Now that our phone cameras are so powerful, there's (almost) no need to lug an expensive point-and-shoot or pro-level DSLR on vacation. Even if the photo quality might be slightly diminished, phones may still a better option for several reasons.
Josh Haftel, Adobe's senior product manager for mobile photography, discovered that firsthand on a recent trip to Asia.
"Pointing a DSLR with a huge lens at someone might result in a goofy smile or an angry glare, but doing the same with a phone made you basically invisible," Haftel says. "Add to the fact that my phone was always with me and far more resilient to the constant rain of Southeast Asia and I found myself shooting more and more with it as the months wore on."
Haftel learned a few other things about how to shoot stellar vacation photos on this trip. If you're travelling solo, following his tips will give you an extra challenge to focus on. And if not, you can make the most of your time by shooting things that will bring a smile to your face and best capture the flavour of your experience, rather than just the sights.
Read on for five tips you can try on your next adventure.
Get Close
"Small sensors, like the ones found in mobile phones, result in much larger depth of field than traditional DSLR and mirrorless cameras," Haftel explains. "This...means you can get much more of the scene in focus when shooting macro than you could with a camera with a larger sensor, so take advantage of it!"
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
"You also get a lot more flexibility and forgiveness thanks to the camera being so small and light. With some of the most recent phones, you may even get built-in image stabilisation, making things even better," Haftel says. "The innocuous nature of a phone makes it possible to get close and capture images that you might not be able to with a larger camera."
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
Create a mini-series
"Cities and countries very often have their repeating themes, and giving yourself an assignment to find and capture one of those themes can be a fun photo treasure hunt to focus on while capturing images," Haftel says.
Photos: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
"This helps you frame the story of your trip while also giving your viewer a sense of the place," Haftel says.
Photos: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Weather
"Weather makes for interesting photos and cloud cover means that you can shoot through the dreaded mid-day sun, giving you far more opportunities," Haftel says.
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
"It’s far easier to hide your phone when weather strikes than your camera, so be adventurous!" Haftel says.
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
The Human Element
"Humans often make for more interesting photos. They not only provide a sense of scale, but they also help add context to the photo," Haftel says.
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
"Adding people into your shot helps you convey the culture and environment and also increases engagement with your viewer," Haftel says. "The best part of shooting with a mobile device is that they’re so ubiquitous that people often don’t even notice you’re taking a picture of them, resulting in much more natural shots."
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
Leading Lines
"I’ve found it’s always helpful to have a set of go-to compositional templates that can help when your muse is off sleeping (or whatever they do when they’re not helping you be creative)," Haftel says.
Photo: Courtesy @joshhaftel/Instagram.
"Leading lines are fun, because they help draw the user into your image, focusing their attention on parts that you want them to see," Haftel says.
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