Family holidays and Photography...

kh_42

kh_42

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Hey all, does anyone else struggle to balance family and photography on holidays? I feel like a terrible person for asking that, because obviously a family holiday is about spending time with your family - but when that holiday includes Yosemite* & Sequoia National Parks, San Francisco and Route 1 from Monterey down to Big Sur, the wannabe photographer on me is screaming to be allowed to run around at all sorts of unsociable hours, to all sorts of random places and do a lot of standing around waiting for the light to be just right. None of which is particularly achievable when you have 7 & 5 year-old kids with you (for a number of reasons, most of which those of you with kids will also understand)

We just got back yesterday from almost two weeks in California, I've just imported the photos I took and already I can feel the burning disappointment that I didn't really capture anything amazing - invariably, because of having to run on a schedule that suits everyone, it was night on impossible for me to be in some of the truly spectacular locations when the light was right - I did my best to get some good shots anyway, but that was also challenging when there are two small-ish and easily bored children to keep entertained (not to mention the long-suffering, increasingly agitated wife, who is trying to deal with them as I inch my tripod around trying to find the right angle!)

I don't want to sound completely heartless - I got some great shots of my family, but they are family snapshots and whilst they will be treasured I guess being in those places I was hoping to be able to capture some of their beauty too.

Am I just a selfish git? Or is this a common ailment of the wannabe photographer?!

*the single most 'wow' place I have ever seen. Simply stunning. Unfortunately, the only place we could find to stay that had availability and wasn't $600+ per night was also 1.5 hours drive from the valley, which meant it was impractical for me to make the journey at the times I'd have liked.
 
You're a 'selfish git' :D

Family holidays are for family - enjoy your family and the time you have with them. Once your kids flee the nest you can indulge yourself, but if you waste your time and theirs you will never get that time back - and maybe even cause a schism.

Fair enough, you can take a bit of time for your hobby, after all, it's your holiday too.
 
Ha! Fair points, well made.

To be fair, I did spend the time with my family and enjoy it and I knew that my opportunities would be limited to what I could fit around that, but there were certainly a few wistful glances at the locations as we were leaving so that we could get kids fed, watered and to bed at a reasonable time! I was more asking f anyone else feels that same thing - even when enjoying family time!
 
kh_42 said:
Ha! Fair points, well made.

To be fair, I did spend the time with my family and enjoy it and I knew that my opportunities would be limited to what I could fit around that, but there were certainly a few wistful glances at the locations as we were leaving so that we could get kids fed, watered and to bed at a reasonable time! I was more asking f anyone else feels that same thing - even when enjoying family time!
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Yep!
My kids have fled the roost - well, they had, but they are back! Both finished uni and doing their own thing.
I now have time to indulge my hobby a bit more, though we still take them on holidays with us. I'm allowed to take time out to do my own thing!

You are probably in a more difficult situation with younger children. I lost quite a bit of time with my kids when they were younger through me being self employed and the hours I had to put in, but I was always there for their sports -training, fixtures and competitions and the photography possibilities that opened up.
 
I'm always conscious of being the geek with the camera and ignoring those I should be paying attention to. Luckily my GF is understanding and she wants pictures to send to her friends and family so some picture taking is needed for her :D

When I'm out by myself I sometimes take manual lenses and take my time but when I'm on holiday with my GF or maybe just out for the day I limit myself to one AF lens on my camera and at the moment it's a 35mm f2.8. Of course it's different for me as we don't have children.

Maybe you could adjust your photographic expectations, curb your enthusiasm just a bit and perhaps scratch the photography urge with kit that's quick and easy to use handheld without a time sapping tripod. I take my Sony A7 with a fast prime as it's nice and compact and for when even that is too much I have a 1" compact and I try to limit the impact of photography on my loved ones as they're what really matter. But you know that :D
 
You say that this was a family holiday, for spending time with the family. That can be done anywhere, so while your children are young why not go on, for example, beach holidays in the U.K. which they will love and you won't be so frustrated by. In a few years when they are older you can then use the money saved on a solo photography trip, or even take the family with you on the understanding that they are grown up enough to let you go off for the odd day on your own. Children grow up fast but your camera will always be there :)
 
(1) Get the kids interested in photography so the wife is out-numbered
(2) Carry around a small fully auto camera (mine's a Leica Q, it's my idea of a perfect camera)
(3) When with the wife only, find a nice hotel with a pool, leave her by the pool for the afternoon and go take photographs.
(4) Takes photos at night when they're asleep (see below, Horseshoe Canyon 3am)
(5) Take her to photogenic places she will like. She complained endlessly about going to Antelope Canyon in Arizona so I could take some pictures, but she loved it in the end.
(6) Encourage the wife to take pictures. My wife uses a Samsung S7 to brilliant effect, great pictures and she loves it.
(7) Offer to go shopping, leave her in the shops and do some street photography. (This can be an expensive option)
(8) Thinking about it, shopping centres and art galleries in particular offer good photo opportunities. (Third image below is in a shopping centre on holiday a couple of years ago)

Yosemite is an exercise in patience, best to start out at 4 or 5 am. Bliss.

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My guess is pretty much everyone has the same issue. There's just me and the wife and we've been lucky to go to some great places but I've rarely returned with any stunning photos. Getting great photos takes time and effort, planning the time, knowing sun position, being there in the best season, ideally having scouted the location already so you know the best viewpoints... when you're on a busy sightseeing holiday you've not much chance of doing much of this, unless you fancy a divorce :) so I do what others have said, enjoy the holiday for what it is and think of it as a bonus if I come home with any great shots.

Simon
 
I have kids in a similar age range to you and also have some of the same frustrations but as others have said a family holiday is not the best time to get the stunning landscape photos. When we go out as a family I usually just take the camera with a single prime and try and get some nice family/memory shots which as the kids get older will probably be more valuable to me anyway.

Having said that, there are some compromises that can be made. On our last holiday to Yorkshire I looked up several locations that were only a short 30min walk or drive so that one evening when the light/forecast was promising I could leave the family once the kids were getting ready for bed and go out and get some sunset/golden hour shots on my own. On occasions I will also go out early for a sunrise and then get back for a late breakfast with the family.
 
simonkit said:
There's just me and the wife and we've been lucky to go to some great places but I've rarely returned with any stunning photos. Getting great photos takes time and effort, planning the time, knowing sun position, being there in the best season, ideally having scouted the location already so you know the best viewpoints... when you're on a busy sightseeing holiday you've not much chance of doing much of this, unless you fancy a divorce :) so I do what others have said, enjoy the holiday for what it is and think of it as a bonus if I come home with any great shots.
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I could have written this, word for word.
 
Ok, thanks all - feel better for knowing its not just me that sometimes feels it. We're very fortunate in that we're living in the US for a couple of years with work, so have an opportunity to travel much more easily than we could from the UK - naturally we're trying to maximise that opportunity!

To be fair, my wife was very understanding when I did try to capture something, and I absolutely would have ventured out on my own once the little darlings were in bed (or before they got up) but sadly, for the most part I was still scuppered by circumstances.

1. We were 1.5 hours drive outside of Yosemite, so making the round trip, plus setting up and taking shots would have been 4-5 hours easy. That would have tested patience all round, I suspect. I won't lie - I was also shattered from the days spent hiking around the park!
2. San Francisco, similar - we were all in one hotel room, and by the time the precious darlings were asleep I was also knackered and had lost the will.
3. Guttingly, the best bit of Route 1 south of Big Sur and the Bixby Bridge was closed due to a massive landslide, so no Pfeiffer Beach, no McWay Falls etc. Also, it seems that at this time of year that stretch of coastline is mired by fog, which destroys the sunrise/sunset and is always lingering in the background. The true irony is that this is the one area where I could (and did) drive out on my own, because we were staying in a lovely house so the wife tucked herself up with some wine and crappy TV once the kids were asleep. Doubt she noticed I was gone!

As you've all pointed out, this was a family holiday, so it was by no measure a bad time, in fact we all had a great time and I thoroughly enjoyed spending that time with my family. I guess I was just hoping to balance it out with some photography too, but what I've taken away from it is to not worry so much - enjoy any opportunities that present, but don't worry too much if they don't. Oh, and I have to visit Yosemite at some point, just for photography!!
 
It was actually a long trip in the USA with a heavy bag of Canon that made me change to a Leica M9, that is basically point, focus and shoot. I've never looked back since then and I get shouted at by the wife far less frequently.

This thread reminded me of my last trip, I spent a day with a New Zealand couple, he was the pro photographer and she was the bag carrier. Literally. At one point he sent her back to the car, a short hike, to get something that he'd forgotten. She was lovely, I don't know how he did it.

Here she is being obedient. I've never seen anything like it.

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Hmm, maybe I'll show her that. I could have three runners...or, more likely a drastically shortened lifespan.

My main camera now is a Sony a6300, so its not too bulky - part of the reason I changed from a DSLR was that the Sony offered me more opportunity to switch between playing photographer and taking snapshots of the family. Its so much less of a chore to carry it around with the 35mm lens on it but still gives me the creativity I want!
 
Totally there with you.
My kids are 8 and 6, my wife is sometimes understanding, so long as I'm not leaving her to get bored or deserting the kids when they want attention.
With our last 2 camping trips, one in the Lake District and other in Shropshire, there were plenty of great landscapes to photograph, but I had to limit myself. I did come away with some decent shots.

I tend to be a little tactical though. I will make sure that the family are occupied and happy, then I'll take the opportunity to make some images.
For example, the shot below from Shropshire was taken next to our campsite (I'd spotted the location the day before) while the kids were playing and the wife was happy reading her book. Meaning I got over half an hour in one location:

A river runs through it by Alistair Beavis, on Flickr

Taken in the Lake District, at the top of a hill while the family sat down and had a rest:

Lake Land in Panorama by Alistair Beavis, on Flickr


Basically, I've learned to be quick, take minimal gear (body and 2 lenses), spend time with the family and try not let the camera get in the way. I do also get some good family photos too.

I do have a dilemma now though, we're taking the kids to Disneyland, I want to record the event for posterity but don't want a DSLR to get in the way, but I don't trust a phone to do it justice....time to add a CSC ;)


One thing I have in my favour is that due to the fact that my "day job" is shift work, I get a lot of free time when kids are a school and wife is at work, so I try to do as much photography as possible during those hours to keep family time free.

Once the kids are older, then I'll do more photography on holidays.
 
ABTog said:
I do have a dilemma now though, we're taking the kids to Disneyland, I want to record the event for posterity but don't want a DSLR to get in the way, but I don't trust a phone to do it justice....time to add a CSC ;)
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I always used to have a pocket camera, but nowadays there aren't that many that are sensibly priced and better than a phone. I also used to lend it to my kids for festivals and holidays. For years it was a Sony S60, the first pocket camera that did RAW, but last year my elder son left it in a taxi in Madrid. I picked up a second hand Sony RX100 Mk3 (20mp 1" sensor, pop-up flash, solid metal case), which we share at various times as the kids travel a lot, it's a superb camera and they can now be had for around £400. Ideal for Disney and a lot more.

Lovely pictures, by the way.
 
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simonkit said:
My guess is pretty much everyone has the same issue. There's just me and the wife and we've been lucky to go to some great places but I've rarely returned with any stunning photos. Getting great photos takes time and effort, planning the time, knowing sun position, being there in the best season, ideally having scouted the location already so you know the best viewpoints... when you're on a busy sightseeing holiday you've not much chance of doing much of this, unless you fancy a divorce :) so I do what others have said, enjoy the holiday for what it is and think of it as a bonus if I come home with any great shots.

Simon
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This! I've tried sneaking out at dawn, nipping out at sunset, wandering off when they are settled on the beach. Got some reasonable stuff, better than snaps but nothing stunning. Kids are older now, only one coming on holiday with us thus year and I will still be squeezing in some togging but for fun with no great expectations.
 
With young kids, enjoy them and forget the camera. When they are older, enjoy the camera and forget the kids. [emoji12]
 
StevenS said:
I always used to have a pocket camera, but nowadays there aren't that many that are sensibly priced and better than a phone. I also used to lend it to my kids for festivals and holidays. For years it was a Sony S60, the first pocket camera that did RAW, but last year my elder son left it in a taxi in Madrid. I picked up a second hand Sony RX100 Mk3 (20mp 1" sensor, pop-up flash, solid metal case), which we share at various times as the kids travel a lot, it's a superb camera and they can now be had for around £400. Ideal for Disney and a lot more.

Lovely pictures, by the way.
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I find the phone-photography experience unsatisfactory. The images aren't great, the camera doesn't do what I want (AF or auto exposure) and I don't like the user interface or the hand position required.
The RX100 is good, but very pricey for a compact, even a Mk3 secondhand.
We have a Nikon 1 J2 in the house but that is a thoroughly disappointing camera. I'm likely to swap that for the EOS M which at least will be usable with my EF lenses and has a bigger better sensor.
Then my plan is to get the kids into photography, then they'll not complain as much ;)
 
You're between the devil and the deep, I'm afraid; I was constantly being yelled at to "put that effin camera down. We're SUPPOSED to be on Holiday!" Then being moaned at when we got home; "Why didn't you get one of the goat!" Or whatever 'she' had deemed photo-worthy on our travels... you cant win.. welcome to marriage/parenthood.
If you try pursue photography for its own sake along the way, also likely you'll get a lot of pics that get a stoney face and instant disguard; "Hmph, another bludy rock!" or "Oh look... like we haven't got enough pictures of trees!".. "Where are the photo's of the kids!... oh... here's ONE"...

Mine are grown up now; and I look back on a life-times photo's and you know what? Its the family snap-shots that I appreciate the most...

All my usually pretty mediocre attempts at 'arty' landscape stuff, is pretty immemorial, and rubbish, even where I was out on my own to 'do-photography'.. there are hundreds of people that specialist in the genre, that do it far better than I ever will, AND.. lets be honest, do we EVER go out of our way to go look at their photo's of mountains or valleys or beaches? Do you really want album after album of likely second rate pastiches, of scenes you ca see in the guide books? (Buy the guide books from the suvineer shop! They usually tell you where the photo's were taken and all the pertinent history of the place, too!)

What can you do, what can you do well, NO-ONE can do better than you?

Your family, your family holidays and outings; SNAP THEM! Sod the artistic merit of the shots; sod the prosaic photographic brilliance! Capture THEM memories; if you can get land-marks and pretty scenery in the back-ground, great; if not, who cares?

Any-one with the time and patience and inclination can get up before sun rise and set up a tripod and wait for the perfect light to capture that 'one' picture... only YOU will be on the spot, with a camera when one of your kids finds a star-fish, or rope swing in a tree or 'something'... where THEN will your camera be pointing?

Revere the snap-shot.. it is not a 'junk' genre to be ridiculed.. if you prefer, call it social photography, or candid portraiture, or something if it makes you feel better about it; BUT.. taking 'good' family snaps and giving them that tad of extra interest or impact, and making the most of them, 'on the spot' is very vert much more of a challenge than sitting around messing with settings, squinting at 'the light' trying to remember 'the zone system' to get a landscape, or chasing lesser spotted whig-tails about the woods! It really is, and only YOU can take them photo's of your family; so indulge and enjoy!

It's a bit like wild-life photography, only a lion's a lion.. you can go back to the safari park in ten years, there will still be lions.... in ten years your delightful off-spring, wont be charming little darlings delighting in their first experiences of this world, they will be dressing in black, wearing make-up that makes them look like a zombie, and making existentialist philosophers look as optimistic and enthusiastic as morning Radio DJ's.. and a monosyllabic emission will be imbued with all the sartorial 'meaning' of a renaissance treatise on theology, only YOU will be too 'ow-le-ed' to understa-a-a-an-d' ma-a-an' which will be conveyed with a sort of frown, grimace and something between a grunt and a sigh... lol!

Get'em while you can.. childhood s such short indulgence... and only YOU will be o the sport to snap it; make the must of it; sod the scenery, it'll still be there when the kids is at college, an you are rattling round an empty house!
 
 
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ABTog said:
I find the phone-photography experience unsatisfactory. The images aren't great, the camera doesn't do what I want (AF or auto exposure) and I don't like the user interface or the hand position required.
The RX100 is good, but very pricey for a compact, even a Mk3 secondhand.
We have a Nikon 1 J2 in the house but that is a thoroughly disappointing camera. I'm likely to swap that for the EOS M which at least will be usable with my EF lenses and has a bigger better sensor.
Then my plan is to get the kids into photography, then they'll not complain as much ;)
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You can get one of these for £160, same sensor, but image quality may not be much better than a good phone. My wife takes great phone pics.
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/compact-digital-cameras/1401131/sony-hx60-review
 
This all sounds very familiar. We have a 2 and 5 year old. Try to get a little photography done when on holiday but it's very limited. I look forward to retirement in 30 years or so :)
 
We go away a lot but I've never really had an issue and the wife/kid seem perfectly happy. It helps that I've always worked very, very quickly and even after dark have always used whatever is around me for support. A tripod would be a quick journey towards a divorce :)

It seems as though you're trying too hard to balance the two and therefore not really getting the best out of either. I'd just relax, accept that you'll miss photo opportunities but enjoy the time with the family. In ten years they may not have any interest in going away with you!

As an example of how I do things, this was an 8 second exposure that in total (from hanging back from the family briefly and then catching up with them) took no more than 30 seconds, it would have taken longer to tie my shoelace.

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Other than that, I'll often go out once the kid is asleep for a little while. In Norway recently my 2 year old eventually fell asleep at 10pm most nights, a couple of times I then headed out for an hour to take photos, crept back into bed when I was done, job jobbed.

The little one is super-clingy with me specifically when we're away, so it's not always easy and I take less than I'd like to, but the balance of taking photos, enjoying time with him and my wife and the memories I'm banking in my mind are good enough for me.

Travelling light helps too, I only take the Domke FX5B and usually one camera/lens. The wife appreciates the fact that I always offer the room left in the bag for a few nappies and snacks :)

With a one camera/lens combo left around my neck all the time it's surprising what you can manage. This was taken on a fast moving boat whilst holding my son with one arm and the camera (just the D5500 and 18-55 kit lens) in the other.

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Is it a world beating landscape photo? Of course not, is it a perfectly acceptable 'snapshot', particularly given the conditions? I'd say so. My wife was relaxing at the front of the boat so had no idea I even took this, she was thrilled when she saw it later.
 
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I have a very active 5 year old little boy. We spend a lot of time in the Lake District, and while I'll always have a camera with me, for the majority of the time, my focus is purely on having the best family holiday we can. Of course, I will always try and capture as many memories as possible, but not at the expense of annoying my wife and son. If we're over for the week, I'll maybe try to sneak out somewhere reasonably close by for a sunrise if the conditions look good, making sure that I'm back in time for breakfast. That's worked well in the past, but I would imagine I'd have my wings clipped the first time I woke everyone up sneaking out the caravan at 3am :ROFLMAO:

Simon.
 
Nice shots @ukaskew
Yeah, I'm the same, I often hang back slightly to get a shot and then catch them up, time lost = 1min. And I also do night shots after they kids go to sleep.
EG, my most successful star shot to date, taken after the kids went to bed while we were away at Christmas:

Clear December Sky by Alistair Beavis, on Flickr

Lets face it, nobody else was likely to join me for 1hr in freezing conditions in the dark countryside, though the wife was amazed by the display of stars I captured.

srhmoto said:
I would imagine I'd have my wings clipped the first time I woke everyone up sneaking out the caravan at 3am
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Yeah, one reason I don't try it when we're camping ;)

Woah @Teflon-Mike , bit of a grumpy attitude there. That's like saying, "there's no point photographing that view yourself, it's been done before". Well yes it has, but I want to do my version of it.
As for the animal argument, some of those animals on safari might not be there in 10 years time, the numbers of certain animals are dwindling and are becoming harder to see in the wild.

So many people have seen and photographed Ashness Bridge in the Lake District, did that stop me wanting to photograph it? Nope, I wanted my version. Was I there at the best time of day, no, but as we were passing, it seemed a shame not to bother. The kids enjoyed the view and jumping from rock to rock while I got this shot:

Bridge with a view by Alistair Beavis, on Flickr

I take photos on holiday because I enjoy doing it. Some people enjoy climbing, biking, sun bathing, shopping, etc on holiday. I enjoy photographing the places I visit and my family in those places.
In fact there's been a study that shows "people who take photos of their experiences usually enjoy the events more than people who don’t."
Here's the study (if you want to print it out for your other half) from the American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/06/picture-enjoy.aspx
And here's the Fstoppers comment on it: https://fstoppers.com/news/study-sh...ns-enjoyment-experiences-under-certain-180355

It is a balance that can be tricky, but work on it. Give time for your family but it is your holiday too and if you enjoy taking photos (points to article above^) then that's a justified thing to do. Remember you can't spend the whole time doing photography, realise that you'll miss some opportunities, but choose the ones that you really want to do and make the most of those, working efficiently.
 
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kh_42 said:
2. San Francisco, similar - we were all in one hotel room, and by the time the precious darlings were asleep I was also knackered and had lost the will.
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I've been in this position quite a few times. Leaving the room in Norway on the first night at 10pm after leaving the house at 5am and travelling all day with a 2 year old was tough to say the least. As my wife says though, you'll regret it if you don't. As it happens it was the only clear night so I'm so pleased I went out. With the 2 year old I'm lucky to get more than 6 hours sleep at the best of times, so being tired is default!

After a near fatal illness a few years back which cancelled our honeymoon to Hawaii, California and Nevada I never take it for granted that I'll get to go back. I just remind myself of that and it gets me up and out, exhaustion be damned.
 
Enjoy the family holiday, take photos as memories of it - you don't have t be the amazing travel photographer all the time. Don't put yourself under that pressure.

Then if the opportunity presents itself, get the photos.

And yes, Yosemite is amazing - the Sky was so blue. We had two days there so we did the early morning trip around with sunrise at Tunnel view, then relaxed in the pool the following morning and then spent the afternoon in the park, with sunset at Glacier Point
 
Another issue is that she likes roads like this (straight, dry, hot)
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and I like roads like this (none of the above):
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So much of what has been already said is very familiar :)

My daughters are now nearly teenagers - which means the days of shots of them at play are waning as they become much more 'camera aware' and self concious.

I generally just take my A6000 on holidays - it's small enough (even with 15-50, 55-210 and 50 f/1.8) to fit in a small shoulder bag, so I can still have a rucksack to carry all the bits and pieces we want as well.
I'll tend to just take shots as I see them, so memories rather than masterpieces, but will try to fit in a few hours here and there through the week when I can wander off by myself.

Of course, if I then spend he evenings going through pictures, uploading the best to FB etc, I'm spending too much time 'playing' on the tablet, and if I don't it's 'where are all the pictures of the holidays?' :rolleyes:

Oh, and Yosemite was amazing when I got to visit it, may hears ago - it's certainly on my list of places to re-visit.
 
Just been through a first pass at the photos and here are a few that I like and have worked on a bit, thought I'd share them here rather than start up another thread. Tried to keep them small to avoid clogging the post.

THE view of Yosemite. Done by everyone, mostly with more panache - but given all of the above I'm quite happy with this one!

Tunnel View by k_hellis, on Flickr

The Merced River and in the background Vernal Falls - the light sucked but I really wanted to capture the power of the river - it was particularly high and wild due to the unusual heat which had resulted in more run-off from the high ground. (I may have also been trying to channel my inner Ansel Adams)

Merced River and Vernal Falls by k_hellis, on Flickr

The North Face of Half Dome, as made famous by a certain outdoor clothing company

The North Face by k_hellis, on Flickr

This is the USS Pampanito, a WWII Submarine moored in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. I wanted to make the shot look like a colourised WWII era photograph, just to make it more interesting. Not sure if it works or not?

USS Pampanito by k_hellis, on Flickr

The Pride and US flags flying next to each other in San Francisco during the Pride 2017 parade.

Pride by k_hellis, on Flickr

A quick shot of some of the colours on display during the pride parade, a completely shameless and superb display of people simply being who they are!

Pride Colours by k_hellis, on Flickr

This is a view across Cook meadow, its a panoram of 4 shots stitched in LR, I left my wife and kids (off to the right) in the edit because I like the additional sense of scale they provide:

Cook Meadow Panorama by k_hellis, on Flickr

Lower Yosemite Falls, again, B&W because of crappy light!

Lower Yosemite Falls B&W by k_hellis, on Flickr

I guess given the main thrust of this thread, on reflection I should be pretty happy with some of these.
 
I think, from those shots, you've done fine.
1 and 2 are good.
3 would have been better if you'd have had less of a tree line in the way at the bottom.
4, the submarine. I see what you're trying to do with the processing, but I'd lose most if not all of the white vignette.
5 the flags, too much vignette.
6 - a fine snapshot of an event.
7 - could do with a little more sky and a touch less grass in the foreground
8 - great. B&W works well. If I was being picky, it could do with a little more definition in the bottom half of the frame, but that's likely down to the spray from the falls.

From a family holiday, I'd be happy with those.
 
Thanks for the feedback, this was a first pass at the editing, so will go back and take another look at some of them.

3. I know, this was one of those situations where from that position, it was hard to get rid of the treeline, I could probably have tried a tighter crop but was worried it would then just be a picture of a rock!
4. Noted, will do.
5. Gotcha, was just trying to remove some of the blue space. Perhaps overcooked a little bit.
6. Thanks!
7. There was a little more sky to play with in the originals, but during the creation of the panorama I lost a bit of it. Noted for next time though.
8. Thanks - it is indeed the spray. The falls were incredibly powerful up close. Need to have a bit more of a play, I might be able to use dehaze to increase the definition a bit.

Cheers,

K.
 
I struggle with this also.

Tried various things including 'turning off' by only taking phone camera or small compact with me so less temptation.

What I settled on was to:
1) Hang back for a minute as others have mentioned.
2) limit to a couple of 'I really want to get a decent shot of.....' so it doesn't come as a surprise when I am allegedly 'faffing'.
3) plan one solo breakout, (usually at an unsociable time) to get something a bit different.
4) enjoy the moment rather than through the viewfinder (still working on this one....)
 
I always thought there was something 'odd' about most enthusiast photographers, this thread has cemented it for me. :p

Why the obsession with landscape shots you can't take. You've got a camera, surrounded by people you love whilst they're making great memories. Instead of mourning missed opportunities, why aren't you all like the proverbial 'kids in a sweetshop ' creating images that your kids and grandkids will be able to share and use as reminders for those great memories. Those unique never to be repeated moments you're not capturing cos you're too concerned about what you're missing out on.:thinking:


ABTog said:
The kids enjoyed the view and jumping from rock to rock while I got this shot:
Click to expand...


This is OK, but wouldn't your 'unique take' on that view have been some great pictures of your kids enjoying themselves in front of the bridge. Wide grins and giggles, cool shots of leaping kids with only blue sky as a background?
 
I take too much photo gear on holiday - but no intention of great landscape shots - just tons of photos of the family in lovey lighting and surroundings - the kids will be gone before you know it - great landscapes for later on in life when the young models have flown the coop
 
Reminds me of some years ago when we were on holiday in Northumberland and I was putting my camera away whilst the OH was getting the ice creams in. A fellow photographer got chatting to me and really nailed it when he asked if I was on holiday or to take photos [emoji3]
 
Phil V said:
I always thought there was something 'odd' about most enthusiast photographers, this thread has cemented it for me. :p

Why the obsession with landscape shots you can't take. You've got a camera, surrounded by people you love whilst they're making great memories. Instead of mourning missed opportunities, why aren't you all like the proverbial 'kids in a sweetshop ' creating images that your kids and grandkids will be able to share and use as reminders for those great memories. Those unique never to be repeated moments you're not capturing cos you're too concerned about what you're missing out on.:thinking:
Click to expand...

Speaking for myself, I do take those shots and love taking photos that will be treasured reminders in the future but that still doesn't mean I would not like to have the opportunity to get some landscape (or whatever) shots that take a bit more setting up and waiting time, particularly of places that we are not likely to visit again for a long time.

Family time will always come first, and not just on holiday, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to follow your own interests occasionally.
 
Phil V said:
This is OK, but wouldn't your 'unique take' on that view have been some great pictures of your kids enjoying themselves in front of the bridge. Wide grins and giggles, cool shots of leaping kids with only blue sky as a background?
Click to expand...

I did take some photos of the kids there, I just chose not to put them on Flickr.
 
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