How to Take Great Honeymoon Photos

While most couples have a professional photographer at their wedding, when it comes to the honeymoon photos, they’re on their own.  And yet, this special time is one that newlyweds want to remember as much as the wedding itself.  Whether traveling in an exotic foreign country or relaxing on a beautiful beach, the honeymoon is a special time that deserves at least some of the same attention given to the wedding photos.

Most people can’t achieve the same level of artistry as their wedding photographers, but remembering a few simple tips can help elevate the photos to be worthy of a lovely photo album, so those memories can be preserved forever.  Here are some guidelines to follow, to help ensure the honeymoon photos are the best they can be.

First, be prepared.  If you’re buying a new camera for your honeymoon, be sure to learn as much as you can about how the camera works before you leave for your honeymoon.  You don’t want to be fiddling with the settings while you’re trying to capture your spouse in front of a gorgeous sunset.  Get some practice with the camera you’re using for your honeymoon.  And remember to pack extra memory cards and the camera battery charger!

Keep these tips in mind to get better honeymoon photos:

•    Try doing some shots with and without flash, whether shooting indoors or out. Sometimes one version will look much better than another.
•    When using a flash, watch for mirrors or windows behind the subject, which will create bright flash bounce-back spots.  Position yourself or the subject at an angle to shiny reflective surfaces.
•    Move in close for most shots, closer than you think you need to be.  Simple, bold images are often most impactful.
•    If shooting scenery, don’t get too far away, and choose a focal point, like a tree in the foreground or a spectacular hillside house in the middle distance.
•    Don’t position the subject in the center.  Use the rule of thirds, positioning the subject in the right or left third.
•    Keep the sun behind you, but don’t shoot at an angle where your subject is squinting into the camera.
•    Shoot both vertical and horizontal shots for variety.
•    Stand steady and gently squeeze the shutter.  The steadier the camera, the better the shots will be.
•    Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment!

Tell a story with your photos:

•    Start with establishing shots, perhaps the trip getting to the honeymoon or how the location looked when you arrived.
•    Show the action and what happened by photographing something interesting you see that typifies the experience: bikes in a row on a street, a group of colorful birds in a tree, a boatman plying his trade on the water.
•    Focus on a detail of a scene by zooming in on a unique aspect: the funny basket on one of those bikes in a row, the brightest of the birds in the tree, the funny name of the boat in the water.
•    Provide a closer for the story, maybe pictures of packing up to go, waving good-bye to hotel staff, arriving home.

Some suggestions on what to shoot:

•    Remember to include people, not just scenery.  Shots of the local people can add visual interest, especially when you’re in a foreign country – but be courteous and ask first!   Try getting shots of locals at work or relaxing with friends
•    At a special meal, your plated food (before eating, of course!) can be one of the detail shots for your story.
•    Landmarks can make great shots, but try to find a different approach.  Get close up on distinctive features and use unusual angles.  Shoot from high and low viewpoints, not just human eye level.

What to do with the photos when you return:

•    Download all the images to a CD or to a dedicated computer file.
•    Utilize the services of an album company like Album Boutique to help you organize your photos to tell your honeymoon story.
•    Look for a mid-level album, smaller and simpler than your wedding album, as a companion book to round out your wedding story.