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5 top tips for your summer holiday photography

Have you been on your summer holidays yet? I want to share some tips to improve your photos.

Table of Contents hide
1 So here are my 5 top tips for your summer holiday photography
1.1 Summer holiday photography is all about the fun.
1.2 Document the place you are visiting.
1.3 Consider the clothing for your photos.
1.4 Tell a story
1.5 Be in the photos!
1.6 Not a tip but a suggestion, print them.

I did a few months ago, during the May half term and now it feels like ages ago already. Luckily we are going to Italy soon. I should have written this blog post earlier, but I preferred waiting until school was ended. Now I feel like London is pretty empty. Everyone left already, so I might be a bit too late. However, I think you can always find some good inspiration to take some photos in London as well. The photos you see here are a mix between iPhone photos and camera ones.

So here are my 5 top tips for your summer holiday photography

Summer holiday photography is all about the fun.

So screw the dreamy light, the perfect pose or the right composition. What’s is more important is getting the moment. So if you see something funny or a unique moment just snap it 😉

This is golden rule number 1 I believe.

holiday photography fun

Document the place you are visiting.

I know most of your photos will be about your baby or child/children. And this is what it should be about 🙂 However remember to photograph landscapes, sunsets, typical food, traditional costumes or products. Mix up your photos with a close up of details and general scenes more open. They all be perfect photos to insert into an album to remember the place you visited. They will tell your story there!

collage of sea and food photos taken on holidays
collage of street photos in Greece

Of course, you don’t need to be on holiday to do that. Think about how great it would be to document a day out in London. Starting from getting ready, the travelling, the place or building you are visiting, the lunch out, the activity and fun of your child . . .

Consider the clothing for your photos.

I know I said holiday photography is all about fun! But you won’t be all day in a swimming pool, or by the beach . . . you will explore, visit and live your holiday as well. So when you go out for an evening stroll or an afternoon walk consider wearing something that will look nice in a photo.  I always suggest my clients have something plain and simple for their photos. I would be more relaxed on holiday but keep in mind that clothes choices can make such a big difference. Also, have some nice accessories that match your child’s personality 🙂

little girl standing in front of a yellow wall on holiday

Tell a story

I know most parents want smiley children looking at the camera. But do you know what? The most powerful images are the ones where there is no eye contact with the camera. It’s when you record a story and an emotion. When you will look back in 10-20 years’ time you can live again that experience if you tell a little story. So photograph a little detail, a street sign, a particular plant, or animal, get the overall view . . .

collage of summer holiday photography

Be in the photos!

This is the most important. I know it’s quite hard as you will be the one taking most of the photos. And it’s not the same asking your husband every time “Can you take a photo of us?” because it won’t be a candid snap, because you will probably try to stand and look good instead of enjoying that moment. But it will still be worth it.  You can also hire a photographer. Usually every resort, hotel has a photographer there and we took advantage every time there was one. Otherwise, we couldn’t have any memories of us 3 together!

holiday photos mum and daughter

Not a tip but a suggestion, print them.

And then when you come back from your holidays, PRINT THEM!! Don’t leave them on your phone or computer, let your beautiful holiday live on your frame, or shelf, and create a scrapbook. Don’t let them die. You don’t need 300 photos of your holidays. Go through the photos, delete the blurry ones, delete the duplicates, select the 20-30 good ones and print them. Do you remember the film days? For the holidays my dad use to buy a 36-exposure film or a 24 one and a second one if we needed. That was it. But all were printed. It was so exciting going to the shop to pick them up and see what they looked like. Now every time I go home I can see those photos and they bring back memories and stories!

prints from different holidays

Hope this was somehow useful.

If you enjoyed it, you can read this post I wrote a while ago How to photograph your children with your phone and you will find more tips about light and compositions.

I also found an interesting series of articles here.

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    There is something special that happens when you hold a printed album for the first time.

    Its weight.
    The texture under your fingers.
    The sound of the pages turning.
    The way the images look back at you, solid and real, in a way a screen never quite manages.

    A digital file exists somewhere.

    A printed album IS somewhere. You can feel the difference.

    This is a newborn album. Leatherette cover, gold embossed text, lay flat pages that let every image breathe.

    It is the final chapter of a session, the moment everything we created together becomes something you can live, enjoy and pass down.

    This is why, after a shoot, a printed product is never an afterthought for me. It is the whole point.

    And it is also why I am not the right photographer for everyone. If you are looking for a gallery of just digitals and nothing more, I would gently point you elsewhere.

    But if you want something you can hold, something that feels like it truly exists, something your child will one day open and say this was us, then we should talk.

    Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.

    28 3
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18132145309595634
    There is something special that happens when you hold a printed album for the first time. Its weight. The texture under your fingers. The sound of the pages turning. The way the images look back at you, solid and real, in a way a screen never quite manages. A digital file exists somewhere. A printed album IS somewhere. You can feel the difference. This is a newborn album. Leatherette cover, gold embossed text, lay flat pages that let every image breathe. It is the final chapter of a session, the moment everything we created together becomes something you can live, enjoy and pass down. This is why, after a shoot, a printed product is never an afterthought for me. It is the whole point. And it is also why I am not the right photographer for everyone. If you are looking for a gallery of just digitals and nothing more, I would gently point you elsewhere. But if you want something you can hold, something that feels like it truly exists, something your child will one day open and say this was us, then we should talk. Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.

    For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it.

    And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now.

    Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one.

    Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you.

    These are the moments I get to witness.
    And they never, ever get ordinary.

    26 3
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 17936289762257427
    For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it. And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now. Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one. Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you. These are the moments I get to witness. And they never, ever get ordinary.

    After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot.

    I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking.

    But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others.

    Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do.

    If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone.

    And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey.
    Link in bio.

    28 4
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 17949340839173898
    After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot. I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking. But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others. Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do. If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone. And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey. Link in bio.

    Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made.

    She arrived with her props already chosen.

    Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced.

    She knew exactly what she wanted to say.
    My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it.

    This is what a portrait session can be.
    Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible.

    Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition.

    I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

    90 21
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 17861247726689326
    Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made. She arrived with her props already chosen. Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it. This is what a portrait session can be. Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible. Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition. I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

    Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me.

    But before any of that, the work had already started.
    It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held.

    After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time.
    That same care is what I pass on when I teach.

    If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for.

    📩 Links in bio for both.

    22 3
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18100153727039017
    Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me. But before any of that, the work had already started. It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held. After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time. That same care is what I pass on when I teach. If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for. 📩 Links in bio for both.

    She almost didn’t come.

    She told me she wasn’t feeling confident.
    That she didn’t know how to pose.
    That maybe I should photograph someone else.

    I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way.

    We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden.

    The woman in these photos? She was there all along.

    If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?

    48 10
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18093137645180251
    She almost didn’t come. She told me she wasn’t feeling confident. That she didn’t know how to pose. That maybe I should photograph someone else. I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way. We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden. The woman in these photos? She was there all along. If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?
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    VALE@PHOTOGRAPHYBYVALENTINA.COM

    07577 978246

    LONDON NEWBORN & MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

    Based in Richmond, I work with families across London to capture life’s most meaningful milestones through portrait photography.