What good is a tropical vacation on the most beautiful island in the world if you don’t have amazing photographs to prove it?!?  Today, with the explosion of GoPros, iPhones, disposable point and shoot and fancy underwater cameras – there are no excuses!  Here are a few tips for capturing those special moments:

Set The Scene:    Rainbows, waterfalls, rich green mountains, black lava, endless ocean…Hawaii offers the most scenic backdrops.  It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of shooting friends and family but make sure to take some picturesque stills.  Some of the most gorgeous photos are panoramic.  We can take you to some fantastic locations off the beaten path for a view that is to-die-for.

Timing:    Sunsets, sunrises, ocean waves crashing…sometimes you need a little patience and timing to pull off a special photo op.  Try not to rush.  Everyone understands the importance of getting “that” shot.  Bring your camera or phone everywhere – our tour guides are happy to take your picture.

Variation:  Candid, group, individual, selfies…it is important to mix it up!    Don’t get in a rut of taking the same type of photo over and over.  Zoom in, zoom out.  Take some night shots as well as day shots.  Take photos of interesting architechture, food, nature…anything that you really like.  These photos will make you smile for years to come.

Lining Up the Shot: Don’t worry about the “Rule of Thirds”. The eye likes a little more visual interest/things a little off skew – so get creative. Instagram, Twitter and other apps have crop functions so you really can’t go wrong. More is more so take a bunch of photos and delete the ones you don’t like.

Movement: Vary up your poses. Looking straight at a camera and saying, “Aloha!” is great but make sure to add some life. Get those arms in the air, throw a shaka, jump off the rock at Waimea, cross your arms and lean against a banyan tree, leap in the air, look sexy…capture the feeling!

Lighting: Shadows and reflections can make for stunning photographs. Make the lighting work for you instead of against you and check different directions. If the sun is directly overhead sometimes you can play with cool shadows and shapes. Try a silohuette shot if you are facing the “wrong” direction.

Magic: Sometimes you just have to be lucky…like the time I tried and tried to get a good dolphin photo and kept taking them a second too late – then I looked at my Dad and said, “I bet if I take a selfie a dolphin will magically appear!” – but that is another story…

-Meredith Novack