Keep happy holiday memories alive through fantastic photos

Part of the fun of any holiday is browsing through your photos, photos. It's a great way of prolonging the feel good factor, especially when your photos reflect what a brilliant time you had. PhotoBox, the online photo printing service, have put together some helpful hints and tips.

Get up to date
Be honest, how old is your camera? Digital cameras have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years. If yours is a little ancient it could be what's holding your photos back. Today's models have superb picture quality and easy to use features to give your photos the edge. You could even cash in on tax free prices at the airport.

Take plenty of pictures
Any photographer will tell you, to get great results it helps to take lots of photos. Packing a spare camera battery and your charger will ensure you've plenty of power. With memory cards it's a case of the more the better. These are now great value so there's no excuse for not having enough.

Get some inspiration
Take a look at local postcards to give you an idea of where you can find the most interesting photo opportunities and note how professionals have captured local highlights. You don't have to copy what they've done but it will certainly inspire you when taking photos.

Think before you click
Think about the overall balance of your photos. You don't want to end up with endless images of the same stretch of beach. Try waiting for a bright blue sky, an interesting cloud formation, or breathtaking sunset. Also consider other areas of interest to give a sense of scale, such as your kids in the foreground making sandcastles, or colourful boats along the shore. Touches like these will bring a photo album to life.

Try waiting for a bright blue sky, interesting cloud formation, or breathtaking sunset.

Tell a story

Think about detail photos. When you're out enjoying dinner, in addition to typical shots across the table, get a photo of the outside of the restaurant so you can recall its name. Try and remember to photograph the food - before you tuck in! Perhaps there's a great view, or some musicians playing that would make a memorable photograph. Collections of themed photos like this really sum up the atmosphere and are perfect for StyleBooks and collages.

Early start
Get up early on holiday! Don't worry you don't have to do this every day, but catching the flattering early morning light will be a great asset to your photos. Starting early also means there are fewer people to cause distractions. If you have to work in harsh daylight try putting your subject in the shade, or using fill-in flash to disguise unflattering shadows.

Panoramic view
If it's your landscapes that usually let you down, try a panoramic shot. The easiest way to do this is to crop a standard photo to panoramic proportions when ordering your prints. The best way though, is to take a series of photos and stitch them together with specialist software.

Don't get left out
Take it in turns to use the camera so you all get the chance to be in the photographs. Alternatively, using the self-timer can be great fun and means nobody gets left out.

Relive the moment
Beat post-holiday blues by ordering prints and personalised gifts of your favourite holiday photos. You can also get really creative and compile your own photo album such as a Photobook or Stylebook telling the complete story of your trip.

For more free helpful hints and tips on how to improve your photography visit PhotoBox and check out the photography tips section