Tips for Smartphone / iPhone Photography
The cameras found in modern-day smartphones are getting to be very high quality and many travelers are using these exclusively for their travel photography. While the default cameras are great, here is a collection of “apps” that may help in expanding their capabilities to include long-exposure, creative filters, dramatic video recording, and more.
Camera + (a general camera app)
If you are interested in upping your photography and following along during on-trip discussions about white balance, adjusting exposure, macro mode, and editing techniques, this is an amazingly handy little smartphone tool. It allows you to adjust settings before the shot, as well as things like saturation, exposure, and sharpness after the shot, too.
“Slow-mo Video” (for stunning slow motion video)
This is not an additional app that you’d have to download, but some newer smartphones come with this capability, usually within the camera function. This can provide great fun and sensational slow-mo videos. It’s amazing for things like flying monarch butterflies, grizzlies fishing, or African animals running.
The one trick to this is to be sure to you don’t record for too long, as the resulting video is about five to eight times as long as what you actually record (when it’s slowed down). Thus, a 10 second video could turn into several minutes.
“Slow Shutter Cam” (for long exposures)
There are certain times where a long exposure can create dramatic and beautiful results. The most common application of this is for moving water, such as creeks and waterfalls. Try this long exposure app to help blur the movement of the water to create that coveted silky look.
“Northern Lights Photo Taker” (for aurora photography)
This app is quite incredible, as it allows you to take decent photos of Northern Lights on your smartphone. This normally requires very high end camera gear! Far be it from us to explain how the technology within the app works, but it’s proven itself time and time again when on our northern expeditions.
“Pro HDR X” (for HDR photography)
High Dynamic Range, or HDR for short, is a great way to take photos in challenging light conditions. When there are many harsh shadows, or parts of the scene with extremely bright areas, HDR helps to balance all this out, with the ultimate goal of capturing the scene similar to how your eye naturally sees light. Some smartphones have basic HDR capabilities without this app, but this app allows for better dynamic range and customization to get you the most out of your landscape photography.
4 Comments
Sara Ell
May 7, 2017 at 6:30 pm
Court Whelan, Ph.D.
July 13, 2017 at 10:54 am
Paola Hidalgo
May 24, 2022 at 3:33 am
Court Whelan, Ph.D.
May 27, 2022 at 11:53 am
I’ve been going back through some of your older posts and had to stop on this one, since I’ll be traveling the through Alaska this summer with almost no room for bulky cameras and equipment. I still want to take some good photos, but admit that I don’t often take advantage of my smartphone’s capabilities. Hopefully that will change!
HDR settings on most smartphones tend to balance out pretty poorly, in my experience, but I’d like to find one that works better. Do you find that the PRO HDR app gives photos that fake, flattened smartphone HDR, or does it work more like a camera’s capabilities?
I recently did discover an app called “The Photographer’s Ephemeris”—weird name, but it’s killer. It’s actually a sun and moon chart plus a weather map, so it basically lets you know exactly what conditions to expect at any given location BEFORE you get there. Total lifesaver!
Yes, the Photographer’s Ephemeris is an amazing app! I actually plan on doing a review of it sometime in the future. Quite robust, and a bit complex, but so so powerful if in the right hands! The great thing about Pro HDR is that it has a number of settings. I think HDR stuff can quickly get out of control and look fake. With basic HDR or auto HDR, there’s not much you can do to fix or control “over-HDR-ing it”. However, with the PRO app, you can adjust the settings to “dial it back” so to speak. I think you’d like it!
Hi! I was not able to find the apps for my smartphone Samsung galaxy, in the Play Store, could you give suggestions avaliable in Play Store?
hi Paola, unfortunately I’m not familiar with the Play Store so I can’t give any good recommendations–apologies! However, I’ll tell ya that with each new make and model of smart phone, they are getting so good with just the camera and software built-in, I don’t think you really need an app at all anymore.