It's wet and windy outside just the type of weather that can drive a person to.......Mallorca?

Ok... next to the 50+SPF cream should be either your digital camera or a good disposable with a flash packed away in your carry-on for those impromptu long airport delays....remember the journey is as important as the destination! This would be a good time to take a snap shot of your luggage before it disappears into the bowels of the airplane.

Unless you are a serious photographer trying to combine your family holidays with your hobby (good luck with that! ) most of us own a pocket sized digital camera that can take up to 300 images! So you have no excuse for not snapping hundreds of pictures while away on holiday!

After you have arrived at your destination and sussed your apartment or villa and venture outside into the blazing sun....

Tip One: Check your pockets for your camera before you cannon-ball into the pool or sea! It's good practice to always have your camera nearby but unless it is water proof keep it safe from harm or you will never be able to prove you sunbathed next to Brittany Spears in St.Tropez!

Tip Two: The sun is your very own studio light.No photographer would have their subject stare into a light while blocking their eyes!! Make sure when photographing your kids to position the sun behind them! This creates what is called a rim light.This works particularly well if the back of their head is directly in front of the sun lighting up their sun bleached hair giving a nice halo effect.

Tip Three: If it is a bright day and the sun is directly overhead you should shoot your subject under the shade of a tree or nearby building.Make sure to capture some of the the background, it adds context and interest to holiday snaps.This technique also works well with the flash turned on as it makes everything in the forefront of the picture really 'POP'.

Tip Four: When composing a portrait of your kids or spouse resist the urge to place their face in the middle of the scene.Move your camera around until the subject is off to the side.This works even better if there is something in the background to balance the main subject.

Tip Five: If it is a holiday with a bit of culture involved be sure to step back and capture it all! Fill the frame with the point of interest.Add your family members in the pic at the bottom of the scene to remind the kids on wet windy days the places they have visited!

Tip Six: Generally for taking photos of people up close the camera is held in portrait style- i.e. vertical.Landscape is when the camera is horizontal.This is only a rule of thumb and can be changed when the circumstances or your creative eye demands it.

Tip Seven: When on holidays in a foreign country you are bound to see different scenes from home.Don't be shy to take a picture of shoes,shop window displays or street entertainers that have caught your eye.These make great filler photos for when you make a scrap book or a wall montage of your holidays.

Tip Eight: If your kids are 5 years or older give them a disposable camera to take on holidays.It is great to see life from their perspective.Let them take a few family photos and of things that interest them- believe me it will be completely different to what catches your eye!

Tip Nine: If you want a family photo of all of you together and you need a stranger to take the shot, try to ask a local shop keeper, this way you can relax and smile knowing he isn't going to run off with your expensive digital camera!

Tip Ten: Try not to delete too many images unless they are duplicates.When you arrive back home to the wet and windy download all your photos into a folder immediately or better take them to your local photo kiosk in the pharmacy and get a CD created to pop into your DVD player or PC and start enjoying your holidays all over again regardless of the rain at home!