6 Tips to Master Landscape Photography with your Phone

Capture the beauty of Banff Sunshine Meadows with these easy tips and tricks!   

“The best camera is the one that’s always on you”, sounds familiar? For most of us, that means -yes, you guessed it- our smartphones! When hiking at Sunshine Meadows this summer, you will find countless photography opportunities. The mountains, the wildflowers, the trees and wildlife make Sunshine one of the most photogenic spots in the Banff area.  

We believe everyone can take great photos, so here are some simple tips and tricks to help you capture incredibly breathtaking photos with your cell phone.  

1. Take High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photos  

Under or overexposed images will change the way your favourite vistas of Sunshine Meadows look in real life. Enable HDR mode on your phone to ensure your landscape photos have the perfect exposure – not too bright and not too dark.  

Switching on HDR will make your pictures instantly better as it automatically captures and combines multiple versions of the same image to create one single image.  

On an iPhone, activate it by choosing the HDR button in the camera app or by going to settings> camera>Smart HDR. Have another smartphone? Visit your app store, you’ll find lots of apps available!  

2. Get the Horizon Straight- Add Gridlines  

If you want your photos to look more stunning, adding gridlines could make the difference. By adding horizontal and vertical lines to your camera app, you will get the horizons straights every single time.  

This feature is usually built into your phone camera. Switch it on and then simply align your horizon using the gridlines.  

3. Composition is Key  

To create harmonious images, keep in mind these two rules:  

- Diagonal principle. This technique is easy to apply, just make sure your important subjects are positioned diagonally from each other to balance the photo both horizontally and vertically.  

- The Rule of Thirds. Gridlines are essential for this! The rule says that the most important part or parts of the image should be at one of the four points where the gridlines meet. These four points are considered the most powerful areas of an image because our eyes are naturally attracted to these areas first.  

4. Add Depth  

An easy technique to create powerful and dynamic photos is by adding depth. There are some tricks you can use to give your landscapes a sense of depth.  

- Add details in the foreground. This is perhaps the easiest way to add depth to your shots. Mixing small foreground elements with a stunning view in the background will add a sense of scale. A tree, a wildflower or even wildlife could help you avoid getting a flat landscape photo in which all the focus is on distant objects.  

- Include leading lines. The lines formed by a trail, a bridge or a stream of water will make people’s eyes naturally follow it from the foreground to the horizon. That movement creates a three-dimensional impression allowing your viewers to explore each part of your shot.  

- Find a frame and use it! Composing your shots so that the landscape is viewed through a natural “frame” is another easy way to create depth. When hiking in the meadows, pay attention to natural rock formations or trees you could use to frame your landscapes in the foreground. This will give people an idea of how far the background elements are from the ones in the front.  

5. Take a Look at the Sky  

Pay attention to the sky if it’s going to be part of your shot. Unlike, a perfectly clear sky, having interesting clouds in your composition can enrich your shot. If it’s a cloudy day, you’re in luck! Look for cloud patterns and incorporate them into your photos to make them more interesting.  

6. Include People in Your Shots  

People in your landscape photos adds an emotional touch to your shots. Try taking photos of a single person admiring the beauty of the Rockies, it will add interest to your photo and a sense of how big or small the surroundings are.