Let’s start with a cliche: It’s time to start thinking outside the box with your travel photos. We know you don’t want your vacation pics to look like everyone else’s, so we’ve come up with a few clever spins on seven of the most tired and predictable stagings. Here they are, complete with tips on how to fix them.
1. THE CLICHE: “I crush your head,” a.k.a. the perspective trick. It’s no longer clever to interact with a monument in the distance, like in the classic Pisa pic below. Everyone does it.
THE FIX: Instead, take a photo like this image by photographer Martin Parr of legions of tourists posing in the exact same way. It’s funnier, and more refreshing.
Photo: Barney Moss/Flickr
Related: Pro tips for taking awesome food photos on vacation
2. THE CLICHE: Your ugly feet…somewhere gorgeous.
THE FIX:Hey, your feet are ugly, my feet are ugly, everyone’s feet are ugly. No one wants to see your feet. Instead take the same picture—without your feet in it.
Photo: Baciliforme/flickr
3. THE CLICHE: The jumping picture. I have to admit—this jumping picture looks pretty cool. Your jumping picture will never look this cool because you probably don’t have an advanced degree in Photoshop.
THE FIX: If you still insist on taking a jumping picture, pick a spot with a simple, beautiful background. That means no castles, wrought iron fences, trees or busy street scenes. Also: Work that pose!
Photo: @dsny_globalparkhopper
4. THE CLICHE: Peace sign with duck face.
THE FIX: The only way to fix this is not to do it.
Related: 9 great underwater selfie photo ops
5. THE CLICHE: Photo looking out of the airplane window like the one below. I’ve done this, you’ve done this, we’ve all done this.
THE FIX: Copy photographer William Eggleston’s image and find something interesting in the foreground (like your fancy cocktail) to include in the photo. Amazing light helps too.
6. THE CLICHE: The “copycat.” Recreating a famous photo.
THE FIX: See number 4.
Photograph: Cristiano Maia/flickr
7. THE CLICHE: Statue groping. What is it about life-size sculptural art that turns otherwise decent people into total weirdos? We’ll never know. But let’s keep it clean, people.
THE FIX: Find a funny or clever way to interact with the art: Use what’s there and work with that, like this guy.
Related: It’s the summer of Chicago. We’ve got five indisputable reasons
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