Amazing cameras and hi-tech smartphones make it easier than ever before for amateur photographers to take holiday snaps to rival the pros. But all too often you might find yourself shooting on auto and struggling to capture the moment, so we’ve asked pro photographers for hints and tips to take beautiful, quirky and creative holiday pictures. Most importantly? Enjoy the process and let the camera lead you on your adventures.

Professionals don’t always want to carry around bulky equipment and many say the best camera really is the one you have on you. Whether it's a smartphone, disposable film or high-end DSLR just make sure to take it with you – and use it.

Just looking through a lens won’t give you the chance to soak up your surroundings and think about exactly what you want to capture. Take your time to enjoy the moment so that the picture means something to you when you look back at it.

Pro photographer Joel Knight suggests getting up close to your subject matter. This will show detail and gives a nice perspective to photos, making the viewer feel like they are there, experiencing that moment with you.

Joel goes on to advise that “weird is good”. Before you travel, research the strangest sights and activities in your chosen destination (the weirder the better), in order to create the most interesting photos.

Vicki Brown at Responsible Travel shares her secret “ingredient” for a professional looking travel shot: a polarising filter. If you’re somewhere sunny with lakes, rivers or ocean, using this filter gives a deep blue or turquoise effect.

Vicki’s final top tip is to pack a mini beanbag when you’re on safari and need to take wildlife shots from a moving vehicle. A beanbag is way more portable than a tripod and works when propped on an open window.

Will Hebditch at green_frog_photography suggests keeping to the “rule of thirds”, which is a nice way to give your image structure. The basic principle is to divide your composition up into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines (your digital camera might have an in-built option for this) and then the point of interest sits on the lines of your grid – an off-centre composition is more pleasing to the eye.

Will also recommends trying out different perspectives for your photography and not being afraid to try something new. He suggests experimenting with low level shots, which give your pictures a whole new dimension.

You’ve probably heard the rule about keeping the sun behind you when you take photos, but early mornings and dusk are great for shooting towards the sun. The focus of your picture will be back lit and a gorgeous silhouette effect is created, not to mention a stunning lens flare that’s fun to experiment with.

Pro photographers know that the magic hour is a special time for taking pictures. When the sun is low on the horizon (just after sunrise or just before sunset) everything is bathed in a soft golden light. It’s the perfect time for taking portraits as your subject will glow – photograph them looking towards the sun and their face will be fully lit with natural light.

If you are trying to capture the majesty of a snowy scene, big white areas that go on forever don’t photograph well. Look for something to break up the snow like trees, rocks or something brightly coloured to bring contrast to the picture (perhaps a ship, building or people in brightly coloured jackets).

Intrepid Travel offer tours to the Antarctic where you’re accompanied by a professional photographer. You’re not guaranteed perfect weather and if it’s cloudy or stormy, Liam Neal, the creative production manager at Intrepid, suggests switching to black and white to make things even moodier.

Liam also suggests making the wind work for you: capture movement (flags, whirling leaves, waves crashing etc.) by using a slow shutter speed – you’ll make a stormy day look serene.

Photographing reflections in the still water of a calm sea or mirror-like lake is effective at any time of year, but winter adds a mystical quality. Black and white is especially effective when it comes to capturing reflections.

If a photo is under or over exposed (too dark or too light) you will need to adjust the “exposure triangle” (aperture, shutter speed and ISO). In manual mode, you’re in charge of all of these settings, all of the time. It’s a lot to do on the fly, and for this reason, even pro photographers don’t always shoot in manual. Try experimenting with semi-automatic modes that give you control over just one element of the “triangle”: shutter priority, aperture priority and program mode.

When you’re shooting in a semi automatic mode you can override the camera’s exposure setting (picked by the camera’s light meter) to get the photo you want, rather than the one dictated to you. Look for the button that has a plus/minus sign, or check your camera’s manual.

Shots that require a longer shutter speed (low light, landscapes and astrophotography) need to be held steady and that means using a tripod. Make sure you pick one that’s sturdy enough for your gear (and light enough for you to lug around). Another positive about using a tripod is that you spend extra time setting up the frame and composition, rather than just pointing and clicking.

Responsible Travel organise some awesome tours and recommend one simple trick for getting a top shot: when photographing people, ask first. If your subject is happy to be photographed, they will appear much more relaxed, be more likely to smile, and you’ll feel a lot more at ease, too. Check out their tips for responsible travellers.

The wide-angle lens has a field of view wider than that of the human eye, and you can capture a vast scene in one shot. Experiment with perspective when you try out your wide-angle lens, as objects in the foreground can appear much larger than those far away.

Use your camera’s white balance preset if there is one: this is often “snow”, “shade” or “flash”. These presets are designed to create a warmer result as they compensate for the slightly blue-white colour that will otherwise appear. Don’t try to eliminate the blue tinge entirely otherwise the snow will have a yellowish hue.

Pro photographers edit their images and Will Hebditch of green_frog_photography recommends Snapseed, a free app you can use to enhance everything from contrast to saturation (to give an extra splash of colour where needed) and highlights. Will also suggests adding a bit of curve to your image (using the 'curve' setting in Snapseed) to emphasise colours or other elements.

This app helps you to take DSLR-quality nighttime or low light pictures on your iPhone or iPad. Features include four astrophotography camera modes, plus long exposure and light trails modes. The app supports photos and videos and features a grain reduction.

This is a bit technical and only applies to those with a DSLR, but pro photographers shoot in RAW rather than JPEG because it gives them way more control post production – you adjust the levels of the photo after you take it. If your camera has RAW and you like to edit your pictures after a trip, use it.

Avoid changing your lens in dusty or sandy conditions and clean the lens daily with a microfibre cloth. You should keep spare lenses wrapped up in a microfibre cloth too (or just a clean sock will do the trick).

Use waterproof bags on boats and in wet weather (this can even just be a plastic bag with an elastic band to fasten it). Keep the lens cap on when the camera is not in use to prevent snowflakes or water spray. If it becomes foggy or smudged, avoid blowing warm air as this will encourage a thin layer of ice to coat it as it condenses.

Vicki Brown at Responsible Travel has an ingenious trick for when you travel in humid conditions: pop one of those little silica gel packs you get in shoe boxes inside your camera case. It works a treat.