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Photographer's Notebook: 10 Awesome photography prompts for your next vacation

Photography prompts are a great way to add a little excitement to your vacation and come home with some great pictures.

Click through the gallery above for the 10 photography prompts and example images from my latest trip to St. Augustine.

Want more photography prompts? Most of the photographs I took in St. Augustine were inspired more by the place itself rather than by photography prompts. But throwing a couple of photography prompts into the mix kept things interesting. If you're still lacking inspiration for your travel photos, I recommend Henry Carroll's Use This If You Want to Take Great Photographs : A Photo Journal — it has over 80 photography prompts for you to play with. National Geographic's Your Shot is also an excellent source of photography prompts. Have fun out there.

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According to the American Psychological Association, taking pictures during an experience — like a summer vacation — helps you enjoy it more. So make the most of your next trip with these 10 photography prompts.
Jennifer Ring
According to the American Psychological Association, taking pictures during an experience — like a summer vacation — helps you enjoy it more. So make the most of your next trip with these 10 photography prompts.
1. "Go somewhere really touristy and take non-touristy pictures." — prompt from Henry Carroll's photo journal. I started my photography journey with a trip to St Augustine and a couple prompts from Henry Carroll's photo journal. This prompt was my favorite. Outside Flagler College, everyone was taking a picture of a large fountain. I took a picture of a row of bicycles and a student reading.
Jennifer Ring
1. "Go somewhere really touristy and take non-touristy pictures." — prompt from Henry Carroll's photo journal. I started my photography journey with a trip to St Augustine and a couple prompts from Henry Carroll's photo journal. This prompt was my favorite. Outside Flagler College, everyone was taking a picture of a large fountain. I took a picture of a row of bicycles and a student reading.
2. Actually, take more than one non-touristy picture. These photos tend to be more interesting, so why limit yourself to just one?
Jennifer Ring
2. Actually, take more than one non-touristy picture. These photos tend to be more interesting, so why limit yourself to just one?
3. Then go ahead and take the quintessential "postcard photo." How else will your friends know where you went? You can't go to Paris and not take a picture of the Eiffel tower. In St. Augustine, the Castillo de San Marcos (featured image) and the lighthouse are the obligatory photographs.
Jennifer Ring
3. Then go ahead and take the quintessential "postcard photo." How else will your friends know where you went? You can't go to Paris and not take a picture of the Eiffel tower. In St. Augustine, the Castillo de San Marcos (featured image) and the lighthouse are the obligatory photographs.
4. "Use framing to take a photograph within a photograph." — prompt from Henry Carroll's photo journal. Framing is a relatively common compositional technique used by the pros. Sometimes you have to hunt for these images, but that's part of the fun. I've seen people use vegetation, windows and doors to frame a subject. I focused on the beautiful archways of St. Augustine.
Jennifer Ring
4. "Use framing to take a photograph within a photograph." — prompt from Henry Carroll's photo journal. Framing is a relatively common compositional technique used by the pros. Sometimes you have to hunt for these images, but that's part of the fun. I've seen people use vegetation, windows and doors to frame a subject. I focused on the beautiful archways of St. Augustine.
5. Take a picture of something grand. This prompt works well for both majestic landscapes and impressive architecture. Here we're looking at Café Alcazar in the Lightner Museum. This St. Augustine attraction used to be the largest indoor swimming pool in the world.
Jennifer Ring
5. Take a picture of something grand. This prompt works well for both majestic landscapes and impressive architecture. Here we're looking at Café Alcazar in the Lightner Museum. This St. Augustine attraction used to be the largest indoor swimming pool in the world.
6. Take a picture from a moving vehicle (that you're not driving). I take a boat tour pretty much every time I travel someplace with water. It's a great way to take interesting photos of the coastline and other boats in the water.
Jennifer Ring
6. Take a picture from a moving vehicle (that you're not driving). I take a boat tour pretty much every time I travel someplace with water. It's a great way to take interesting photos of the coastline and other boats in the water.
7. Take a picture of an era. Staying in Flagler's area of St. Augustine, I was surrounded by Gilded Age wealth. No more was this more on display than in the Lightner Museum, formerly Flagler's Hotel Alcazar. This is what urns and candlesticks looked like during the Gilded Age.
Jennifer Ring
7. Take a picture of an era. Staying in Flagler's area of St. Augustine, I was surrounded by Gilded Age wealth. No more was this more on display than in the Lightner Museum, formerly Flagler's Hotel Alcazar. This is what urns and candlesticks looked like during the Gilded Age.
8. Take a photo of people walking down the street. This is King Street, just outside of Flagler College.
Jennifer Ring
8. Take a photo of people walking down the street. This is King Street, just outside of Flagler College.
9. Take a picture of the ceiling. These last two prompts are all about forcing you to see things from a different perspective. When you aim your camera at something above you, you are practicing worm's eye view. Not every ceiling is worth photographing, but you don't want to miss the one that is.
Jennifer Ring
9. Take a picture of the ceiling. These last two prompts are all about forcing you to see things from a different perspective. When you aim your camera at something above you, you are practicing worm's eye view. Not every ceiling is worth photographing, but you don't want to miss the one that is.
10. Take a picture of the floor. Here you're taking a photograph from bird's eye view, looking down. Any shot from above will do. Most floors aren't nearly as pretty or as golden as this one.
Jennifer Ring
10. Take a picture of the floor. Here you're taking a photograph from bird's eye view, looking down. Any shot from above will do. Most floors aren't nearly as pretty or as golden as this one.

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