Taking good pictures on your family vacation is pretty easy when you know some basic photography skills. In this article, you will find seven travel photography tips that will help you take some fantastic travel pictures that you'll enjoy for years to come.

Add Drama to Your Pictures

You can add interest and visual appeal to your pictures by adding some drama to your pictures. If you want to add drama to your pictures one way is to show scale. You can show scale in your pictures by having a person stand next to something enormous like the World's Largest Redwood so you can see the full impact of the image.

Get Rid of the Clutter

In the excitement of seeing so much of interest, it's easy to forget about the background. But before you hit the shutter release button, look at what you're really photographing. In some cases, moving a few feet could eliminate unwanted clutter like power lines, billboards, or people walking through your picture.

Take Pictures of the Locals

No matter where you are traveling, learn how to say, "May I take your picture please?" in the local language. Offer to send those you photograph a copy so make sure to have a small notebook or pencil to jot down names, addresses or emails.

Unique and Candid Photos

Candid shots when traveling are the best, but occasional portraits of the family in front of spectacular views and famous landmarks are part of almost every vacation album. Use the self-timer or remote shutter on the camera so you can hop into the picture too.

Always take pictures of things that interest you instead of taking pictures of things "you have to take" like those shown on postcards in the gift store. You can always buy some postcards to add to your travel souvenirs and save the really unique subjects for your photographs. Unusual subjects always make great travel photos so always keep an eye out for these unique photo opportunities.

Every Picture Tells a Story

You may want to tell your vacation story by using your photographs from the time you departed to your return home so make sure to capture these moments too. Include special vacation highlights like a fun activity you did, new friends you made or the place you stayed. Once you get home and look at all of the pictures, select those pictures that best reflect your trip and frame them on your wall to remember.

Recruit Additional Picture Taking Help

If you are traveling with children, give each child a camera (use disposables for the young ones) and encourage them to take pictures too.

Then when you return home you can create a fun photo album to remember your vacation. Make sure to take notes while on your trip, so you'll have everything you need to write photo captions after you get home.

Camera Logistics

If you have any plans for being around water, make sure to bring a one time use or waterproof camera.The salt water and sand from the beach can seriously damage or ruin your camera so be extra careful no matter what type of camera you're using.

Remember that even for the most experienced pros, not every picture will be a keeper, so bring extra memory cards unless you have a way to upload your photos while your away.

Always remember to recharge the batteries and replace the memory card every day so you can be ready for whatever photo opportunity comes your way. By doing this, you'll be ready to go in the morning!

As you can see, taking good pictures on your vacation can be easy and fun. And, by the time you return home you will have a lot of fantastic pictures to share with your friends and family.