50 Unfortunate Vacation Fails That Were Too Good Not To Share (New Pics)

Waking up early, bags packed, and excited to catch a flight to your next big adventure. Arriving in a new city, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere. Finally stepping into a spacious hotel room with a breathtaking beach view. All the ingredients for adream vacation, right?

These unlucky travelers know this feeling all too well, and they’ve captured their unexpected vacation fails to share with the world. Some arefunny, others are heartbreaking, and a few are downright shocking. Scroll down and see for yourself!

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A Llama Photobombed My Machupicchu Pic

Well Crafted Beach Photobomb

Took This Photo Of The Beautiful Sunrise At Our Bed And Breakfast, Years Ago, During Our Honeymoon. I Didn’t Look At It Closely And Sent To All Of Our Family. Nothing Says “Welcome To The Family” Like A Photo Such As This

While I wouldn’t wish a disastrous vacation on anyone, it doesn’t take much to end up with disappointing travel photos. Even after the best trip of your life, you might come back with pictures that don’t quite do it justice. Sometimes, bad lighting, confusing angles, or awkward composition are the real culprits.

First Vacation I’ve Had All Year And Work Won’t Stop Texting Me… Should I Send It?

Living/Working In Hawaii, Took A Break To Travel. I Don’t Travel A Lot, But When I Do, Everything Is Under Construction

Taking A Picture With My GF In Berlin, When Out Of Nowhere

Joe Switzer, a filmmaker based in St. Louis, Missouri, and Jordan Carnegis, aphotographerandartistin Orlando, Florida, shared some helpful tips withHiltonon how to make your travel photos memorable, so you can look back on them fondly for years to come.And don’t worry if you’re not armed with an expensive camera—Switzer notes that today’s smartphones are powerful enough to make anyone feel like a professional photographer.

And don’t worry if you’re not armed with an expensive camera—Switzer notes that today’s smartphones are powerful enough to make anyone feel like a professional photographer.

Our Trip To The Petting Zoo Did Not Go As Planned

2 Weeks Ago My Youngest Daughter Broke Her Leg 1 Week Before Our Holiday. Yesterday I Broke My Own Leg (On Holiday). Poor Sis And Mom

My Uncle’s Suitcase After His Flight

“Take pictures of the view in front of you, but take the cheesy selfies, too,” says Carnegis. “You can Google a picture of Yellowstone, but you can’t Google yourkids’[reactions to it]. Take the time to focus on the people you’re with and the memories you’re making. I think that’s what people miss the mark on most.”

A Beach Day That Turned Into Me Tripping On A Rock And Falling Down The Sand Dune

This Is The One Thing I Am Most Worried About Before Getting On A Plane

Hiked Two Hours To Set Up A Picnic, Returned To This

Another common pitfall is taking photos with social media in mind, only looking for what seems “Instagrammable.” Switzer and Carnegis encourage letting go of that mindset. “Photograph the moment as it happens,” says Carnegis. “Keep it organic. Keep it loose. Keep it candid.”

Includes A “Private Balcony.” Is Just A View Of The Wall Of The Next Building

Airbnb Wasn’t What We Were Expecting

The Hotel I Booked Weeks Ahead Didn’t Have A Room For Us When We Checked In. Gave Us A Sofa Bed In A Conference Room

One of the biggest mistakes amateurs tend to make is positioning their subject directly against the light.“It’s all about the light,” says Switzer. “Always turn your subject to let that light hit it. Always look at the light.”This might feel counterintuitive, especially when you want that perfect shot of your friend against a gorgeous sunset. But shooting directly into the light often leaves you with an overexposed background and faces lost in shadows.

One of the biggest mistakes amateurs tend to make is positioning their subject directly against the light.

“It’s all about the light,” says Switzer. “Always turn your subject to let that light hit it. Always look at the light.”

This might feel counterintuitive, especially when you want that perfect shot of your friend against a gorgeous sunset. But shooting directly into the light often leaves you with an overexposed background and faces lost in shadows.

Drove Quite Awhile To Be Able To See This Waterfall

I Drove 4 Hours (One Way) To See Radium Springs, One Of The State Of Georgia’s Natural Wonders . . . After A Heavy Rainfall

This Is The Result When I Ask My Boyfriend To Take A Picture. Can’t Stop Laughing

To take your photography to the next level, learning a bit of basic composition can go a long way. Instead of always centering your subject in the frame, both Carnegis and Switzer suggest trying the “rule of thirds.”Position your subject in the right, left, top, or bottom third of the image, moving slightly off-center. “It makes it so much more interesting than just a stagnant, ‘Here I am in front of the Golden Gate Bridge,’” says Carnegis.

Position your subject in the right, left, top, or bottom third of the image, moving slightly off-center. “It makes it so much more interesting than just a stagnant, ‘Here I am in front of the Golden Gate Bridge,’” says Carnegis.

My Trip In Mexico Is Great So Far

Google Maps Didnt Tell Me About This After A 2 Hour Drive

Tire Went Through My Windshield On The Interstate

Many cameras and phones have a grid setting that divides the frame into nine equal sections, helping you visually apply the rule of thirds. Place your subject along the lines around the center square. “This is hard because your brain tells you to keep people in the center,” says Switzer. “But if you watch a lot of movies, you’ll notice everyone’s usually off to the left or right.”

I Was On My Way Down The Tallest Mountain In The UK And This Happened

Half Way To The Road Trip In Sicily, The Tire Just Exploded Out Of Nowhere. Happened Exactly 12 Hours After I Had Food Poisoning The Night Before

Paris CDG Airport. Someone Will Have A Bad Day

That said, remember to put down your phone or camera now and then and simply enjoy the moment. “There are extremes from ‘We don’t have a single picture of this trip!’ to ‘We have photos of every single thing we ate,’” says Carnegis. “Just pick the best things to shoot. You don’t need a video of the whole birthday song. Just take a couple of snips.”

I Have To Travel To Another City Asap And This F***er Decided To Park Its Car Right In Front Of My Garage. It Has Been 45 Minutes And This Is Not The First Time This Is Happening. Still Waiting For The Tow Truck

Loved My First Trip To Japan. I’m Too Tall For Japan

Lesson Learned- Don’t Trust Just Any Tourist To Take Your Photo

Went two states away for a weekend trip, were checking out of the hotel to find this. All 4 wheels stolen in the hotel parking lot. Of COURSE the hotel doesn’t have cameras in the parking lot. Can’t get it towed because it doesn’t have wheels to get on the damn truck.

Went On Vacation And

These Tourists In Hawaii Took A Wrong Turn

4 Hours Into A 13 Hour Road Trip To My Family’s 3 Week Vacation Of The Year And I Just Realized That In The Rush To Leave I Forgot To Bring Any Other Shoes With Me

Went on a trip for almost 2 weeks. Started to feel sick 5 days ago and just thought I was dehydrated. Came to the hospital to be told I have a severe uti, kidney infection, and sepsis. My flight home was supposed to be tomorrow. I have no idea when I’ll be able to go home.

Just Wanted To Enjoy My Vacation

Road Trip To See The Lighthouse

Had sushi for dinner last night at the all-inclusive resort my new husband and I are staying at. 1am rolls around and I’m throwing up like crazy, then it’s dry heaving for another hour. We call the resort doctor, he takes my temperature and listens to my belly with a big “oh no” face, so guess who gets to go to a clinic in a foreign land (we’re in the Dominican Republic)? Me!!I have a bacterial infection in my guts! My white blood cell count is bananas! We get to spend $4000 upfront cuz I need to be hospitalized! Weeeeeeee!Get Travelers insurance, be better than me. Don’t know what the resort will do but it sounds like they’re willing to work with us.

I’m On My Honeymoon

Where My GPS Indicates The Train Station Is Supposed To Be

Unfortunately there was someone right behind us and I couldn’t stop it time. Lucky for us the deer jumped and hit mostly glass so no airbags! But it did take out the cargo rack and sunroof and ended up being over 14k in repairs!

First Day Of Vacation

On My Honeymoon In Hawaii And Turns Out I Got Ringworm From The Armrest On The Plane

This Happened Last Year, Flying Back From Vacation. They Told Us Our Suitcase Must Have Fallen Off The Transport Truck. Everything Inside Was Gone, Yet They Managed To Retrieve The Bag