50 Unfortunate Vacation Fails That Were Too Good Not To Share (New Pics)

Many cameras and phones have a grid setting that divides the frame into nine equal sections, helping you visually apply the rule of thirds. Place your subject along the lines around the center square. “This is hard because your brain tells you to keep people in the center,” says Switzer. “But if you watch a lot of movies, you’ll notice everyone’s usually off to the left or right.”

That said, remember to put down your phone or camera now and then and simply enjoy the moment. “There are extremes from ‘We don’t have a single picture of this trip!’ to ‘We have photos of every single thing we ate,’” says Carnegis. “Just pick the best things to shoot. You don’t need a video of the whole birthday song. Just take a couple of snips.”