Recently updated on January 22nd, 2020 at 06:38 pm
With the advancement of smartphones, it’s no longer necessary to use a professional camera to take photos you can be proud of. But for the best results, it’s worth perfecting some basic photography tricks, while utilising the latest add-ons and apps. Make your travel photos stand out by following these essential smartphone photography tips.
Rule of Thirds
The much talked about rule of thirds is a common composition technique in photography, but it’s often overlooked when taking smartphone shots. To apply this rule to your photos, balance the composition by simply positioning the photo’s main subjects – whether that’s a person, monument or mountain – on the gridlines that appear on each third of the screen’s viewfinder, from side to side and top to bottom. Activate a smartphone’s viewfinder in Settings.
Look for a Different Perspective
Instead of always taking the same travel shots as everyone else, try to get more interesting perspectives of what you want to photograph. Instead of taking a photo straight-on, look up at the buildings that tower above you, crouch down to get to the level you want, or think about capturing the reflection of the landmark you’re photographing instead.
Get an Add-on Lens
As good as smartphone cameras are now, they do still have their limitations, one of which is the power of the camera lens. If a telephoto, fisheye or macro shot is what you’re after, consider using an add-on lens. Olloclip has become one of the best known for its collection of clip-on lenses, including the all-encompassing 4-in-1 lens.
Look for the Right Light
Successful photography is often attributed to its light, whether it’s for the atmospheric shadow, warm glow from the sun, or light reflecting on the water. When you’re out taking photos, look for light sources, such as the sun streaming through a window, or dappled light shining through the trees. If you can, get up early for sunrise or head out at sunset when the light is at its softest.
Pay Attention to Detail
When we’re taking photos of a landmark, it’s easy to miss out on the small details, but sometimes these details can be as interesting as what you went there to see, giving people a better feel for the place you’ve been. From the patterned tiles in a courtyard to the produce you see at the market, these travel shots can be great reminders of the experience you had.
Use an Editing App
Even our greatest travel photos can often be improved upon by using one of the countless editing apps on offer. One of the most popular editing apps is VSCO, which has more editing options than most other apps, with a good selection of filters, too.
Be Selective
The secret to getting great photos every time is in editing them down to only show the best of what you’ve taken; instead of uploading 20 photos of the same site to social media, pick out the best ones you’ve taken for a much more engaging collection.
Practice your travel photography skills on a trip with Trafalgar.
Image credits: Cover photo © iStock / tawatchaiprakobkit. Smart phone photography © iStock / pawei_p. Getting a different perspective © iStock / Warchi. Sunset over the ocean © iStock / valio84sl. Capturing life on Taquile Island in Peru © iStock / Bartosz Hadyniak.