To find out more about what it takes to make a perfect vacation shot and how to avoid making common mistakes that lead to photo fails like we’ve seen in this post, we spoke with a couple of experts. For many people, vacation shots are something worthwhile when traveling to the furthest corners of the world. But even for more casual travelers, it’s always nice to take good photographs to share with friends and family.

Vacation shots are “important because that's the time they get to enjoy together, whether it's a couple, family or just friends,” said Charlie, the team manager of The Parisian Photographers, a Paris-based photography service that joins talented professional photographers who make pitch-perfect memories for couples, weddings, family, solo portraits, elopements, you name it. “Also because there is excitement of travel and discovering a new country, city and beautiful places there.”

“In the case of Paris, this is even more the case as it's often related to the city of love and romance for couples, and visitors in general are in awe of the city landmarks, food and French culture,” Charlie said, referring to the beautiful city where The Parisian Photographers work.

There are multiple reasons why it's so hard to get good images on vacations. “First of all, because you don't know the place as locals do, that's why hiring a local photographer can be so helpful,” Charlie said. “Also, selfies may be a way to do it, but the angles will be the same. Tripods and selfie sticks can help, but a photographer will also bring his/her expertise by shooting from a distance, including more landscape or cityscape in the background, varying portraits and wide-angle shots,” he explained.

When asked about the most common mistakes people make while taking vacation photos, Charlie listed a handful of them. The first one is taking only selfie photos. “It will be the same angle every time and wide-angle lens from the camera is not the most gratifying.” Another one is “only taking photos of your family/better half or friends since you won't be in the photo. Feel free to ask a stranger to take a picture of you all,” Charlie suggested.

Doing it in the middle of the day is another common faux pas in vacation photos. Instead, Charlie’s advice is to aim for sunrise or sunset when the light is better. The last one, according to him, is not hiring a local photographer. “Even just a short/mini session can do wonders to have photos you'll cherish forever.”

According to Charlie, a couple of things to think of when aiming for a pitch-perfect vacation shot are: more photos by sunrise/sunset; asking someone to take a picture of the whole group (for friends/family) or couple; asking for someone who has a camera and seems to know what they're doing; hiring a local photographer.

We also spoke with Krystal Kenney, a photographer working in Paris, France, specializing in portraits. Kenney is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, but has been in Paris for 10 years working with organizations such as the Louvre, Orsay, and diplomats.

The photographer told us that it’s hard to get good images of your vacation by yourself because there are certain principles that make a good image. Moreover, “you don’t know the best locations when you are traveling. Sometimes there are hidden gems,” Kenney said. According to her, the most common mistake while taking vacation photos is not shooting at the golden hours. “Sunrise is best because there are no people around and beautiful light,” she added.