No matter what part of the globe you’re from, a vacation is probably in your future. Can you recall how well your last vacation pictures turned out?

The irony is that it usually takes the same amount of time to shoot outstanding vacation pictures that it does mediocre ones.

So, what is required for better vacation shots?

It’s pretty simple, really. Here’s how to take phenomenal vacation photographs in ten steps: Take a few seconds before immediately snapping off 5 pictures and ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have the right image in my viewfinder? Think of the view as though you were about to crop the final image. Is there way too much extraneous material in the image (or far too little)? Having up to 20% more in an un-cropped photograph is a good idea, but much more than that could begin to degrade the resolution after the picture is cropped.
2. Do I want to be in this photo? If so, use a tripod or ask a stranger to take the shot.
3. Are all my settings correct (at a minimum, consider: ISO, metering mode, fill flash, and white balance).
4. If I re-position myself, could I include something in the foreground (or background) that would improve the photo?
5. Is there a better angle?
6. Am I about to be attacked by a wild animal? (It may not be photo-related, but if the camera is also eaten, then…)
7. Would this photo be much more spectacular if taken at another time of day or night (assuming of course, that you could return then)?
8. Would the picture be more effective if taken using a portrait (vertical) perspective rather than a typical landscape (horizontal) perspective?
9. Would the photograph be better if I had people (or no people) in the shot?
10. Could this photograph improve if a circular polarizing filter was used?

Realize that you probably don’t go on that many vacations per year. Therefore, doesn’t it make a lot more sense to take a few extra seconds before taking your shots and be happy of your vacation pictures? Otherwise, the same old mediocre alternatives are still available.