I have always taken our own family photos when we’re on vacation. I love being able to do it all on our own time. No rushing to meet a photographer, no breaking up our day if we're in the middle of something fun. We just go with the flow and spend 20 minutes taking them whenever works best for us.

I also love being able to use a location that we all discover together and love, whether that's on a hike in the mountains or our special go-to spot on the beach. Over the years, I’ve found a rhythm to it that works well, and I keep it super simple. I only bring a few key pieces of gear on vacation, and these two are non-negotiables for me:

Compact Travel Camera Bag I’m love this thing (mine is the BYOB 9 version.) It can hold my Canon R6 Mark II with my RF 50mm 1.2 attached. It keeps my camera safe, doesn’t take up a ton of space, and I can easily toss it in my backpack or carry it alone with the strap. I travel with it in my carry on bag, and it barely takes up any room!

Lightweight Travel Tripod If you’ve ever tried to lug a heavy tripod through sand or on a hike, you know it’s... not fun. This one is small, easy to carry, and actually fits in my suitcase. It sets up fast, and I can move it around quickly without it being a whole thing.

Taking you down family self portraits on vacation is super doable, and I promise it gets easier the more you do it. If you want to know the logistics of how I make it all happen from triggering the shutter, focusing, etc, stay tuned for the next blog post!