Having photographs or videos to remember special memories from your travels is important. Still getting used to wielding the phone camera? We’re sharing a few travel content creation tips to make it easier to capture those special moments with skill.
1. Getting to know your phone camera’s settings
Understanding your phone’s camera settings is crucial for capturing high-quality photos and videos – many smartphones have settings that can aid in helping you get the best shot.
Experiment with different modes such as HDR (high dynamic range) which helps balance exposure in challenging lighting conditions, portrait mode for stunning depth-of-field effects, and panorama mode for capturing sweeping landscapes.
You can also adjust settings like exposure, which refers to the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor when you take a photo. White balance, which is the adjustment of colours in a photo to ensure that white objects appear white in the image, and focus, which determines the sharpness and clarity of the subject in your photo.
Many newer phone models include a setting that uses AI to help you get the ‘best shot.’ We don’t recommend using these settings with your camera, as AI often ‘fills in the blanks’, giving you an inaccurate shot.
2. Get yourself an external lens
External lenses can significantly expand the capabilities of your phone’s camera. Wide-angle lenses are perfect for capturing expansive landscapes, while macro lenses enable you to photograph intricate details up close. Telephoto lenses enhance zoom capabilities, allowing you to capture distant subjects with clarity. Clip-on lenses are portable and easy to attach to your phone, making them ideal for your travel photography.
3. Invest in a tripod or phone mount
Shaky footage is a no-no in the realm of content creation. A tripod or phone mount can help you achieve stability and support for your phone camera, while you’re capturing photos and videos.
Mounts and tripods can be used to shoot time-lapse footage (perfect b-roll for your TikTok videos), group selfies, or long-exposure photos. A stable base really helps to get sharper, more professional-looking results.
Look for lightweight, compact tripods that are easy to carry in your backpack or suitcase. Adjustable legs and flexible joints allow you to position your phone at various angles for creative framing.
4. Get a gimbal
Gimbal stabilisers are handheld devices that use motors to counteract shake and movement, which give you smooth, steady video footage. Gimbals are great for filming walking tours, action sports, or vlogs. It works like a charm for removing the shake and jitter that comes from filming while walking.
Look for gimbals with features like pan, tilt, and roll control, as well as compatibility with your phone model.
5. Download the apps you will need
There are so many apps available for editing, organising, and sharing your travel content. Adobe Lightroom offers great photo editing tools, while CapCut is great for simple-to-understand video editing. Your phone’s camera should also have an ‘edit’ function, but it likely won’t be as fleshed out as Lightroom or Capcut.
Compiled by Savanna Douglas
First Published on Woman&Home
Also see: Travelling with medication? Here are the top five hacks and rules when it comes to storage
