Travel lighter

A smartphone is small and unobtrusive, thus ideal for travel. Four photographers tell Amy Davies how it's done

When we talk about the best kit for travel photography, we often laud how light and small something is. Carting around lots of lenses to cover off different travel subjects, never mind actually having to change those lenses while on the go and in the company of non-photographers, can make traditional cameras a bit of a drag.

That’s where the smartphone can really come up trumps. You’re likely to have it with you anyway, and modern smartphones have several lenses and specific modes for shooting various subjects in a multitude of conditions. They’re also excellent for video.

Lots of smartphones give you manual controls, so you don’t necessarily need to feel you’re ‘dumbing down’ if you’ve left the regular camera at home. And myriad advanced editing options, like Lightroom for Mobile, can see you transform your work on the go, ready for social sharing and impressing friends back home.

In this piece, we speak to four travel photographers who all have used their phone for excellent results.

We also explore some good smartphones for those looking to upgrade or buy new. For travel, it’s worth considering those with a bigger battery life, as you might not always have the opportunity to charge while on the go. That said, portable battery packs for smartphones are easy to buy affordably. You might also want to look at those that offer a variety of different lenses, as having zoom options can be incredibly worthwhile – as can an ultrawide lens for things like architecture and landscapes, two very popular travel subjects.