Today’s phone cameras have significantly improved over the years, but you can’t get the best results if you’re not using them correctly. Start by choosing the right lens. On newer iPhones, the 0.5x setting is ultra wide, 1x is the main camera and 2x or higher gets you closer, which you see when you see at the bottom of the viewing window when you’re about to take a photo. 

The ultra wide lens is useful for dramatic skies, narrow streets, hotel rooms and big group shots. It is also easy to overuse. Put a person near the edge of an ultra wide frame and the phone may stretch the face or body in an unflattering way. For people, food and most vacation scenes, start with 1x. For portraits, try 2x. That slight compression is usually more flattering than standing close with the main lens.

Next, control exposure before you shoot. Tap the screen where you want the camera to focus, then slide the exposure down a little if the scene is bright. This is especially useful at the beach, around pools, on boats and during sunset. Phones often brighten the whole image and blow out the sky. A slightly darker photo can preserve clouds, water, skin tones and the glow of late-day light.

Use the horizon as your quality check. Water should be level. Buildings should not lean unless you are doing it intentionally. Turn on the camera grid and use it less as a rule-of-thirds lesson and more as a built-in level. You’ll find the grid in Settings, under Camera, not in the app itself. 

Think in layers. A flat photo shows one thing. A better photo has a foreground, middle ground and background. Shoot through a doorway toward the sea. Put a drink, hat or flowers in the lower edge of a beach scene. This creates depth, which is one reason real camera photos often look richer. 

For portraits, move the person, not just the camera. Put your subject in open shade with light coming from the side or front. Avoid having them face straight into the sun. Portrait mode works better when the subject is separated from the background. It still makes mistakes around hair, glasses, fingers and straw hats, so take one portrait-mode shot and one regular shot.

Use burst mode for people, pets and movement. The best expression usually happens half a second before or after the photo you meant to take. On an iPhone, you can drag the shutter button left to take a burst of photos, then choose the best frame. Live Photos can also rescue a shot. If someone blinked or moved, open the photo, tap Edit, then choose a better key frame from the short motion clip. This is one of the easiest ways to improve people photos after the fact without editing.

Be careful with zoom. Even with improved phone cameras, zoom is still where quality can drop. Optical or optical-quality zoom is useful. Extreme digital zoom often creates a smeary, overprocessed look. Instead of using the zoom, take the photo and crop later.

Night mode is powerful, but it rewards stillness. When the camera switches into night mode, brace your elbows against your body, lean on a wall or set the phone on a table. For dinner photos, do not use flash. Move a small light source closer from the side, or ask someone to turn on their phone flashlight and aim it indirectly.

Editing should make the photo look more like what you saw, not more like an advertisement. Straighten first. Crop second. Then adjust exposure, contrast and warmth lightly. AI tools such as Apple’s Clean Up, Google’s Magic Editor and Samsung’s object-removal features are useful for removing a trash can, stranger or stray beach bag. 

Now, the camera question. Would a standalone camera take better pictures?

Yes, sometimes. A mirrorless camera or high-quality compact camera still beats a phone for wildlife, sports, stage events, low light, long zoom and natural background blur. The larger sensor and real lens can capture more detail with less processing. You can see the difference in prints, heavy crops and difficult lighting.

For most travelers, the phone wins because it is always there. You will carry it to breakfast, the beach, the market and the walk after dinner. The better choice is the camera you will actually use.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.