A great way to put an excla­ma­tion point on a won­der­ful evening is to cap­ture the moment on film (or a mem­ory stick). When Janka and I have had an excep­tional evening out, it is not uncom­mon for us to stop by one of our favorite spots in the area to take some pho­tos.

By keep­ing a tri­pod in the trunk and dig­i­tal cam­era at the ready, we have been for­tu­nate enough to cap­ture some bliss­ful evenings in a way that we will always remem­ber. Here is a way you too can help cement won­der­ful evenings in your memory.

First, get to know your city. Where are some scenic areas that you could visit after a night on the town and snap a few pho­tos? Janka and I both seem to really enjoy bridges, not huge Coro­n­ado, or San Fran­cisco type bridges but the smaller ones that we find at our local parks and mari­nas.

After a din­ner in a nice restau­rant, or danc­ing down­town, if we are in good spir­its and not ready to go home, we will often stop by one of our favorite spots, set up the tri­pod and let the fun begin. The moon­light, deesca­late ambiance, mixed with chic cloth­ing can add up to some won­der­ful photos.

Next, visit your local depart­ment store and pick up a tri­pod. There are many mod­els that will fit any bud­get. Just place it in your trunk and you are ready at any­time to pull it out and snap a few photos.

Lastly, if you are the type that prefers to take pho­tos in you smart phone, I sug­gest you acquire a dig­i­tal cam­era for these sorts of occa­sions. Most come with recharge­able bat­ter­ies, (I always get a spare so that I always have one fully charged and ready to go). If you don’t need another item to carry on your per­son, just store it in your glove box (remem­ber to remove the bat­tery) and it will be there when you need it.

Good luck and share those pho­tos! I would love some new ideas and poses.