10 Ways to Take Better Travel Photos on Your Phone

Rule of Thirds

"An easy way to improve your photos is to make use of the rule-of-thirds grid in your camera app. This is a relatively common feature in today's camera apps. Make sure to turn yours on. It's a great tool for two reasons. One, it can be used as a guide to make sure your horizon is level. Two, it will help you improve your composition, which is probably the most important part of a great photograph. To improve your composition with the grid, try placing interesting elements on or around where the four grid lines intersect. Your composition will also be better if the horizon runs along one of the horizontal lines instead of through the middle of the image." —David Pasillas, David Pasillas Photography

Consider Your Angle

"Look for interesting angles to add drama to your picture. See if you can photograph local cityscapes from a second- or third-floor window instead of street level. Also, don't be afraid to put your smartphone down low to the ground to get a dramatic vantage point." —Chuck DeLaney, New York Institute of Photography director and author of Top Travel Photo Tips: From Ten Pro Photographers

Stabilize Your Smartphone

"Nothing can ruin a perfectly arranged photo like a heaping helping of blur. Hold that camera like your momma taught you. Imagine you're holding a big ol' camera. Use one hand to hold it steady and the other to push the shutter button. If two hands aren't enough, brace your elbows against your sides to add even more stability. —The experts at Photojojo.

Edit

"To make the most of your photos, you have to edit them. Even if it's just a slight bump in contrast, sharpness, and saturation, it will make a noticeable difference. There are so many apps to use for editing, but one of my favorites is Snapseed. It's powerful and completely free." —David Pasillas

Find The Best Natural Light

"Landscape photos are better if taken when the sun is low in the sky, either early in the morning or toward sundown. Overhead sun in midday makes for flat lighting that diminishes the texture and features of the landscape. Also, avoid portraits in overhead sun. A cloudy day or open shade is better." —Chuck DeLaney, New York Institute of Photography director and author of Top Travel Photo Tips: From Ten Pro Photographers

Use An HDR App

"Smartphones are capable of taking great photos, but they do have some limitations because they don't yet have the incredible sensors of an expensive DSLR. Smartphones have trouble with high-contrast scenes like sunsets. Sometimes you might get a photo where the sky is beautiful but the ground is nearly all black. Or you get the opposite, a well-exposed ground and a white sky. Luckily, there are some ways to work around a smartphone's limitations. I'm talking about using high dynamic range (HDR) apps. An HDR app will take two exposures, one for the highlights and another for the shadows. Then it carefully blends them together to create an image much closer to what you see with your eyes. Keep in mind that HDR isn't meant for moving objects or portraits. Feel free to experiment with those subjects, but don't expect HDR to work on everything." —David Pasillas, David Pasillas Photography

Use an App for After-Dark Photography

"Smartphones struggle with color contrast and blurring at night. The solution: Download Night Camera, one of a few great options for time-delayed image capturing. Just open Night Camera, set your phone in place, run and pose by your sweetie—then, voila, your iPhone snaps a portrait of the two of you together without that awkward arm-held-way-out pose that makes almost anyone look a little weird!" —Kirsten Alana, Aviators and a Camera

Zoom In

"You need to get close to your subject with a smartphone to get a clear rendering of what's most interesting in the scene. Always ask yourself, 'What's the subject of my photograph?' and make sure that subject is large in the LCD panel before you take the picture." —Chuck DeLaney, New York Institute of Photography director and author of Top Travel Photo Tips: From Ten Pro Photographers

Use The Panoramic Feature

Camera360 and Pano are a great way to create a panoramic image directly on your iPhone. You don't need to buy that expensive camera!" —Kirsten Alana, Aviators and a Camera

Use External Lenses

"Cell Phone Lenses are your phone's best friend! Which one do you need? Macro helps you magically get closer than your eye can see. Fisheye fits an entire room into one snap. Telephoto gives your little phone lens some zoom power." —The experts at Photojojo

More From Smartertravel:

• Best Travel Photos of 2012
• Nine Travel Products You Don't Really Need
• Nine Unusual Travel Tricks that Really Work