In a recent survey, TripAdvisor(TM) and Shutterfly users shared their vacation photo taking observations and insights revealing that North Americans are more likely to say "no" than "cheese" when it comes to helping tourists get a picture. Europeans came in a surly second in the apprehension assessment, and the South Pacific may be the next place to take the family trip -- it was considered friendliest by respondents.

Travelers did not mince words when it came to their opinion on the biggest breach of photography etiquette and overwhelmingly, using a flash in a museum was considered the most egregious error. Unauthorized pictures of locals and taking photographs in a restaurant placed second and third respectively, as actions considered insufferable.

More travelers than ever are using digital cameras on vacation, so, to make the most of those photo-taking moments, there are a few key tips for photographers to keep in mind.

   - Focus every shot.  First press lightly on the shutter release button to
     lock the focus, then press all the way down to capture a sharp photo.
   - For better action shots, "pan."  "Panning" captures the subject in
     sharp focus while blurring the background.
   - Don't miss a minute.  Try switching your camera to "continuous fire"
     mode, which takes rapid fire photos as long as you hold down the
     shutter release.

"We tend to take digital pictures in the same way we've used our film cameras or disposables-basically, point and shoot," said Jeffrey Housenbold, president and CEO of Shutterfly Inc., and co-author of The Shutterfly Guide to Great Digital Photos. "But with practice, it's easy to master all of the features offered by your digital camera and the terrific action shots you'll get make it worth the effort."

The more than 400 survey respondents felt the most frequent reason for missing the best vacation shots is because they were preoccupied "enjoying the moment," while the second biggest reason for tourists was, of course, not wanting to look like a tourist.

The favorite photo subject matter for travelers is the sunrise, landscape or scenic shot-surprisingly enough, even more popular than getting pictures of their companions.

"One of the ways travelers can capture all the wonderful experiences of their vacations is through photography," said Michele Perry, TripAdvisor spokesperson. "But our survey reveals that, even when it comes to something as simple as taking a picture, things are sometimes easier said than done, so it's a good idea to get some practice in advance."

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor.com is the leading global travel information and advice destination, with more than two million unbiased reviews and opinions and covering more than 200,000 hotels and attractions. With more than 17 million unique monthly visitors worldwide, TripAdvisor.com offers easy access to major online travel sites, including Expedia, Orbitz, Hotels.com, American Airlines and Travelocity, for the best deals on the Web. TripAdvisor offers travel suppliers a cost-per-click marketing platform, so customers pay only for leads, not impressions, with every campaign. Winner of dozens of awards, including PC Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites and Forbes Best of the Web, TripAdvisor is part of IAC/InterActiveCorp .

About Shutterfly

Founded in 1999, Shutterfly, Inc. (http://www.shutterfly.com/) is the leading independent e-commerce company specializing in digital photo products and services for the consumer and professional photography markets. The company provides customers with simple ways to organize, enhance and archive images; share pictures with family and friends; order professional-quality prints and create an assortment of personalized items such as Photo Books, Calendars and Greeting Cards.

  Shutterfly and Shutterfly.com are trademarks of Shutterfly, Inc.

  CONTACT:
   Kelly Burke, Mullen
   (978) 468-8936
   kelly.burke@mullen.com

SOURCE: TripAdvisor