People often ask me how to find locations for family photos, especially on vacation. They wonder how I know where to take great photos if I’ve never even been to the place before! The truth is, it’s actually a very easy and fun research process that usually gets me more excited about my trip!
One to two months before my trip, I begin to search Instagram hashtags, users and places to find great spots that are worthy of a photo. I create a collection for my upcoming destination where I can save other users’ Instagram photos for reference on my trip. (Here’s how to do this.) Here are some examples where I’ve used Instagram successfully to scout and find locations for family photos:
Example 1. Portland, Maine : Spring Ledge Lighthouse
I generally try and look through the city or town’s Instagram profile first because they usually source and feature the best photos of their location. (You can easily google to look up the tourism bureau or official city page, which should have an icon or link to their Instagram feed.) It turns out that the official Instagram page of Portland, Maine posted this photo a couple of months before my trip:
Before I even arrived in Portland, I fell in love with the idea that my kids could skip out onto the rocks towards this beautiful lighthouse! I searched to see how far the lighthouse would be from my hotel and found out it was only a 15 minute drive away! I added a visit to this lighthouse on my Portland itinerary to check it out.
Once I was in Portland, our family drove to this lighthouse one morning. The view and the experience was even better than I had hoped for! Rain was predicted for later that day and I was thrilled to photograph under a very emotional and enthusiastic sky! These were some of my favorite photos of our trip to Maine.
Example 2. Charleston, South Carolina : The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel
I came across the below Instagram posts about a week before my visit to Charleston with my girls. I loved the pink building which was geo-tagged as the The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel. The whole building oozed the feel and spirit of Charleston. I also loved the horse and carriage passing by in the photo. I found this gem by searching one of these hashtags, which were also used on this user’s post: #charleston, #charlestonsc and #explorecharleston
Once we arrived in Charleston, I made a plan to walk by this iconic hotel. Here is a favorite snap! I love photographing my kids against walls that have a pop of color!
Example 3. Charlottesville, Virgnia: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
When visiting Richmond, we decided to visit Thomas Jefferson’s home. I searched for posts using the location of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to find any great shots or scenery. I was heavily influenced by the creative genius of this Instagram user. I thought this was a fun educational idea for the kids!
Unfortunately, we visited in the middle of the day and the sun glare was awful. I like this photo in color, but it looks more polished in black and white. My daughter still shows me Monticello when she finds it on the back of her coin! Cool!
In summary, here are my ideas on how to find locations for family photos on vacation using Instagram:
– Search by location (i.e. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello or Charleston, SC)
– Search by the city or town or state’s official page or tourism bureau (i.e. #visitportland, #explorecharleston)
– Search by photographer (i.e. #charlestonphotographer)
– Research Instagram usernames of fashion or lifestyle bloggers that often photograph outfits in front of cool walls or locations
Let me know if this process works for you!