David Pogue's Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

The Not-Boring Vacation Shot

Getting out to see the world is highly recommended, both because you'll exercise your skills as a photographer and because it helps you get a life.

But as you stand there in front of the Grand Canyon, the Eiffel Tower, or Cinderella's Castle, the thought may flit through your brain: I'm about to take exactly the same photo that's been taken about 472 million times before.

So how do you capture the moment so you'll remember it in your declining years—without turning into a tourist cliché?

Packing Up

First of all, make sure you'll be ready to take any pictures at all. You'll need some supplies:

• Batteries. A typical compact-camera battery has enough juice for about 300 photos. If you have an adorable 4-year-old, that's about half a day at Disney World. Consider buying a second battery (or set of batteries), and make sure it's charged every night.

• Camera bag. Not only will it protect your camera, but it also will keep your batteries, cards, and cables together.

  Tip

  If you can find a camera bag that doesn't look like a camera bag, it's less likely to be ripped off. An insulated beverage bag does nicely, for example.

• Memory cards. Nobody has ever said, "Oh, I wish I'd bought a smaller memory card." Pack a big one, especially if you plan to capture movies on the same excursion. Or a couple; it's generally cheaper to buy two 1 GB cards than one 2 GB card, but shop around ...