Your vacations provide amazing opportunities to capture stunning photos you'll want to look at for years to come. And whether you're heading on a summer break or looking toward a cozy fall trip, you'll find great things to point your camera at. And you don't have to be a professional photographer to preserve all the gorgeous sights and memorable experiences you'll encounter on your trip.

Today's cameras make it easier than ever to take good-looking images. But simply pointing your camera at something and pressing the shutter button isn't necessarily going to score you the best results. Taking photos that you'll want to print for your wall or put in a photo book takes more understanding, but with just a bit of effort you'll be able to turn your everyday vacation snaps into award-worthy pieces of travel photography.

In the first part of my two-part travel photography guide , I take you through the kit you should consider taking with you, whether it's a great phone like the iPhone 15 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or a dedicated camera like the Canon EOS R5. Read more: Best Camera to Buy in 2024 Now I'm going to take you through the tips I keep in mind as a professional photographer while traveling the globe. By knowing how to quickly operate my camera I was able to capture the fleeting golden light of this sunset in Scotland.

Get to know your kit Learning how to operate your camera will not only help you get better, more creative shots, but will help you snap those shots q.