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Woman holding a cell phone taking a picture of a scenic view

Thank you for traveling with
the Purdue for Life Foundation!

Some of the best parts of traveling are the memories you make along the way, and pictures are a great way capture those wonderful moments.

Here are some tips to ensure your photos are as beautiful as your destinations.

LIGHTING

LIGHTING

1. Find Shade

If you’re taking photos on your phone, make sure your brightness is all the way up on your screen! This will help ensure you’re seeing everything in your photo clearly as you set up your shot.

2. Look First!

Too much sun in a photo can create strange shadows—especially on people’s faces. Look at your camera before you snap the picture, evaluate how it looks, and move around if you need to!

3. Adjust Photo Brightness

When using your phone, you can adjust the brightness before you take the picture by tapping on the subject on your screen and dragging your finger either left and right or up and down, depending on the model of your phone.

4. Turn Off Your Flash

We know you’ll be exploring at all hours of the day, but early morning and later afternoon are the best times for natural lighting. If you’re taking photos around midday, which is when the sun is at its highest and brightest, see if you can find some shade.

COMPOSITION

COMPOSITION

5. Set It Up

When you’re setting up your picture, place your subject in the center of the frame. Or you can get more creative and move them to the left or right side of the frame. This would be a great way to highlight both a person and an object in view behind them, such as a cathedral, a mountain, or the ocean.

6. Focus!

Before you take a picture, tap the screen of your phone to make sure the camera is focused on the subject.

7. Just One More!

Take multiple photos—some from the same angle and even some from different angles. If you’re taking the picture horizontally, take a vertical one too! You never know which one will look the best.

8. Move In

When taking photos from a distance, it’s always better to move closer than to zoom in. Zooming in can make your picture appear grainy, blurry, or pixelated.

Posing

POSING

9. Say Cheese!

If you’re the person in the photo, take a deep breath so your shoulders relax! A great idea is to laugh before the picture is taken. It might feel fake, but it will bring out a beautiful smile!

10. The Final Countdown

Whether it’s a solo or group shot, a simple 3–2–1 will make sure that eyes are on the camera. But blinks happen, so always take at least a couple of photos.

Beautiful photos bring back incredible memories of amazing moments. We hope these tips help you treasure all of them!