Shoot Better Travel Photos with Whatever Phone You Use (VIDEO)
Whether you’re on vacation or traveling for business there are times when you’ll want to use the smartphone in your pocket to memorialize a destination, and this tutorial from the Happy to Wander YouTube channel reveals instant improvements you can make when photographing people, iconic landmarks, street photos, and more.
Instructor Christina provides a variety of tips that work wonders across multiple platforms with whatever smartphone you use, and they’re even applicable when shooting with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. She’s a Canadian photographer whose popular YouTube channel includes free no-nonsense guides for traveling to many popular European destinations.
Christina says, “I’ve been there, done that, and taken all the photos,” and she provides a reminder that the first thing you should always do before capturing an image is make sure that the lenses on your phone are absolutely clean. That’s because unprotected lenses are dust magnets when they’re stashed inside a pocket or purse.
She then moves on to shooting techniques, the first of which involve several lighting hacks that will enable you to capture photos with perfect tones and beautifully balanced colors. Christina discusses how to position yourself relative to the the sun and why backlighting can create problems when shooting environmental portraits, monuments, storefronts, and the like.
Next Christina takes a deep dive into the best methods for adjusting exposure while capturing a photo. One helpful trick in this regard is dragging up or down on the screen to make the necessary adjustments to lighten or darken a scene. This way there’s no need to use post-processing tools to rehabilitate a poorly exposed shot.
Christina also provides a quick run-through of camera modes and features found on virtually every smartphone so you’ll understand which approach to takes in various situations. These include some oft-ignored camera settings that are hidden or difficult to find. And how about deciding which of your phone’s lenses is the best one to use? She covers that in detail too.
Like with all types of photography, thoughtful composition plays a critical role. And Christina has some great recommendations for travel imagery and dealing with a phone’s inconvenient form factor. She also provides a simple trick for making the background of a shot appear closer than it really is.
There are more travel photography tips and tricks on the Happy to Wander YouTube channel, along with the destination guides mentioned above that will prove invaluable when planning your next trip.
And if you’re new to photography be sure to watch the tutorial we featured recently with an Australian pro who demonstrates six practical tips that will jumpstart your learning curve.
