How to Photograph Multiple Vacation Looks in a Day
Hey jetsetters! So for those who follow me on Instagram, knows I love taking cool shots while traveling. When you have a beautiful landscape and architecture, you can’t help but to want to take some beautiful photos with it. Taking photos while sightseeing is not hard task but it just takes some planning which is what I am discussing in this post. The tips in taking good fashion shots while vacation without spending so much time “getting the shot” vs enjoying the moment.
As a fashion and travel blogger, I try to take photos in multiple outfits to show a variety. When I first began to blog, I would wear the same outfit all day or at least the majority of the day and then do a change out for the evening. It is not a bad thing to do so but how I like my feed and my content to align is to not show the same outfit over and over again with different scenery or backgrounds. Check out my tips below as well as our amazing hike to this mountain spot.
1. TOTE OR BACKPACK
One of the first things you need in order to do outfit changes is buy a bag to carry it all in. Not just any bag but something really cute and fashionable. Whether you are going to bring a backpack or tote, you want it to have some style so you do not stand out like a sore thumb that you are a tourist. One of my favorite discoveries is Mali & Lili handbags! They carry some of the cutest yet functional bags and they have a backpack that is perfect for travel.
You can shop Mali and Lili bags here and this backpack comes in two colors: white and black. What makes this PETA-certified vegan leather backpack so perfect is the fact that it is convertible. You can rock it as a crossbody, tote on your wrist/ elbow or a backpack. This makes bringing this bag so versatile yet stylish where depending on what you are wearing you can change it up to meet your needs.
When you first get it, you may think what could I possibly put in this bag. It may seem small at first but my photos that you see below, I have my maxi dress that you see in the opening video, a long sleeve romper, 3 inch stilettos and my wallet inside and it was only a little bit over half way filled. There are compartments in the front and pockets in the inside too for your smaller items such as lipstick, keys and jewelry.
On this trip I did not have this bag which would have so much more convenient but I had this reversible tote which you can see below in the shop widget as well. I won’t be using it anymore because my convertible backpack is more convenient and easier to carry.
2. OUTFIT PLANNING
Yes, in order to not pull out your hair, you have to do some outfit planning. This last trip was so much less stress because I planned out my outfits to the accessories before we got on the plane in my notebook. This may seem extreme but it is so helpful and you save soo much more time. Typicallymy rule of thumb is change clothes every 3-4 hours. In this tims frame, I would have done a lot of sightseeing and gotten a lot of shots in one outfit.
With our trips, we tend to stay 2-3 nights each place and more than that when we are in Italy with family and friends. So we don’t necessarily have a time stamped itinerary of what we will do but when you book tours those are “timestamped” where you have to be at a certain place at a certain time. So I use those booked tours at points in time where I would do a dress change.
Each day I tend to wear 2-4 outfits. When I know I will have that many changes, I try to simplify my accessories. This means what handbags and shoes would go well with all outfits to where I am not hauling 2nd pair or 3rd pair of shoes or bags with me. Small clutches and sandals are perfect for swap outs as well as neutral color bags like black, white or beige/gold.
Remember, not all dress changes has to be drastic – pants to dress. Look out small ways to change up an outfit. I always look out repeating the same pair of pants but change out only the top to a cami or a small top or blouse or perhaps wear a sweater/cardigan in the morning and then take shots with the cami underneath. I always bring a plastic bag to keep my clothes clean too.
So in my notebook before the trip, I write down the day (i.e. Monday) and list out all the details of the outfit: top, bottoms, earrings, shoes, bag, lipstick, hair accessories, sunglasses. I try to write them in the order when I will wear them or at the end you can number them in the order you will wear them. The night before, I pack my tote with my change outs. It is best to decide these small details ahead of time and not the morning of sightseeing and annoy your spouse trying to decide which bag, earrings looks good with what. So much time passes for those little details. Then if rushed you mayforget things.
Then I find breaks in the day where I could change such as at lunch or at a museum where there is a bathroom you can use. I have learn even if I think I will make a stop at the hotel during the day, I still do not leave the change of clothing at the hotel because plans can change. It is better to have all items with you.
3. WAKE UP EARLY/BREAKFAST
A real easy way to sneak in an extra outfit is at breakfast. Usually what I wear at breakfast is not the same outfit I will go out in especially when I am trying to create content for my blog or hotel. If you are worried about your face and not wanting to wake up super early to do your face, no worries- that is what sunglasses are for. There have been many times all I did was put on some light powder with lipstick and earrings and took shots with always my sunglasses on – only if there was outdoor seating.
Also another way to get an extra outfit in is waking up early for a mini photoshoot around your hotel. I usually do this with my tripod (I let hubby sleep) around the hotel or on the hotel grounds. When we travel in the summer, the days are long and early and sunrise is at 5:30 am. So it is a great time to get street shots without a whole lot of people on the streets with less risks of someone running off with your camera too.
4. FLOWY MAXI SKIRT OR DRESS
One of the best ways to do multiple changes fast is having your main outfit be a flowy maxi dress or maxi skirt. This came in handy while on our northern Europe trip when the weather was a lot cooler. Flowy pieces allows for easy public dress changes since it is slipping on a skirt over pants or vice versa. This is what I did for the opening video while in Norway.
I wore jeans and sneakers and wrapped the dress in a way that it was a top and I was not tripping over the dress as we hiked to this spot. Or you can slip on the dress when after you make it to the spot but for this one, I needed a mirror to put it on, but I was fine taking it off in public. You may look a bit funny with a dress wrapped around like a funky halter but once they realize what you are doing, they will be in awe. We had people say wow I bet you got some amazing shots, what a cool idea!
Also in Norway I wore my favorite maxi skirt. On this day, it was much cooler temperatures, so I wore my faux leather leggings and leather jacket over my sweater that matched the skirt. These leggings were perfect because I could scrunch them up higher so that way your legs stayed warm but not seen with the long maxi skirt. The one thing you have to be mindful is when twirling – how high of a twirl you can do without exposing the black leggings. I have some shots where I twirled too high so just try to scrunch them up as high as you can.
5. SHOES
Lastly are tips with shoes. The easiest thing to do is find a pair of fashionable flats that could go well with all of your outfits. My gold rhinestone sandals that was that for me for non hiking sightseeing. You can shop my shoes below. Getting a neutral color pair of flats and adding insole inserts (I loved these inserts and they were a life saver) worked really well for me and does not add a lot of weight or bulkiness to my bag either.
My other favorite are these foldable ballet flats that I also insert my insoles in these as well. These are so convenient that they actually fit in side all of my clutches with no problem. So when my feet gets tired, I switch them out and because they are black they go with all of my outfits pretty much and great for airport travel too.
For hiking, I typically wear my hiking shoes like I did in the opening video and then when Im at my spot, I switch to my gold rhinestone sandals or I will shoot barefoot and where my footless sandal bracelet to give my feet an extra sparkle. I also pack a plastic bag to keep my items in my bag clean as well.
I hope you found this tips and the way I get my shots useful. It takes time and planning but it also saves time and keeps things moving without taking away time from enjoying the moment.
