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Sunday, 25 September 2022

9 Best Apps for Travel Photography (in 2022)

The post 9 Best Apps for Travel Photography (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Your smartphone is one of the best travel photography accessories you own. When equipped with the right apps, your phone can save you time, put you in the right place for amazing images, and enhance the photos you’ve already taken.

But which apps are best for travel photography? How do you pick the apps that are right for you?

Fortunately, whether you have an iOS or Android phone, there are plenty of apps perfect for travel shooting. Below, we share a roundup of our favorites – all of which are guaranteed to make your trip, and the photos you take, better than ever.

The best travel photography location apps

When you first arrive in a new location, it can be challenging to find your way around the area. That’s where location apps will come in handy, such as:

1. Maps.ME (for iOS and Android)

Maps.ME is a great mapping app that you can use without an internet connection. Once you have Maps.ME installed on your phone, you can download maps for pretty much any location.

These maps will provide you with turn-by-turn directions for each destination – and the app relies on open-source software, so it’s always up to date.

The app will direct you to your hotel or any other specific address, and it can also help you find points of interest, trekking trails, etc.

Maps.ME is free for both Android and iOS devices.

2. Citymapper (for iOS and Android)

Most of us don’t have endless time at each location; the faster and more efficiently we can arrive at each location, the more time we have to be out and about. Citymapper is a clever little app that helps you make the most of your travel time.

With the Citymapper app installed on your phone, you can find the nearest bus stops and train stations. You can even book tickets and compare travel time and prices across different transport modes. And if you prefer to walk, scooter, or ride a bike, the app can help you with that, too.

Bottom line: Citymapper is a terrific app for navigating around larger cities pretty much anywhere in the world – and it’s free for both Android and iOS devices.

3. Spot (for iOS)

Casual photographers are often satisfied with snapshots of the most touristy places – but more serious photographers want to discover interesting locations that are off the beaten path. They know that these less-popular locations will offer the opportunity to capture unique photos that don’t appear on every other Instagram feed.

So how do you find these hidden gems? You can use apps like Facebook and Instagram to search through location-tagged photos. But in my experience, there are better ways to locate top-notch areas. For instance, you can use the Spot app!

This free app is like a social media platform that shows you the locations photographers love; in fact, the developers boast that their app will help you find “the best places in the world.” Users are able to upload photos and share the cool places they visit. The app also pulls data on locations based on discussions elsewhere on the web.

You’ll even get recommendations for nearby places to eat or grab a coffee. And the app offers a strong social aspect; you can follow other users, see places they’ve visited, and build your own lists to share. In other words, Spot is more versatile and diverse than just a location tracker.

Spot is only available for iOS devices.

The best apps for travel photography editing

Sharing photos on social media is all part of today’s travel culture. Naturally, these photos must look stellar, so editing must be done on the fly.

Any rundown of the best apps for travel photography should include a selection of post-processing apps. Here are our picks:

1. VSCO (for iOS and Android)

Learning to use new editing apps, especially those that are very comprehensive, can be tricky. But not VSCO; you’ll notice how easy the app is to navigate as soon as you fire it up.

There are plenty of quick and easy presets for enhancing the colors and contrast in your pictures. And once you’ve applied a preset, you can tweak it to match each photo you work on. You can also save your adjusted presets for later use.

There’s a free version of VSCO, but if you want more control over your images, consider grabbing the paid version, which offers extra tools and filters.

2. Snapseed (for iOS and Android)

Snapseed is the go-to photo-editing app for many professional and amateur photographers. It’s quick and easy to use, it offers a great selection of filters and presets, and you can create pretty much any edit you imagine.

The app offers tons of options for manual adjustments. The tools let you manage curves, apply vignettes, do selective edits, and so much more. You have a great deal of control over how your images look, and Snapseed even includes a feature that allows you to batch edit photos for a faster workflow.

Snapseed is free for both Android and iOS devices.

3. Lightroom Mobile (for iOS and Android)

If you already have an Adobe subscription, then this editing app is a must-have. If you don’t own an Adobe subscription, you can still use the app, but the functionality is (slightly) limited.

Lightroom Mobile is easy to use for both beginners and experienced photographers. It provides tons of tools and features that give you plenty of control over your wonderful travel photos.

Within the app, you have dozens of adjustment options; you can clone unwanted elements, correct exposure issues, enhance contrast, and reduce noise. And the split toning, masking, and sharpening options make Lightroom Mobile one of the more advanced photo-editing apps available.

LR Mobile is free for both Android and iOS phones with limited functionality. But you can unlock the app’s full functionality with an Adobe Photography subscription.

A few more handy travel photo apps

These three additional apps are bound to make your travel photography experience more enjoyable:

1. PhotoPills (for iOS and Android)

PhotoPills is like a toolbox for photographers. Take a peek inside, and you’ll be amazed at the array of features to help you make better travel photos.

The app can help you calculate exposures, explore and manage the locations you want to visit, produce time-lapses, and much more. It’s basically an all-around photography assistant you can carry in your pocket.

Do you need to know what time sunset is? Do you need to determine the phase of the moon? PhotoPills maps all of this out for you based on the date and location. It will help you plan your photos and execute them, too.

PhotoPills is a paid app available for both Android and iOS devices.

2. WeatherBug (for iOS and Android)

WeatherBug isn’t strictly a photography app, but it’s one that photographers love – and it can certainly help you capture better photos while traveling.

WeatherBug helps you take the guesswork out of weather prediction. There’s nothing worse than heading to a sunrise location you’ve been wanting to capture for months only to find the sky obscured by clouds. Thanks to this app, you’ll know how the weather will pan out, so you can plan your shoots for the most suitable times.

WeatherBug will give you a forecast for up to ten days in advance. And it’s customizable, so you can tweak it to best suit your needs.

WeatherBug is free for both Android and iOS devices.

3. Phonto (for iOS and Android)

Phonto is a fun little app that lets you add text to your photos. It’s simple to use, and it’s a great way to enhance your travel shots with some fun text! There are tons of different fonts available, and you have the option to rotate, resize, and generally manage the text to get the effect you want.

In my opinion, adding text to your travel photos with Phonto will make them stand out on social media. Plus, it can let people know how much fun you’re having!

Phonto is free for both Android and iOS devices.

The best travel photography apps: final words

Woman touching her smartphone with one finger with brightly colored buildings in the background

Hopefully, you found this list helpful – and you’re ready to download one (or more!) of our favorite travel photography apps.

The apps we’ve shared will ensure you find the right locations, plan your photoshoots, edit on the fly, and more.

So enjoy your travels! And capture some amazing photos.

Which apps do you plan to get? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 9 Best Apps for Travel Photography (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Saturday, 24 September 2022

5 Tips for Gorgeous Nature Portraits

The post 5 Tips for Gorgeous Nature Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Melinda Smith.

I love photographing in nature – and in this article, I’m going to share my top five tips for beautiful nature portraits.

I explain:

How to work with colors to create breathtaking compositions
Creative techniques to level up your photos
How to use props to produce creative effects
Much more!

Ready to capture portraits in nature like a pro? Let’s get started.

1. Look for complementary colors

Nature is full of beautiful colors: red flowers, green leaves, orange fruits, yellow grasses…

And while these colors can certainly enhance your portraits on their own, you’ll get the best results if you match colors in nature to colors on your subject.

You may notice that your subject’s hair, eyes, lips, or clothing go well with some floral blooms, leaves, or rocks. So pose your subject in front of the harmonious colors, and make sure that your portrait compositions include both the colors on your subject and the colors of nature.

It helps to always keep an eye out for different colors when working with your subject. I’d also encourage you to spend some time studying color theory. Look at a color wheel, and memorize opposite (also known as complementary) colors; these go well together and will create plenty of contrast.

I’m a big fan of complementary colors. If my subject is wearing purple, I’ll often keep an eye out for yellow leaves. And if I’m shooting in a place with lots of green, I’ll use my camera to highlight the reds in my subject’s clothes or hair.

You should also memorize colors next to one another on the wheel, known as analogous colors, which provide compositions with a peaceful, balanced feeling. For instance, if my subject has startling blue eyes, I’ll search for teal water or green leaves to create a beautiful effect. You can get a similar result by combining multiple shades of the same color, as I did here:

woman with purple hair standing in front of purple flowers

2. Don’t be afraid to blur your subjects

This tip will get you more creative nature portraits.

You see, while most photographers spend lots of time trying to keep their subjects sharp, you can actually capture gorgeous shots if you embrace a blur effect!

Here’s how it works:

First, find a nice foreground subject, something that’s reasonably attractive but won’t draw the eye away from your subject. Flowers, leaves, trees, and grasses work great for this.

Second, make sure that your subject is reasonably far behind the foreground subject. Ask them to strike a meaningful pose; I think the results look best if the scene seems private: a kiss, for instance, or a mother holding her newborn baby. Pro tip: You want the effect to look like it was done purposely, not like you accidentally missed the focus on your subjects, so make sure your subjects really sell the pose!

Third, dial in a wide aperture (I recommend working at f/2.8 and beyond). And focus on the foreground subject. If your camera tries to focus on the background subject (i.e., the people), you can always switch over to a single-point AF area mode and select a focus point over your foreground subject. Alternatively, you can turn off your lens’s autofocus and manually set the point of focus in the right place.

Finally, take your photo, then check the result on your camera LCD. If your subjects look a little too sharp, widen the aperture further or ask them to back up. Alternatively, if your subjects are too blurry, bring them closer to the foreground or narrow that aperture.

yellow and green grasses and yellow flowers in front of an out-of-focus kissing couple

3. Ask your subjects to interact with nature

Standard nature portraits are nice, but after a while, they can get a little boring – for both the subject and the viewer.

So why not mix things up with a prop or two? While you could always work with standard props (e.g., umbrellas, baskets, and fairy lights), I’d encourage you to incorporate natural props into each composition. These props will feel more realistic, plus they’ll create a beautiful connection between your subject and nature.

Here are a few props ideas to help you out:

Logs, rocks, and branches (as perches)
Leaves or snow (your subject can blow these out of their hand or throw them in the air)
Streams and lakes (for your subject to walk in)
Flowers (for your subject to hold, smell, or tuck in their hair)

Really, the sky is the limit – and if you’re not feeling inspired, just keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re outside. I bet you’ll come up with some great prop options!

One note, however:

Be kind to nature around you, and try to leave everything the same or better than you found it. Remember that if everyone broke branches, picked a bouquet of wildflowers, or stomped on untouched fragile foliage, there would be nothing left to enjoy. So tread lightly, pick up any trash, and don’t leave a trace.

4. Combine natural and artificial elements

Once you’ve mastered the art of incorporating natural props into your nature portraits, I’d encourage you to add artificial elements to the natural landscape.

For instance, you might place a bench or a couch in a field, or you might bring along a retro typewriter or a bundle of balloons.

The resulting photos will have interesting contrast – and if you’re willing to really go wild, you can do all sorts of fun storytelling. You can bring out a table for an Alice in Wonderland vibe, or you can add swords and shields for a medieval setup. You might even add a chandelier to your scenes:

As I noted in the previous tip, it’s important to avoid harming the natural world. But if you’re careful, you can prevent damage – and you can create breathtaking nature portraits along the way!

5. Take wider portraits

man and woman holding hands on a dirt road and looking back toward the viewer with mountains in the background

Close-up portraits look amazing, and they often do a great job of capturing a subject’s personality.

But if you’re looking to capture more creative images, consider approaching the scene from a distance – by taking several steps backward or using a wide-angle lens. Try to include your surround your subject with natural features so that they’re a small (but important!) part of the overall composition.

This environmental portrait approach adds scale, and it also produces memorable images that incorporate a strong sense of place:

Rather than creating a portrait of a human subject in nature, the wider approach lets you capture nature with a human subject.

The toughest part is actually finding surrounding scenes that work. I’d recommend looking for beautiful areas that make pretty photos on their own, then simply adding the subject to the shot. (It can be helpful to scout locations ahead of time.)

Bonus: These environmental portraits look great when blown up and printed!

Tips for nature portraits: final words

Hopefully, you now know how to capture beautiful portraits in nature – and you’re feeling inspired to head out with your camera!

So remember the tips I’ve shared. And start thinking about photoshoot possibilities. Try incorporating natural props, and think about using artificial props, too.

Good luck, and have fun!

What do you plan to do for your next photoshoot in nature? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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