Chances are, your trip to Playa may be one of the best vacations you ever take. The Mayan Riviera is a paradise that can't be compared to most destinations and most people will want to capture some of their unforgettable experiences on film to look back on in the years to come. This guide is intended to provide you with tips for either taking your own photos, or if you want to make your trip really special, the things you should know before having your photos professionally taken.

This article is divided into two sections, the first for do-it-yourself'ers and the second who are considering having professional shots taken.

Taking Your Own Photos

Nearly everyone who visits Playa brings a camera with them, so let's start with some helpful tips on how to take the best photos you possibly can. The two most common types of photos people take are beach shots and evening shots. Both are challenging to get right.

Beach Photography Tips

1. Buy a Digital camera

You are going to be taking a lot of photos under very challenging conditions during your trip, so it's well worth investing in a digital camera (you'll save a fortune in film developing fees alone). You can buy many good models for less than $200. You should also purchase a decent sized memory card. These typically run less than $50 and can hold thousands of photos.

2. Focus on your opportunities

Let's face it - most beach photos are boring. The problem with landscape beach photos is that there's generally no point of interest, so these shots often come out empty and boring. It's a shame, because it doesn't have to be that way. Beaches provide incredible photo opportunities if you make an effort to get away from landscape and family portrait shots. For instance, instead of taking photos of the ocean, try going to the water's edge and see what's in your frame from that angle.

Another tip provided by professional photographer, Matt Adcock, is to compose your images with very little sky in the frame on overcast days. "The sky usually ends up white and lacking detail. Try shooting from a different perspective. Standing and shooting and shooting at your normal eye level gets old, so try bending over or squatting down. For example, if you are taking a photo of a child, try putting the camera at their level or lower. The angle you create will add interest for the viewer."

You can get some great shots at sunset.

4. Take shots on empty beaches

Don't let inclement weather ruin your day. Just because the water is too rough to go swimming doesn't mean you have to stay off the beach. The lack of people, dramatic clouds, and stormy waves can make for some amazing shots.

5. Study the manual

If you are only going to take indoor photos during the day, then you'll probably be safe leaving your camera in auto mode. For that dream beach vacation though, you'll need to put your camera in manual mode. That means you'll have to read the instructions and learn how to set the balance, exposure, and brightness of the photos you take.

At a minimum, you should know how to change the exposure settings. Bright lights will trick most digital cameras into taking underexposed shots. Changing this setting is easy to do and it will allow you to experiment with different levels of exposure. This is where a little experience can go a long way - shots with both shady and bright areas can be very tricky. Get the exposure right and your photos will pop.

6. Use your flash in daylight!

Photographing people on the beach in bright light will leave shadows on their face (often cast by glasses, hats, etc). Eliminate these shadows by turning on your flash. If you can control the level of flash, turn it down a bit or step back a few feet and zoom, or the photos can end up looking washed out.

7. Experiment with Black and white

Stripping the color of your shot with a photo processing program can result in some amazing photos with a completely different mood and feel. This is also a great way to bring to life beach shots taken on dull or overcast days.

Taking Great Night Photos

It takes a pro to get shots like this...

1. Slow your shutter speed down

The lack of light means you'll need to expose the image for a longer period of time (using a flash results in washed out photos). You'll have to take your camera out of auto mode and experiment until you get it right. Practice makes perfect!

2. Bring a tripod

Slower shutter speeds require a very steady surface upon which to mount your camera. Even the slightest motion will ruin an otherwise good shot.

3. Use your camera's timer

Even pressing the camera's button to take the shot will blur most night shots. You can avoid knocking the camera and ruining the image by setting a 10-second delay.

4. Moonlight helps

Shooting in the dead of night is tough. Try taking photos at dusk or waiting until the moon comes out. Even a little light will help.

5. Distance is your friend

If you are taking a shot in a dimly lit restaurant with multiple low-level light sources, remember than lighting follows an inverse square relationship. So if object A is twice as far from a light source as object B, it will receive only one quarter of the light. If the shot isn't coming out right, look for ways to make use of closer (or farther) light sources to achieve a great photo.

If all of this sounds like a lot of work, that's because it is. Taking your own shots is great if you want just a couple of photos for the family photo album, but if you want to turn your trip into something special that you'll cherish for the rest of your life, consider hiring a professional photographer.

Hiring a Professional Photographer in Playa del Carmen

If you're looking to bring home something special from your trip, then consider saving the money you would've spent on throwaway souveneirs and consider spending it on a once-in-a-lifetime professional photo shoot. You'll come away with a previous keepsake that will last the rest of your life (and score huge points with your significant other).

A professional photographer brings a lot to the table. Not only will they have the know-how to take a shot in virtually any location or light setting you can imagine, but they'll also help you explore what you really want. Think of it not in terms of "candid vs. posted", "indoor vs. outdoor", or "color vs. black-and-white" but rather how they can help you capture the emotion and feel that you have tucked away but perhaps can't verbalize.

The next question is whether you should hire a local photographer or bring one with you.

The first point in favor of hiring local is expense. Bringing your own photographer will generally be much more expensive, as you'll have to pay for their travel arrangements in addition to their regular fees. This can amount to a small fortune.

The second thing you should take into consideration is that a local photographer will be familiar with the area. They'll have the inside track on the most interesting and exotic places to shoot your photos, such as Mayan ruins, cenotes, or underwater caves with spectacular rock formations. And if you're planning a wedding, an in-demand professional will have plenty of practical advice about the area such as names and contact information of Yucatan wedding planners, venues, and more.

If the above wasn't enough to convince you, you should be aware that it is illegal to hire a professional photographer in Mexico unless they have a work Visa. These are nearly impossible for individual photographers to procure.

The Visa requirement used to be a big problem for those planning weddings in Playa del Carmen, because the town just wasn't big enough to provide enough work for professional photographers. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.

Sol Tamargo is an international award winning photographer who specializes in Riviera Maya weddings. Her gallery is online and the photos are simply amazing. Matt Adcock is another local photographer with a striking online gallery of adventure, wedding, engagement, and other types of photos. Both of these professionals can be trusted to provide you with a record of your memories that will last a lifetime. You can see more of their photos in our gallery.