One of my favorite things to do as I’m packing for vacay is plan my outfits. Let’s be honest: I want to look and feel my best as I head to the beach, but I also want to look good in all the pictures I plan to take. Vacation tends to supply plenty of beautiful backdrops, like sandy beaches, lush hotel lobbies, and cute cafés, so photogenic ‘fits are a must. Not only do well-taken travel photos look good on Instagram, but they’re also memories to treasure forever. And if you have an iPhone, that means you also have an incredible camera.

I’m all about having aesthetically pleasing vacay photos I can share and display throughout my home, so I chatted with a few experts to get their tips. Below, lifestyle and travel blogger Katie Urban of A Touch of Teal and travel photographer Karina Ramos Salas of Hopeful Outsiders spill the tea on the iPhone travel photo hacks that will take your pics to the next level.

1. Plan Ahead

I’m not one to keep a strict schedule when I’m on vacation, but I always have a tentative plan. And for Ramos Salas, her plan always includes researching the perfect photo op. If you know ahead of time you want to take photos, why not do some scouting from home before you leave?

“I love looking for aesthetic places on Instagram and Pinterest,” Ramos Salas shared. “That way, I already know where I want to shoot, and I also have an idea of what type of photo I want to create beforehand.” She recommended looking for colorful walls, cute storefronts, and clean, open spaces. “Be sure to keep your eyes open,” she said. “The most random places tend to be the best backdrops ever!”

2. Work With Natural Light

Nothing beats natural light, and both Urban and Ramas Salas recommended taking photos during golden hour. It’s that magical time within an hour of sunrise or the hour before sunset when sunlight is soft and, yes, golden. Ramos Salas said she likes shooting early in the morning not only for the light but also because of the minimal crowds. “If there’s a place that is normally crowded, I’ll be sure to put that first on my list of places to photograph and then enjoy my day,” Ramas Salas said.

But don’t let non-golden-hour light stop you from taking photos. “Sometimes, when you’re traveling, you have to snap the picture when you can and just roll with it!” Urban said. Even in the middle of the day when light is the harshest, you can still make it work. “I love shadows, so I tend to shoot under direct sunlight so I can get beautiful shadows in my photos,” Ramos Salas shared. Look out for blank walls that create interesting shadows when people walk in front of it, for example. If the light is still too harsh, find a shady spot or wait closer to sunset for that golden-hour light.

3. Start With a Clean Lens

As far as iPhone travel photo hacks go, this might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually a key step. Before you start shooting, Ramos Salas recommended cleaning your camera lens. “It makes a world of a difference, believe me!” she said. Keep a microfiber cloth in your bag so you can quickly wipe the lens. That way, your photos won’t turn out smudged or unclear.

4. Try Shooting at 0.5x Zoom

iPhone cameras can do a lot of cool things, but I’ve never really played around with some of the features because I’m not sure where to start. Urban shared a really simple tip, and all it takes is one tap. “I discovered on a recent trip to Hawaii that shooting pictures of people at 0.5x zoom, especially when there’s a beautiful backdrop, makes for stunning imagery!” she said.

The 0.5x zoom feature expands the frame, showing off more of whatever is in front of the camera. This is perfect for capturing beautiful architecture, natural features, and other scenery, so if you spot a picturesque backdrop, be sure to try it out! When you open your camera, look for a small button toward the bottom of the frame that says “0.5x.” Simply tap that and it’ll zoom out to a wider angle.

5. Get Help From Passersby

How many times have you lined up a shot on your phone, asked someone to take a photo, and then the result was not at all like you set it up? Urban has the solution. “Don’t be afraid to take a test shot that demonstrates your desired framing for the person taking your photo,” she shared. “I always find the more prescriptive I am about my vision, the better the end result turns out.” Once the person taking your photo has the shot, tell them to go wild. “I tell them to just snap away while I continually move around so I get that perfectly candid shot.”

6. Set Your Camera to “Live” Mode

Urban suggested switching your iPhone camera to “Live” mode so you have more content to work with. Live photos are actually tiny videos. Your iPhone camera records the 1.5 seconds before and after you take a photo, and the key photo is a still of the best shot. But if you’re not happy with the selected key photo, you can change it. Simply open up the photo, tap edit, then hit the live button on the bottom left (it looks like a bullseye). Move the slider to select a new frame.

7. Invest in a Tripod

If you’re a solo traveler or if no one is around to help you, an iPhone tripod is a great investment. Most are equipped with a wireless remote so you can take photos with the press of a button. Or you can try one of Ramos Salas’ favorite iPhone travel photo hacks. “Set up your iPhone on a tripod and open up the camera app on your Apple Watch!” she said. “You can control your phone camera and make sure your angle and composition are right. You can also control your timer, take photos, and take videos all from your watch.” She also recommended taking lots of different types of photos, like close-ups, various angles, and even videos. This is especially helpful if you’re creating content for social media. “This way, you can create more than five different pieces of content in just one look or location.”

8. Edit and Filter Your Photos

Editing is the final touch that makes your photos pop. And don’t worry, you don’t need any fancy apps or editing skills to update your photos like a pro. Urban prefers Lightroom, and the mobile app is free to use. “If you’re intimidated by using it, don’t be. Unlike other Adobe products, it’s very user-friendly,” Urban shared. “I always say if you can edit in the Instagram app, you can edit in Lightroom. And with Lightroom, you can really home in on editing your photo, down to the ability to fix specific colors.”

Many photographers also offer Lightroom presets (basically like Instagram filters) for purchase, so you don’t have to do the editing yourself. Lou and Marks Presets is one option with lots of travel-specific presets to choose from. Made specifically to suit all skin tones, they can instantly brighten up your photos or make the colors even more vivid.

How to Take Better Travel Photos

Whether you travel around the world or just to the beach for the weekend, taking photos is all part of the fun to document your adventures. Or is that just me?

If you’re all about sharing your journey on social media or are hoping to take your photography to the next level, these simple tips will help enhance your photos. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a phone or fancy camera, thinking about how you will compose an image, make it uniquely yours or what colour temperature you need will all go towards creating better travel photos.

I’m all about going with the flow, I didn’t learn photography from a textbook, I learnt from being in the moment and testing what works best. Call it, trial and error, or as I like to see it, finding my own way, but learning how to make your camera work for you is essential to improving your photography.

Let’s get started…

#1 COMPOSITION + CONTRAST

Creative composition can enhance your image immediately. The Rule of Thirds is a great way to help you think about where to place your subject rather than just pointing and shooting straight ahead. You can use this method of composition whether you’re photographing a building, person or landscape, it’s just about thinking outside the box and changing the focal point of the image. Using contrast with composition lets you play with colours that help each other to stand out.

#2 UNIQUE ANGLES

You know those photographers you see crouching down or climbing a wall to get ‘THE’ shot? Or the ones lying on the ground when wonder what on earth they are seeing that you aren’t?

Well…give it a go. They’re no doubt trying to create a unique angle and it’s a great way to take better photos! While it may look a little crazy, who cares if you can walk away with an angle that no one else has! My favourite angle? Photographing from the water, it’s a lot less awkward to do the photographers stance underwater

#3 SHOOT IN APERTURE MODE

To add background blur to your photograph shoot on Aperture Priority mode (A or Av) with a large Aperture like f/1.8 or similar and focus on the subject to create a beautiful bokeh (blur) behind. This is achieved best by using a prime lens like a 50mm or 85mm lens. The 50mm lens is one I never leave home without, it’s great for street photography, portraits and detail shots making it the ideal companion for travelling!

#4 KEEP IT STEADY

Ensuring you stay nice and still whilst taking a photo will avoid the dreaded blur. You don’t need a tripod to keep your camera still; balance it on the pavement, a trash can, lean against a wall, table, your friend’s head…whatever keeps it steady is just as good as a tripod most of the time! If you’re finding your images are still blurry even though the camera is still, it might be time to look at the settings…low light means you’ll need a higher ISO.

#5 WHITE BALANCE

Manually adjusting your cameras white balance will control the colour temperature so you can choose how the image turns out. Rather than set your white balance on automatic, switch it manually depending on the type of light you’re working in to ensure a more accurate reading of the scene.

The top three to focus on is ‘cloudy’ white balance which works when you’re in a rainforest or similar green environment to enrich the green colours and make them vibrant. It will also warm up most beach or city scenes too! ‘Daylight’ is best for direct sunlight during the day and ‘Flash’ will help warm up the colours when you’re using your flash both indoors or outdoors.

#6 FOCUS ON THE UNUSUAL

Keep an eye out for something interesting, colourful, quirky or cultural to include in your photograph. Rather than taking photos only at lookouts or the best vantage points, try and work with the details. When travelling you’ll no doubt see something every day that you can photograph to help give your images a sense of place. It can relate to the destination or be completely out of place.

#7 CREATE PERSPECTIVE

You have no doubt seen the hundreds of photos circulating on social media of people staring at a vast landscape and looking very small. This is how to create perspective. If you’re photographing a mountain, try to find a subject that will help showcase just how tall and imposing it really is. By placing a person in the distance you give the mountain or landscape an actual size comparison to help the viewer judge just how incredible the scenery is.

#8 LOOK FOR THE BEST LIGHT

If you’re tired of saying, ‘I wish I had my camera for that sunset!’, start planning! Researching the times for sunrise and sunset will help you plan your day around the best light for photography. The warm afternoon light is my favourite to work with. When I’m travelling I always suss out the best place to be about one hour before sunset to ensure I can capture the changing colours. Be sure to know where the sun rises and sets in the place you’re visiting too as this will help you to decide where to be at the best times.

#9 SAY HELLO AND SMILE

Learn to say at least ‘Hello’ in the language used in the destination you’ll be visiting. Attempting to communicate with the locals will increase your chances of a better photograph and make people more comfortable in your presence. Nobody wants a snap happy unfriendly tourist lurking around their town!

#10 PREPARE YOUR EQUIPMENT

Having the correct lenses when travelling is essential to taking great photos. If you’re only using a telephoto lens but want to take something close-up, it’s not going to turn out well. The same for a macro lens when you want to take action photos of wildlife…it won’t work. Try and predict what type of photos you’ll want to take on your trip so you can invest in the best equipment to suit your photography. It doesn’t have to be the biggest and best camera, as I’ve said before I believe your photographic eye is more important than the camera but a simple camera kit is essential. Travelling with a zoom lens that has a wide focal range will help you cover all bases and be ready for anything. I typically use my 28-300mm lens which lets me photograph most scenes without the need to change. If you’re going to be around water then prepare for some underwater photos too…I can never pass up an opportunity to jump in the sea to capture some photos so my underwater housing or GoPro is never far away!

To put the above tips into practice, teach yourself how to use your camera so once you’re travelling you can whip it out and photograph like a pro.

The basic buttons you’ll need to locate on your camera are the following –

• ISO: Most cameras will have a button readily available to allow you to change your ISO quickly. If you can’t find it, there should also be a place to manually change your ISO in the menu section of your camera. If you shoot on automatic it won’t be necessary to change your ISO but any other mode such as Aperture or Manual will require you to select what ISO is best. As a general guide ISO 100-400 is best for sunlight, ISO 400-800 is good for shade or cloudy days, ISO 800+ is necessary once the light starts to get low or dark.
• White Balance: On DSLR cameras you’ll find this button (WB) located somewhere accessible and you can adjust with the dial and watch the little icons appear on your screen to select between. Just like ISO, you can also adjust it manually in the menu of most cameras and the little picture icons are very self explanatory.
• Exposure: The button typically has a little +/- sign on it and you use it in conjunction with the dial to add more or less exposure. I love using the exposure button along with my ISO to change the brightness of a photo.

I’ll be posting a guide to camera buttons and settings soon so keep an eye out if you’re keen to learn more about them!

In December of 2018, I retired from practicing medicine. As an anesthesiologist, I spent my days in an operating room putting people to sleep and waking them up when their surgeries were finished. It’s a package deal that I was happy to deliver to several thousand patients over the course of my 26-year career.

I have traveled at every opportunity, including several times this past year. I’m going to share the tips I follow to stay healthy while traveling — tips I used pre-COVID and during the pandemic.

Regarding COVID-19, I’m not going to weigh in on the pros and cons of the COVID vaccines or of wearing a mask — I think you can find enough opinions on both already.

And with respect to any vitamin, supplement, medication, or non-COVID vaccine advice that follows, please use this as a starting point for a discussion with your healthcare provider. This is not meant to be a substitute for a visit with someone who knows you and your medical conditions.

Here are nine tips for staying healthy while traveling.

1. Stay Hydrated

Since your body is about 60 percent water, hydration is a key component to feeling your best. Travel is dehydrating. The air on a plane is at most half as humid as the air in your home (10 to 25 percent on a plane and around 50 percent in your house, depending on where you live).

Then there’s that issue of cutting back on your water intake because you don’t know when or where you’ll use the restroom next. This might be in the back of your mind if you’re on an organized tour and not in control of the comfort stops you make.

So what’s recommended? If you’re traveling by air, try to drink 8 ounces of water an hour. If you drink alcohol, you’ll have to increase the amount of water you drink to make up for alcohol’s dehydrating effects. Try to avoid alcohol during your flight. If you must drink, do so only in moderation.

On the ground, aim for about eight glasses of water a day, but let your thirst guide you.

2. Get Plenty Of Sleep

The importance of sleeping at least 7 hours a night can’t be underestimated, whether you’re at home or traveling. Recent studies link sleep deprivation to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, dementia, and early death.

I am awful when it comes to this one. I know I would be better if I stopped drinking caffeine well before bedtime and shut off my phone and laptop earlier, too. Here are some additional habits to adopt for better sleep.

If you’re planning on a long international trip across many time zones, you might want to consider adding an overnight stay in a city where you’ll be catching a connecting flight. Hotels adjoining airports make this fairly easy to do, and often there is little difference in the fare with a prolonged layover.

3. Stretch Your Legs

Long car and plane trips increase your risk of a blood clot in your legs because you’re sitting for prolonged periods of time. This video shows some simple exercises you can do in your seat to prevent clotting.

If possible, stop the car every hour or so to walk. On flights, I opt for an aisle seat so I’m free to walk up and down the aisle when the seat belt sign is off. Consider wearing compression stockings that minimize blood pooling in your legs.

If you’ve had a blood clot before, consult with your physician about the need for blood thinners or medical-grade compression stockings before you travel.

4. Practice Good Hygiene

According to the CDC’s statistics, flu cases in the United States plummeted during the 2020–2021 season. In the midst of the pandemic, not only were we not congregating with each other, but we were practicing our very best hand hygiene and covering our coughs.

Thorough hand washing and using hand sanitizer are the best ways to prevent the spread of infections.

Pro Tip: When you fly, wipe down your seat’s armrests and tray table. According to studies conducted before COVID-19 and the advanced cleaning techniques that resulted from it, the tables were dirtier than the toilet handles.

5. Guard Against Travelers’ Diarrhea

Most bacterial and viral illnesses are spread by inhalation, ingestion, or inoculation (rubbing your eyes). That being said, for travelers to developing countries, food and waterborne illnesses are common, with the incidence of diarrhea between 30 and 60 percent. Usually, diarrhea resolves without treatment in two to seven days.

The CDC’s website provides a common-sense guide to eating and drinking in countries where North Americans might be at risk. To summarize: Eat fully cooked food, wash and peel fresh fruits and vegetables with bottled water, and drink only boiled or bottled water. Avoid ice cubes, and don’t forget to brush your teeth with bottled water, too.

Pepto-Bismol (two tablets four times a day) has some mild antibacterial effects and seems to reduce the chance of getting travelers’ diarrhea. If you are allergic to aspirin, take blood thinners, or have kidney problems or gout, you’ll need to avoid Pepto-Bismol, however.

Should you take prophylactic antibiotics to prevent diarrhea? No. Should you bring antibiotics on a trip to a developing country, just in case? Yes. I recommend bringing antibiotics in case the diarrhea is severe or causes dehydration.

6. Visit A Travelers’ Clinic Before You Leave

If you’re planning on traveling internationally, a visit to a travelers’ clinic at least a month before your trip can help you get any vaccines or prophylactic antibiotics you will need (for diarrhea or malaria, for example).

If you’ve never been vaccinated against hepatitis A, I recommend that you get the vaccine. Hepatitis A is a virus that affects your liver, and it’s transmitted through contaminated food or water.

Pro Tip: Bring your immunization record to your appointment.

7. Research Doctors And Clinics At Your Destination

The CDC has a guide that covers getting healthcare on your travels. It has a number of resources on evacuation insurance (evacuation — which costs thousands of dollars — may not be included in your travel insurance, and it’s not covered by most health insurance plans), travel health insurance, and finding a doctor or clinic abroad.

Medicare does not cover care outside of the U.S. or its territories under most circumstances. For exceptions, visit their website.

Cruise ships usually have a doctor onboard. The Silk Road train I took did as well. If you are sick, seek medical attention sooner rather than later. It is much easier to treat someone in the early stages of an illness.

If I’m traveling internationally independent of a group, I jot down the names and addresses of accredited clinics with English-speaking physicians before I leave home.

8. Consider Taking Vitamins Or Supplements

It would take an entire book to talk about the pros and cons of each vitamin and supplement. Everything from ashwagandha (a stress hormone-reducing supplement) to zinc is mentioned as something that should be in your suitcase.

Mostly, studies show that vitamins and supplements like Airborne (with vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements) support your health. With respect to preventing and treating COVID-19, ongoing research is looking at how effective vitamins and supplements are.

A recent study on vitamin D suggests that a deficiency leads to a greater chance of getting COVID-19 and having a worse outcome. Many people in the northern part of the U.S. and in Canada are deficient because of less exposure to the sun.

Pro Tip: I recommend getting a vitamin D level (a blood sample) first to determine whether you need to take supplemental vitamin D. Your healthcare provider can recommend a dose based on your results.

9. Watch What You Eat

When I went to medical school in the 1980s, very little time was devoted to teaching nutrition. But I am convinced that good nutrition promotes your health at home and on the road.

We ought to feed ourselves with the best fruits, vegetables, and protein we can find. Organic is even better for foods labeled the “dirty dozen” — those that are highly contaminated with pesticides and herbicides. A manual for a high-end car will recommend that you fill the tank with premium gas. We ought to fill our tanks with the best food we can afford.

We should limit our intake of refined sugars, highly processed foods, and fast foods that are easy to grab and eat on the go. Because of wonderful things like Cheetos and chocolate and peanut butter ice cream, this is another “do as I say, not as I do” — just like getting enough sleep.

Pro Tip: If you’d like to read more about nutrition, I recommend Why We Get Fat and The Case Against Sugar, both written by Gary Taubes. He’s a lawyer who makes a convincing case against refined sugar.

A healthy lifestyle involves both choice and action. The choices you make each day, and the actions you take on those choices, can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Making positive choices in the areas of physical fitness, stress, and nutrition – and then acting on those choices – promotes a sense of better self-worth, happiness and overall well-being.

We live in a world satisfied by instant gratification and adversed to discomfort. We value material goods over personal health and often welcome dis-ease into the body by creating and maintaining an environment for disease to thrive. We have magic pills at our fingertips and professionals endorsing them. I get it. It’s easy. It’s convenient. It provides quick relief and doesn’t require the discomfort of change. The pros are there, but do you ever stop to truly consider the cons of accepting the short-cuts being offered?

Below you’ll find 5 benefits experienced when long term health is pursued.

1. Decreased risk of disease. Dis-ease in the body occurs when it’s stressed, nutritionally imbalanced, and/or neglected of self-care. Often times, these occur simultaneously. To bring the body back into a state of balance, it’s essential we begin to adopt more sustainable behaviors. These behaviors are by no means difficult, they’re just different than the ones you currently subscribe to. Remember, life is a practice, not a performance.

2. More life-force energy. It is physically impossible for the body to have optimal energy when inundated with poor quality foods, chemicals, and long term stress. Each of these respond negatively in the body and inhibit its ability to sustain energy levels for extended periods of time. Give the body what it requires and desires, such as wholesome nourishment, sunlight, clean water, and movement, and you will experience a dramatic shift in your daily energy levels.

3. Increased happiness, less depression. The gut contains 100 million neurons and is responsible for secreting major neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and nitric oxide. When we nurture the health of our gut, we invite these feel-good chemicals to be secreted more easily and more frequently, thus influencing the state of our mood.

4. Increased feelings of self-worth. As you begin to experience mood shifts and desirable body changes, you will begin to make self-care a priority. Simple as that.

5. Save money. Leading a lifestyle of healthy behaviors allows for more money in your pocket by increasing work productivity, eradicating doctor visits, and decreasing missed work due to feeling ill and unwell. You’ll have extra funds to do things you love with those you love!

Quite literally, there are infinite benefits one will receive by way of pursuing a healthy lifestyle. I have chosen to showcase these 5 benefits for I feel they are most applicable to the quality of a human being’s life on a day-to-day basis.

Drink water, eat well, move the body, and choose to be grateful for this gift of Life!