one lens, my 35mm, and no camera bag. The setup worked great. I couldn’t zoom in, but I was always ready to take pics and 35mm was perfect for not being on too close. Some of my favorite shots were in the early evening, when having the option to shoot at f1.4 made a big difference. I couldn’t agree with you more that you have to make an effort to get everyone in group shots so you don’t go home with regrets.

[@pembridgehouse]

As a long time photographer I have captured many family holidays. When the kids are young they don't mind so much but they go through stages when they are over it and run when they see your camera.Then some times when you are old like me they just tolerate the old guy. By the same token I have to put my camera away sometimes and not be so anti social but just join the conversation.While a lot of the time I get negative response from family about my photography there are times when they are glad you got the shot.Thanks for the conversation.

[@mjpt57]

I’m on holiday in the US, big change from the Australian winter. Lots to see and photograph in and around New York. Hope to get shots of the grandkids playing Lacrosse. But it’s like herding cats at the moment.

[@pidezi]

I really appreciate you both. I started my journey less than six months ago and your videos have taught me so so much about photography and taking videos. Thanks for making the learning process so much easier and not daunting for me. Thanks again.

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

Thanks for watching!

[@markwang77]

Have a wife that loved to have her photo taken and 3 boys that hated it. However my boys have learned to appreciate the memories that the pics have captured as they grew older. Agree 100% on figuring out what the goal is and then planning accordingly. For bucket list destinations, I’m taking more gear than I would for a simple vacation where I may only bring my iphone

[@joannasdigitalimages302]

On a recent trip to Paris, my husband and I took a lot of cell phone selfies to share with the family back home. I took my 5D Mk4 and several lenses but I used my cell phone half the time because my camera was so heavy. I have now bought a mirrorless "travel camera" which is much lighter! I make books of our trips to share with family and friends.

[@Plally06]

One I leaned from Greg Williams is just to hold a small camera at chest level and just not even look through the viewfinder or at the screen. This puts people at ease and you get flawed but often really fun candid pics

[@RYwoodview]

This is all good advice. Thank you, Chelsea & Tony! Our problem is that both of our kids have grown to resist anyone taking pictures of them. Our 17 y/o daughter will do selfies to post, and our 13 y/o son will narrate KZbin videos with an occasional shot of himself. But family photos? No way. But after 2 years of trying, we did finally get a professional family portrait done, 9 years after the last one. And I occasionally get a decent candid shot when they aren't looking. Any suggestions about how to move them toward recording memories they will someday value highly are welcome.

[@ernanigarcia3530]

Same here! And I live in Brazil! Teenager behavior are very similar in some subjects everywhere!

[@satadruroy2008]

Thank you so much for providing so many important inputs. I started serious photography maybe 6-7 months back. And since then I follow each of your videos keenly. Incidentally I purchased my Tamron 18-300mm for Sony after I watched your review of it. From then onwards I subscribed to your videos and keep watching all. Appreciate you both for some great content.

[@mikehines14]

Great video as always Tony and Chelsea! I'm sure other people have commented about the distorted audio, but I wanted to let you know that the DJI video mics record a safety track to help prevent it distortion. It records two tracks at the same time, one at normal volume, and one 6db lower just in case the 1st is clipping. It has already paid dividends for me! Love you guys!

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

Thank you. We placed our mics differently and it messed me up. It will be better next time

[@billvandermolen5907]

We also made a print photobook of a recent trip to Europe. Print is great, but there are somethings best seen in video so in the book my wife included QSR codes that viewers can scan that bring up KZbin shorts/videos of the trip. For example, next to the photos of Chartres cathedral in France is a QSR code to scan and see a short KZbin video I made of the evening lights on the cathedral. Multi-media experience.

[@ChaChaCafe]

I would also recommend some sort of grip for your phone with a shutter button. It feels like using a camera and I find it ergonomically more comfortable shooting with the phone. I use the Shuttergrip 2. It’s fantastic. It’s small and easy to connect. I Can hold my phone high over my head in crowds and take photos comfortably.

[@MichaelSeneschal]

A great family vacation is a vacation that happens to have a camera present, NOT a photo shoot that happens to have a family vacation present. I go super super light, most of the time just my phone. At most I bring a GoPro and small camera with one fixed lens (X100 style). No super zoom… because if you’re on a family vacation and come home with photos of mountains and buildings, then you’ve missed the point of a FAMILY vacation.

[@antnguyen]

I find this episode very relatable haha, thanks!

[@user-gu5dp3lu4f]

Brilliant, especially the advice regarding photo books. I have just finished a photo book for my third daughter as she turns 21. I believe that this is the best photo book yet because I started to plan future books after the first book. As for gear, you are so right- it’s the camera in your hand. Me I love my Olympus om10 but whatever floats your boat.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

Chelsea flaunting her signature mystery-colored eyes in the thumbnail! 😅

[@tedbahas]

Bring a super zoom or a Leica??? I agree with the M body. It runs all friggin day and no need for more than one really nice 35mm or 50. I have an iPhone for video or snapshots. I love the process of shooting a rangefinder.

[@ferdiyansurya]

16:15 Chelsea's face is like "You talkin' to me?!?"

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

If going Nikon, these 2 cameras are great for vacation family photos with decent zoom for most things. Nikon Z5 with Z 24-200mm or go with smaller Nikon Z30 with Z 18-140mm. (and take the kit lens also when not wanting to use the longer lens.) The z30 with kit is super small but has 20mp apsc quality. Add at least 64GB cards or 32GB extras in SD. These Sandisk SD are very low-cost at B&H Photo.

[@richhughes2225]

This is a vacation. You can tell the family what you want, but maybe that's not the outcome everyone else is looking for. Perhaps the first thing might be for the photographer to unselfishly ask what pictures the family members want.

[@BartBochenski]

Thank you, as always great advice. But, I would like to add to it a bit: middle-of-the-day light can be great if you are into abstract/minimalist photography - shadows from the mid-sun can make things look interesting.

[@jootai]

finally a channel that isnt afraid of talking about squarspace

[@rudyrodriguezjr.]

Love this! We don't have to worry about our kids anymore...out of our house thankfully! LOL

[@dan.allen.digital]

If you shoot film on vacation instead of digital, you won't spend so much time reviewing your images and sharing them immediately. Helps to keep you more focused on vacation.

[@hauke3644]

Another tip: I always record a gps-based track with a smartphone app (don’t forget to check time and date of the camera.) Later I apply these to my images and can find out where I took it and thus what it might be… Although I have a Pixel 7 with a pretty good camera, I still take a real camera with me, because the processing is so much easier. Over the years I shrinked that down to an Olympus E-M5 III with the 12.45mm kit lens-small but mighty. And proven to not néed a plastic bag…

[@billj5645]

Tell the kids that you are taking "family selfies", they should understand that. Take all the candid photos you want but take some posed photos where you can see everybody's faces and later on in the future people can see what they looked like back then. I carry a DSLR and use it for most of my photos, but I have to remember to take some photos with my cellphone so I can immediately text them to friends and family, or later on if someone asks me about the trip I can quickly show them a few photos. I agree on the superzoom. Even get a light APS-C or M43 with a superzoom just for family trips.

[@raylander6329]

What a great video, Chelsea and Tony; very well done, Thank you

[@matthewjeffres4640]

who do you all use to do you photo books?

[@lucaraimondo5967]

YOU GUYS NEVER AGE!!!

[@geoffclarke1974]

Terrific video. Thinking about exactly this for next year.

[@draughonc]

Great video. Can’t stress enough - DON’T BRING TOO MUCH GEAR.

[@liamjoe3690]

Matching outfits is where I draw the line.

[@vermis8344]

'Ive left my camera behind in a restaurant.' And here I was, already amazed that you admitted you take out SD cards and forget them. That SD card cost me thirty quid! I'd consider putting an airtag on _that!_

[@MrChip1217]

I also bring zip lock bags for cellphone and other smaller items

[@washingtonradio]

My experience is it is better to travel lighter, you will be carrying all the gear almost all the time. Also, on vacation, have fun and don't get too wrapped in getting the portfolio shot.

[@anjelekagarnett8317]

I don't know if you'll see this, seeing as this video is a year old and it's currently 2024... But, please come to New Zealand and do a photo walk... Please!

[@fedupguy2004]

Im a fuji user and when im travelling by myself I carry the 5 compact primes and the 50-300m zoom + 1.2 telconverter. Using the 16mm 80% of the time in historic towns with narrow streets. When Im with my family however I carry the 16-80 zoom as changing lenses is annoying to them as is getting up at 6am to hit golden hour with a prime.

[@louiskchan]

Love this one! Thank you guys!

[@roberthall6886]

16:19 “Nobody in my family likes to get up early”. We know. That look she gave you. 😂

[@DeanRasmussen]

When your family is as crazy as mine, none of these tips apply 😂

[@JoeGiz64]

Instead of lugging my D5 around on vacation with the kids I preordered a Leica Q3 for a “carry all the time” while on vacation. Maybe you guys can do review of the Q3 😉

[@SteveZodiac777]

Good stuff - thanks for sharing!

[@colinbluth5461]

ehhy, this is realy usefull info, more practical then normal :D

[@stephenberger2798]

In the days of film I used a small notebook to help remember where I had been. Now I use a gps unit on my d500

[@suew2581]

I would love to take more candid pics of my kids (young adults now) but they hate me doing it ☹️, but they will let me do some ‘family together’ shots, so grateful for what I am allowed to do !

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

I know, they get so shy. Maybe show them older photos so they can understand they’ll cherish them one day. You can also promise not to post them on social media

[@I922sParkCir]

I feel like the cheap $10 SD cards are why folks complain about SD card corruption so often.

[@scyz2807]

I've never been married or had kids. : - ( BUT, my "imaginary" family is posing perfectly in every photo I take! : - ) Since they are invisible I don't tend to point them out to people who are looking at my photographs. If you believed anything after the fist sentence, I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale real cheap. LOL

[@ryancormack6934]

I took photos of my kids doing selfies. It was pretty funny.

[@DA-yd2ny]

A $8,000 Leica for vacation. I can’t afford it, but am happy you can, Tony. 😊

[@ernanigarcia3530]

Greetings from Brazil! Great video! I’m going in a family road trip on November, with lots of waterfalls, trails and swimming. Which cameras do you recommend to take with me: Nikon D7500 with 18-140mm lens, Fuji X100T with 23mm fixed lens or an advanced compact old but in good shape Canon Powershot G16? Of course I am considering a GoPro also. Thanks for the advice!

[@rastersplatter]

Fun video! Thanks.

[@JamesPapanestor]

Great info but please fix the typo: :In this episode of he Picture This! Phtography Podcast

[@A.Edilbi]

@1:07 make sure you love it ?

[@bobk4438]

Step 1: Get a good family Step 2: Go on vacation Step 3: Take photos

[@MrChip1217]

If it’s bright sunny then I put a CPL on and leave it

[@malmedia]

Great advice. Wish you would have released this video 2 weeks ago, since I just went on vacation last week. 🤣

[@DrZeeple]

@3:38 That one --- your previous choice seems like it won't work and will just lead to aggravation - one is on holiday, thee is no need to stress anyone out, incl. self!

[@shubhammehtavlogs267]

Plz compare sony A7 iv raw + extra fine jpeg side side comparison in actual pixel size sony a7 iv jpeg are have cracking pattern as compared to raw and its totally different in skin texture. If i compare side by side from nikon and canon there is no difference between raw + jpeg in skin texture as compared to Sony in 200zoom i think its drop point for sony plz review

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

Tony and Chelsea is like, a living photography website, followed by Gordon Laing.

[@robatpark10]

As it turns out I am about to head to Barcelona myself with a Z6 and the 24-200mm lens + iPhone 11. Would a Z6 be a target for thieves? (No jokes about hoping it DOES get stolen please 😁) Like the air tag advice. What might be an alternative camera to take? (Loaded question, but for sure I'd want a full frame a range close to that 24-200)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah you'll absolutely be a target. But still, most people don't get robbed.

[@nazukeoya]

Selfies are still obnoxious. Groupies are way better because you're including others.

[@DDHDTV]

as the photographer in the group of my friends and family, there exists exactly ZERO pictures of myself 😂

[@cjk1943]

❤I love videos

[@Kit2Canada]

A few piece of gaffer tape over the name (indicating it’s been dropped) and never engaging in helpful photography conversations in public can lower the theft-value of camera gear. As for OEM camera straps telegraphing the brand - I’d not recommend it.

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

Good tip!

[@glennwebster6344]

I often see people taking photos with family, but you don’t know what the subject is. I think people taking vacation photos could benefit by thinking about what the subject should be. A photo of a family member should highlight that person in the context of the location, but a scenic photo should not have a prominent person in it.

[@dccoletrain]

I’m certainly no pro but I think your mic levels were too high

[@gewglesux]

I know that this clip is meant for the family oriented photographer . I learned long ago that feelings will clash and will generally mean a horrible time for everybody. Make some time to go off on your own or perhaps hook up with like minded people.

[@southwesternstudiosOG]

4:07 Tony about to drop the S word 😅🤫

[@tubelator]

do yourself a favour. Buy a 5D mark2 or mark2 around 300$.. buy a 70-200mm lens and you will make the most beatifull pictures of your family!

[@mikeabcable]

X2D 100c is the way … I’m just saying . I’m not saying I own it …

[@amitation]

Stating the obvious guys!!

[@TerraThink]

Curious question: Why do you both keep saying things like: "No one else in MY family likes to get up early". I thought you were part of the same family?

[@smaakjeks]

The best strategy is, of course, to divorce any spouse not into photography, and to cast the children out if they don't want to be camera nerds. So simple.

[@lousmaczylo7281]

Why Why do camera manufacturers get away with not including antitheft software with their products, They are just cheating us.

[@DrZeeple]

@7:00 No, tiktok is a weapon, we know that in our country; so, they'd be smacked for it ------ hugging the animal that wants to kill you is just plain dumb!

[@grietmarckruithof-botterma7616]

I still think selfies are not healthy 😂

[@usuallyroamingrob3427]

You guys ever get sick of talking about square space?

[@Kit2Canada]

@usually…. It’s called work, I assume you work for a living ?

[@chelseanorthrup8787]

No. I’m thankful I get to make a podcast and have it sponsored by a service I genuinely like and use. I feel very lucky.

[@Black_Jesus3005]

You ever get sick of trying to make money?🤔

[@Kit2Canada]

@@Black_Jesus3005 It’s called work, I assume you work for a living?

[@nmelcam1]

VR Goggles? Tony is so old. Of course we will not have goggles, we will have an Intel or AMD nano organic CPU with an Nvidia or AMD micro GPU imbedded to our brains with connections directly to our visual cortex running under Windows 45. Obviously. LOL just kidding Tony, about the so old part hahaha To Chelsea, greetings from PR 🙂

[@nunocarneiro464]

Chelsea needs to start going to Tony's beautician and start following the same routine

[@M3D1K]

I can agree with or accept pretty much everything said on this channel but I draw the line at “respect a TikTok dance”. GTFO😂😂😂