Tips for Capturing Your Kanab Utah Adventure With Your Smartphone

There are a seemingly endless number of adventures waiting for you when you choose a stay at Canyons Boutique Hotel in Kanab Utah. 

Several of the Utah Mighty 5, the state’s famous national parks, are within a two-hour drive of our Kanab Utah lodging. Unique Pipe Springs National Monument is even closer, at just 25 minutes. The town is home to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, where you can visit with and give back to shelter pets of all shapes and sizes. Of course, when you choose lodging near Grand Canyon, you have to plan a side trip to that natural wonder, too.

With so many adventures to enjoy during your stay, you’ll definitely want to make sure that you’re ready to capture every moment and memory. With new smartphone cameras now taking professional-quality photos, you don’t need to lug around a separate camera to take some amazing photos of your vacation. But knowing a few simple tips can help. 

Keep reading to learn how to use your smartphone to capture incredible pictures during your Kanab Utah adventure.

Start with a Clean Lens

Whether you carry your cell phone in your pocket or purse, the camera is exposed. Throughout the day, it ends up covered in lint, dust, and fingerprints that will stand in the way of you and that perfect picture. This is especially true during your stay in lodges in Utah, when hiking and exploring the red rock desert is certain to leave you a little dusty.

Before you start snapping away, take a moment to clean off your phone’s camera. Don’t just reach for the edge of your jacket though, as this may scratch the lens. Instead, bring along a microfiber cloth, or use a clean, soft, lint-free t-shirt.

Use Gridlines to Balance Your Photos

Pointing your smartphone and snapping at random may help you capture that moment, but it isn’t likely to land you any professional-looking photographs. That’s because one big thing sets professional photos apart from your everyday snap; composition.

Composition refers to the art of positioning the subjects in your photograph in a specific way. Your composition should aim to create interest, usually by drawing the audience’s eye in a specific direction.  

It doesn’t take a professional eye to give your photos a professional composition; you just need to understand the rule of thirds. To do this, imagine that your photo is being broken into three sections vertically and three sections horizontally, creating an imaginary grid of nine equal squares. Many newer smartphones now have a feature that allows you to project actual gridlines on your screen, making this even easier. 

Then, when you are taking a photo, aim to place your subject on one of these lines. For instance, if you’re snapping a shot of your friend standing in front of the Grand Canyon, line him or her up with one of the two vertical lines. You can also take this tip one step further by aiming to line up the background on the horizontal gridlines; perhaps the horizon behind your friend can be lined up with the top horizontal grid line.

The result is balanced photos that draw attention to your subject of choice. You certainly don’t have to line up every shot you take while staying in hotels near Long Valley Junction Utah. But if you want a few museum-quality shots that you’ll want to display when you get home, put this tip to work.

Flip Your Phone

It likely feels far more natural to hold your cell phone upright when you’re taking a picture. However, if you’ve ever visited an art gallery or scrolled through professional landscape photos online, you’ve likely noticed that these shots are rarely vertical.

Horizontal photos are far better suited for landscape shots. They give you more room to take in the sweeping mountains or canyon far below. They also keep your shots from becoming overwhelmed by too much sky or boring ground space.

There will no doubt be plenty of instances when you’ll want to flip your phone for a landscape photo while staying in lodging near Grand Canyon and visiting all the destinations Kanab Utah has to offer.

Skip the Flash

Your phone’s digital zoom isn’t the only thing getting in the way of a professional shot. Your flash is also likely far too harsh to light your photos without leaving them grainy or washed out.

If you do want to shoot photos at night or in low light, you’re better off using another light source. A flashlight will better illuminate your image than your built-in flash. Of course, nothing beats natural light for achieving beautiful photographs.

Capturing Photos During Your Kanab Utah Adventure

From the view of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the many stunning vistas you’ll see during a scenic drive, you’ll no doubt go home from Kanab Utah with endless incredible pictures of your adventures. These tips can help ensure that your pictures are ones that you’ll treasure and love to show off.

Ready to start planning your own Kanab Utah adventure? There’s now an even better reason to book a stay at Canyons Boutique Hotel.