Take a vacation, they said, it will be fun, they said. Except if it’s not. Because the truth is, no matter what the pitch-perfect shots on social media show, what the travel blogs tell you, what the summer getaway packages promise you, no one is safe from their holiday going from ripe to sour in no time.

The same goes with holiday pictures. It’s no secret that part of the motive to travel is driven by a wish to have great photos. Something to put on your Facebook page, something to share on Instagram, something to show off to your friends and colleagues, because humans are vain and it doesn’t take a whole lot to feel good.

This post is a safe place to talk about hard things. So if you’ve ever seen your dream holiday pictures crashing down like a sand castle, know that you’re far from the only one. We have all looked like lost potatoheads and sunburnt crabs, been photobombed or betrayed by weather at some point of our vacation.

So Bored Panda has compiled this list of travel photo fails to soothe our holiday-hungry souls and remind us that we can always take our fedora and go on yet another trip to collect not just good, but the very best pics. Psst! More vacation photo fails can be found in our previous feature right here.

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#1 Tried To Take A Panoramic Picture Of The Eiffel Tower Today, It Went Surprisingly Well

To find out more about what it takes to make a perfect vacation shot and how to avoid making common mistakes that lead to photo fails like we’ve seen in this post, we spoke with a couple of experts. For many people, vacation shots are something worthwhile when traveling to the furthest corners of the world. But even for more casual travelers, it’s always nice to take good photographs to share with friends and family.

#2 Thanks Tour Guide For Taking Such A Great Photo Of Everyone

#3 Going To Cristo And Taking A 3D Photo Is Priceless

Vacation shots are “important because that’s the time they get to enjoy together, whether it’s a couple, family or just friends,” said Charlie, the team manager of The Parisian Photographers, a Paris-based photography service that joins talented professional photographers who make pitch-perfect memories for couples, weddings, family, solo portraits, elopements, you name it. “Also because there is excitement of travel and discovering a new country, city and beautiful places there.”

“In the case of Paris, this is even more the case as it’s often related to the city of love and romance for couples, and visitors in general are in awe of the city landmarks, food and French culture,” Charlie said, referring to the beautiful city where The Parisian Photographers work.

#4 It’s All About The Journey Though Right?

#5 My Sister Rented A Flat Here In North Of Iceland For Christmas, This Is Her View

#6 Visited The Grand Canyon. Pictures Don’t Do It Justice

There are multiple reasons why it’s so hard to get good images on vacations. “First of all, because you don’t know the place as locals do, that’s why hiring a local photographer can be so helpful,” Charlie said. “Also, selfies may be a way to do it, but the angles will be the same. Tripods and selfie sticks can help, but a photographer will also bring his/her expertise by shooting from a distance, including more landscape or cityscape in the background, varying portraits and wide-angle shots,” he explained.

#7 Me, Outside The Duomo In Milan, Getting Photobombed. By A Pigeon

#8 Trying To Explain To The 70-Year-Old Swiss Man Who Offered To Take Our Pic That His Finger Was Covering The Lens

#9 Not Mount Rushmore, But I Woke Up At 3AM And Hiked Up Machu Picchu To Be There At Sunrise

When asked about the most common mistakes people make while taking vacation photos, Charlie listed a handful of them. The first one is taking only selfie photos. “It will be the same angle every time and wide-angle lens from the camera is not the most gratifying.” Another one is “only taking photos of your family/better half or friends since you won’t be in the photo. Feel free to ask a stranger to take a picture of you all,” Charlie suggested.

#10 Went To Go See The Golden Gate Bridge

#11 We Hiked 3 Hours To Get A Good Picture Of Our Hometown. Our City Is On The Left

#12 This Guy Having A Selfie With Mona Lisa

Doing it in the middle of the day is another common faux pas in vacation photos. Instead, Charlie’s advice is to aim for sunrise or sunset when the light is better. The last one, according to him, is not hiring a local photographer. “Even just a short/mini session can do wonders to have photos you’ll cherish forever.”

#13 The “Waterfall” My Family Drove Two Hours To See

#14 Expectation vs. Reality. London Edition

#15 Go To The Taj Mahal At Sunrise, They Said. It’ll Be Beautiful, They Said

According to Charlie, a couple of things to think of when aiming for a pitch-perfect vacation shot are: more photos by sunrise/sunset; asking someone to take a picture of the whole group (for friends/family) or couple; asking for someone who has a camera and seems to know what they’re doing; hiring a local photographer.

#16 Bought These Binoculars Specifically To Go To The Grand Canyon Today

#17 I’ve Noticed This Guy Just Now, A Few Days After I Took The Photo And This Photo Will Be In My Tourist Association Book

#18 Climbed North Europa’s Tallest Mountain At 8100 Feet, And Got This Picture

We also spoke with Krystal Kenney, a photographer working in Paris, France, specializing in portraits. Kenney is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, but has been in Paris for 10 years working with organizations such as the Louvre, Orsay, and diplomats.

The photographer told us that it’s hard to get good images of your vacation by yourself because there are certain principles that make a good image. Moreover, “you don’t know the best locations when you are traveling. Sometimes there are hidden gems,” Kenney said. According to her, the most common mistake while taking vacation photos is not shooting at the golden hours. “Sunrise is best because there are no people around and beautiful light,” she added.

#19 My Wife At The Top Of The Sears/Willis Tower On A Foggy Day

#20 A Nice Asian Family Asked My Son To Take A Picture Of Them. He Didn’t Understand

#21 Waited Forever For The Crowd To Dissipate To Take A Picture, Then This Happened

#22 Guy Took Week Off Of Work To Climb Mountain Kilimanjaro And Raise Money For Charity. This Is The Picture His Guide Took At The Summit Before The Phone Died

#23 I (Left) Was Excited To See The Tip Of Africa From Gibraltar But – Fog. Still The Closest I’ve Ever Been

#24 The Only Photo I Have Of Myself On My Camera From My Only Overseas Trip

#25 Tried To Grab A Quick Photo While Driving Past The Washington Monument

#26 Went On A Hike Today Which Promised Stunning Views. My Pic Is On The Bottom

#27 I Traveled From UK All The Way To Germany To Take Photos Of The Devil’s Eye, But When I Got There

#28 This Is My Wife And I At The Highest Point On Skyline Drive, Overlooking The Majestic Shenandoah Valley

#29 On Our Honeymoon In Hallstatt Austria

#30 Missus Taking A Photo Of Me With A Llama vs. Me Taking A Photo Of Her. When The Llama’s Rear Becomes Your New Hairstyle

#31 I See Your Scenic Photos Ruined By The Weather And Present The Time I Fulfilled A Life Long Dream To Visit The Taj Mahal

#32 Travelled Nearly 300 Miles To The Northernmost Point Of Vietnam So I Could See China – This Was The View

#33 Told My Girlfriend To Use The Last Piece Of Film We Had With Us To Get A Picture Of Me In Front Of Some Mountains

#34 Travelled 10,000 Km To See The Total Solar Eclipse In Chile. Heavy Rain And Low Clouds Blocked The Entire Show

#35 What I Expected To See At Preikestolen vs. What I Got

#36 Took My Buddy To The Grand Canyon For The First Time Today. Spectacular Views All Around

#37 It Was Always A Personal Dream To Be Able To Go And Visit This Remarkable Oak Tree In The Shawshank Redemption

Turns out that people after the film released took away all those stones from the little wall that led to the tree away to their homes and lately in 2016 the tree fell in a thunderstorm.

#38 Expectation vs. Reality. Travel Edition

First picture is me at the Mar Rosado En Galerazamba 2 years ago. The next pic is what it looks like in 2021. The final picture is me looking embarrassed because I hyped this place up to my friends, and it was beyond disappointing.

#39 Unfortunately These Images Are Not An April Fools Joke. This Really Was Our View After Hiking The Famous Preikestolen. We Had To Rely On Google Images To See The View

#40 Drove 4 Hours Round Trip To See An Active Volcano Today, While On Vacation

#41 On Top Of A Volcano, Waiting For The Sunrise To Materialize. Thanks To The Clouds, This Was The Best View We Saw

#42 Wait What?

#43 Travelled To London To Go On The London Eye

#44 Finally Able To Travel To Paris And The Arch De Triumph Looks Like This. It’s An “Art” Project

#45 Expectation vs. Reality. At Least It Was Just A Four-Hour Hike

#46 My Parents Got To Visit Mt. Rushmore Today For The First Time. The View Is Spectacular

#47 Flew To Kauai To View The Na Pali Coast

#48 Flew 13 Hours To Hawaii To See Volcanoes National Park

#49 My View From The Top Of Mount Machu Picchu vs. What The View Could Have Been

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