Snap to It

Crouching or lying on the ground can make something as unimposing as a lawn ornament look heroic.

If you have pictures of your family with eyes rolled or strained expressions, it's because you take too long fiddling with the camera before shooting. A slew of photographic ills can be cured by learning to use a camera before you leave on vacation. "I've taken people to Africa on a safari and people buy a big ol' 500-millimeter lens, and they don't try it out -- not even once before going on a $9,000 trip," says Adam Jones, a Louisville travel photographer whose outdoor images appear in Sierra Club calendars.

The minimum skills to know before you go include how to focus and shoot quickly, how to zoom in and out, force the flash on and off, set the camera for macro close-ups, change background focus and get images from your memory card to a computer. In the case of Jones's giant lens owner, "Why not go to the zoo first?" he says. "Just because you have a 500 [millimeter] lens doesn't mean you know how to use it." And always carry your manual with your camera, just in case.

Once you know your camera functions, you can use some fancier techniques. One that violates common sense is among the most useful: Use your flash in bright sunlight and turn it off at night.

"People go out on a bright sunny day, low humidity, white puffy clouds, and say, 'It's a nice wonderful day to get photos of the family.' No it's not. It's harsh contrasty light," says Krist. The eye can perceive details in a wider range of light and dark than a camera, which will either burn out the light areas or lose detail in shadows.

The solution, says Krist, is to use the flash in sunlight to reduce the contrast. "It will open up the shadows and make them more readable to the chip."

At certain times of day, even strong sunlight won't hamper a photographer. "When the shadow is longer than the subject is tall, that's what the photographers call 'sweet light,' " says Pennella. That's the time to break out the camera. And don't leave the camera at home because it's overcast -- that can be the best time to shoot.

Conversely, some of the best night shots are made at twilight without a flash. "It's the time the exterior light is the same as the interior light, so you can see both," says Krist. So your camera captures not only a cafe's facade but also the people inside.

When it gets really dark, unless you are taking a close shot, the flash is useless. "Your flash is not going to illuminate the Eiffel Tower," says Krist. In fact, turning off the flash will automatically set many cameras for a timed exposure, the only way to capture a skyline at night. You may need a tripod, though: Long exposures will blur if the camera moves.

The final step to an improved photo album is to make sure you tell the story of your trip through variety. "Anyone can stand in front of the Grand Tetons at sunrise and take a good picture. But it doesn't tell me much about your experience," says Jones. "You need to show the grand scheme, the more intimate views and the close-ups." That means your camping trip should have shots of everything from a panorama of the mountains to a close-up of fingers on a ledge.

Karnow, after 20 years as a pro, still writes down reminders before each shoot. "I make a list that says, 'People, scenics, details, food, movement, action, night life,' " she says.

You could start yours with, "Note to self: feet."

Roy Furchgott last wrote for Travel about onsens in Japan.