How to take the best vacation photos with your mobile
However, it seems that the qualities of the photos taken with the phone do not convince us yet, and there are those who still carry the compact on the road because they feel more confident with its image quality. But what if we told you that the quality is the same, or even better, with the phone ?
That is what ** Sergio Albert and Roberto Castelli ** maintain, two renowned photographers to whom we have turned in our desperate quest to know how we can make our holiday album the envy of the web. And even of our grandchildren, because it turns out that, contrary to what many believe, well-taken mobile photos also look great when printed. Here are their tips:
AVOID FALLING IN COMMON PLACES
“In general, we always fall into the same topics and repeat the same photos every year. You have to stay away from images of backlit gin and tonics, feet in the sand and other summer "perched", tells us Castelli, who precisely he started his career "traveling with a horrible compact" and now he works in the field of advertising and corporate photography with companies such as GQ, Ebay, Beefeater or Esquire.
LOOK FOR A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW
To avoid clichés, there is nothing better than "seeking a personal point of view", or, what is the same, "trusting our instinct" and take advantage of the ease of carrying the mobile constantly on top to shoot when we feel we should do it , Sergio Albert tells us.
PROCESS YOUR SNAPSHOTS
With the compact ones it was practically unthinkable to retouch the photo once taken, but this is not only possible, but also very easy, with the technology of our phones. **Albert and Castelli recommend us apps like VSCO Cam or Snapseed** “to adjust the photo and give it a little more life”.
Perfect example of how to seek a personal point of view in a place that we have all seen time and time again
KEEP THE GOAL CLEAN
“A lot of times photos are terrible quality just because the lens is dirty, so it is advisable to clean it before shooting Albert tells us. He follows this advice to the letter, as you can see on his passionate Instagram account. In it he shows us his daily life as photographer for Converse, Rockdeluxe, Nike, Ray-Ban, Jagermeister…
MAKE SURE THERE IS GOOD LIGHT
Sunsets and sunrises are your best allies to take unforgettable snapshots. However, whatever time it is, the most important thing is that the shot has enough light: “Be aware of what your mobile camera gives of itself, since at night or in low light conditions, they often lose all their ability to take good photos Albert remembers.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS
“If you photograph a plate of food, for example, take care of the composition and it prevents elements that can make it ugly, such as a used napkin, from sneaking into the photo,” warns Castelli. Albert recommends us to find “funny” in what surrounds us: “We all have visual references that we have acquired naturally with, for example, the movies we have seen. Try to create your own movie according to what you have , and capture those moments without sparing any!”
Sunsets are the perfect time to get magical snapshots
DO NOT ZOOM
“Never use digital zoom, NEVER". That's how clear Castelli leaves it to us.
KNOW YOUR TOOL
“Hold the mobile correctly and learn to use it well; there are certain functions that can be very useful to take the occasional photo ”, warns Castelli. His tool is the iPhone 6, although he also loves the Samsung Kzoom, “which is actually more a compact camera with a built-in phone with an absolutely bestial quality”. However, if you are a bit more grunge, like Albert, you know that, when the time comes, anything goes: “The precariousness of the camera of certain mobiles has its grace. In fact, we all like to add filters that deteriorate the result of the image”.
NATURALITY FIRST
This is probably the category in which the mobile scores higher than the traditional camera: “ With the phone you can take pictures that you couldn't take with a camera, because it tends to be intimidating. In addition, people are super familiar with smartphones and feel more relaxed when taking the photo, which means that you get natural results, which in the end is what we are all looking for”, explains Albert.
DON'T BRING ANOTHER CAMERA
Although a compact or an SLR have more features, if what you want is to photograph what impresses you most about your trip, you have enough with the mobile. Carrying two devices will only get "absurdly loaded" , according to Albert, and furthermore, spontaneity is lost that he seeks so much: “In the end, if you take a camera and a phone, or you only take photos with one, or you have to think about whether to shoot with one or the other, and you lose that instinctive part that, in the end, is the one that picks up the best the moment. That without counting on the fact that when you return you will have a major photo mess between one camera and another, so simplify and let the photo be something else you enjoy on vacation, not a burden.”
It seems we almost heard them laugh, right?
SELFIES YES, BUT WITH LIMITATION
both photographers they are fans of selfies because with them you have complete control of your image: "Who hasn't asked a stranger for a photo and immediately doubted the result?" asks Albert. However, Castelli points out: “Selfie addicts are very tiresome, they are boring. Also, the selfie stick is tacky ”.
NO VERTICAL VIDEOS
The possibility of recording video with the phone has given rise to a fearsome plague: vertical shots, as this is the position in which we normally use our smartphone. “It is something really terrible”, Castelli emphasizes.
KEEP A CONSISTENT STYLE
This trick is the final touch to be very pro: “It is interesting to use a similar visual style for each trip, approach it as a given project and maintain the same aesthetic line”, recommends Castelli. He does it on his Instagram account.
LET YOURSELF GO AND ENJOY!
“The perfect vacation photo is the one that ideally captures the situation in which you find yourself. Therefore, simply let yourself be carried away by the sensations you have in that place and let your eyes be the camera. Feel like one more element and enjoy”, recommends Albert.
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Find your own style, and, above all, enjoy!
Let no one stop you!