“Phontography”… Phone Photography 101

Phontography. It is all the rage and has been for years now as phone cameras keep getting better & better. Many people rely solely on their phone to capture their memories while they are making them. Real cameras can be expensive and involve carrying extra gear, and let’s face it, not everyone is up to the task. If you have never taken a photography class but have come to enjoy using your phone to take photos, here are some handy and timeless photography tips that you can use to make every shot count.

The Golden Hour, timing is everything!

courtesy of #lostlauni Oregon Coast

Many phone cameras have the capacity to auto-adjust the shutter speed and a ton of filter options to get mostly clear shots no matter the time of day you shoot. However, the rule of the “golden hour” still applies to any sort of image capturing you are doing if you are seeking the best light. Golden hour happens twice a day, it takes place at sunrise and again at sunset. When the sun is close to the horizon line, you get the soft and beautiful light for outdoor photographs.*The secret to the best sunset or sunrise shot is to capture the intense color that occurs when the sun drops completely below the horizion, if there are clouds, you will have 2-5 minutes of gorgeous hues to capture.

The Rule of Thirds, an easy peasy way to compose

courtesy of #lostlauni Missoula MT

For as much as we all want a good photograph to be composed by just centring our subject in the middle of our shot…this is not very pleasing to our eyes and how we view a picture naturally. Our eyes are naturally drawn to one side of the photo or the other and to the spot with the most contrast. The rule of thirds is an easy one to follow to make your photos more eye-catching and it offers a better flow of viewing.You can add a grid to your screen found in your camera settings to help you along. As you can see, the grid divides your view screen into thirds. The goal is the have your subject at a point where the lines intersect. When shooting a portrait of a person or a creature, try to have the intersecting lines on one of their eyes. Eyes are always a good point of focus in a shot.

We hope these tips help you capture some great moments! Let us help you explore with an awesome campervan rental. We are the road trip and adventure pros! Book your next vanlife adventure now.

Submitted by van fan Launi