SEATTLE - As summer ends, a lot of us are planning one last vacation before school starts. But there's a way to make that trip a lot more memorable.

The photos you take could be as exciting at the trip itself, and taking that great shot isn't as difficult as you might think. There's a few tricks the professional photographers use that you can use too, even with a disposable camera.

Valentina Vitols, with Shutter Tours, takes tourists all over Seattle to find new ways to capture the Emerald City on film. That takes her to some sticky places like the sometimes overlooked "Gum Wall" near Pike Place Market in Post Alley. Vitols helps average people like you and me take pictures that are anything but average.

Her first trick is the "Rule of Thirds." Imagine your camera's viewfinder cut into three sections from the top and sides. Put the main image you're trying to shoot in a spot where those thirds cross, and a photo that everyone takes turns into something unique. As Vitols puts it, you shouldn't waste your camera's exposures. "You want to tell a story. You want to be different."

The next trick? Change your perspective and look for new angles, hidden reflections, or shadows. You can even find some great backlighting up against urban doorways downtown. Vitols says, "Everybody has an eye, and everybody can educate and train their eyes to be great photographers."

The third trick is to remember that great photographers aren't afraid to move in close, even on a bigger subject. That way, your photo will wind up being a lot more interesting. Tour participant Angie Nickerson says, "So before I'm way back here, when I should actually be closer if I want the better picture." It's a better picture, and a better record of a vacation you can be proud of. Nickerson says, "I want to take a picture that hs meaning, instead of just a picture of something."

If you'd like to learn more about photo tours with Shutter Tours in Seattle, follow this link.