You may have probably heard the expression, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ Although that is true, your smartphone can enhance your photography skills with its features and options. A smartphone is the best handy device there is to capture high-quality photos of untouched natural wonders. Let us know how low light and motion pictures can be a challenge for smartphones, and how simple features and tricks can seriously upgrade your smartphone photography.
Here are a few smartphone travel photography tips. Have a look!
Smartphone-specific Tips
1. Clean the lens
First things first, start from scratch. Clean the lens or wipe it with a thin cloth. Because the smartphone is kept in pockets or a handbag, the smartphone tends to collect a lot of dust. Though it sounds naive, many forget to wipe the lens. A moment missed is a moment wasted. So, clean the lens and click the best picture you can.
2. Focus
To get more creative control, tap the screen. It consequently takes the phone off auto mode. When you have control over the image, you can focus on and choose accurate colours.
3. Use the screen
Once you focus on the image, you can swipe up/down or left/right to adjust and control the brightness. These staple features are found on all the iPhones and Android smartphones.
4. Use the volume button
If taking a candid picture is your forte, then you can use the volume minus button on your phone to take some sneaky photos of the streets, without alarming people. Use the volume button and operate your smartphone camera in stealth mode.
5. Use the burst mode
Burst mode is one of the most used features on a smartphone. Use the shutter button to capture a motion picture. Once you do that, you will have many good photos to choose from.
6. Capture in the panoramic mode
We all love a picture displaying landscape with clouds, mountains, green meadows, and rivers. It is made possible thanks to the new-age feature called panoramic mode. It lets you squeeze in a 360 degree into one photo.
7. Invest in a good lens
If you feel the camera on your phone is not good enough to take the required pictures, you can purchase a few wide lenses with excellent optics. These are apt for indoor pictures where you can fit more into the frame.
8. Blur the background
Most of the smartphones have photo feature modes such as ‘Live Focus,’ ‘Portrait’ mode, or ‘Near Far.’ It lets you blur the background and focus more on the details that have to be highlighted. It is a simple but useful feature.
9. Avoid flash
Yes! Do not use flash. Flash creates a bright spot and shadow with an uncontrollable burst of light. Instead, use a torch or a LED light, it gives you a better display of the image to click pictures.
10. Stabilise your smartphone
The most common mistake we make is to shake the phone while taking a picture. Though it an innocent mistake, it can be avoided. Use a tripod if you want a high-quality photo. You can use a timer or your earpiece to control the photo feature without disturbing the ongoing process.
11. Carry a portable battery
When multiple camera features are used on smartphones, its battery gradually tends to die out. A simple USB cable can be connected from the Portable battery to the phone. Alternatively, you can switch to aeroplane mode to conserve battery.
Travel-specific Tips
12. Safety comes first
To take good pictures, many lose grip on their senses. The priority has to be your safety. Nothing is worth putting your life at risk. Photography involves a range of threats. It can be natural hazards, weather conditions, tripping, vehicles, dehydration, etc. If you feel it is too much to handle, then take a break.
13. Try unique angles
Travelling provides you with an opportunity to see the world in a whole new way. It can be the vibe of the place or the culture. Instead of taking a mundane picture, try different angles to highlight the details.
14. Take candid pictures
Candid pictures create a sense of uniqueness. The more candid the pictures, the more you would feel connected to the location. Random pictures help you grow as an amateur photographer.
15. Use portrait mode for street pictures
Images are at its best when taken at eye level or from slightly above. Try using portrait mode when you want to take pictures of people on the streets.
16. Visit at an odd time
Visit the tourists’ destination at an unusual time. Avoid visiting at the peak time because tourists can ruin your postcard moment. It sure depends on what you need in the image; people do add some value to the location. But again, it is up to you.
17. Observe and copy
If you want to experiment, observe how other people are taking pictures and add some interesting perspective to the image.
18. Stroll a bit before you pull out your smartphone
Photos can be satisfying, but sometimes it takes away life out of the location. It is good to observe and experience the place around you before you start clicking pictures. It provides you with a sense of purpose and a unique perspective on photographic opportunities.
19. Look for reflections
Nothing beats a reflection of a high monument or a tree on the surface of the water. You can use mirrors and car windows too. It will add a better and new perspective to your pictures.
20. Avoid filters
A real image adds more grace and uniqueness to the location. The more the filters are used, the more you would diminish the authenticity.
21. Choose the right time to shoot
Consider the time of the day that may be the best for you to capture a particular location. It is always recommended to shoot in the afternoon as there would an abundance of sunlight, which would help you capture the best moments.