Smartphone photography and travel
Friday 13 March 2026, 13:13 by Nando Harmsen | 1,955 views | 15 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
During my latest trips to Lofoten in Norway, one participant was mainly taking photos with his smartphone. Even though he had a professional mirrorless camera in his camera bag. Perhaps that is not so strange after all.
It seems strange at first glance. A photography enthusiast who reaches for a smartphone for photography before his professional mirrorless camera. Why would you choose the smartphone when you have a 'real' camera with you?
Most people probably prefer taking photos with a 'real' camera. If you think about it for a little longer, taking photos with a smartphone is not so strange after all. It does depend on the purpose of your trip and your photography. And on the type of smartphone you use.
Modern smartphones produce incredibly good-quality photos. In general, it makes little difference whether you use an iPhone, a Samsung or an Oppo smartphone. As long as it is a modern model with several lenses and sensors.
You can take very good photos with a smartphone, and often zoom in as well. As long as you do not push things to the extremes. You can use night mode, HDR and all kinds of other technical features. You do not have to think, you only have to take the photo.
Virtually all smartphones these days offer the option of taking photos in raw image format. Is the option not available by default? Then you can use other camera apps, or for example the camera function in the free version of Lightroom Mobile.
You do not need to worry about the resolution either. Some smartphones even offer up to 45 megapixels. But if you have, for example, 12 megapixels, that is already more than enough resolution. You can fill an A3-format photo book with it.
If it is so convenient, and sufficient for holiday or travel photos, why take that professional camera with you? My travel participant took it for wildlife and bird photography. The mirrorless camera with telephoto lens was brought along exclusively for that purpose.
We have reached a point with smartphones where the quality is so good that the photos taken with them are perfect for general use. Make your holiday photo album with them, or put your photos on social media.
Use the large camera for photography where your smartphone is not suitable. For example, photography with a shallow depth of field, long shutter speeds, night photography, wildlife and bird photography.
I also use my smartphone during my trips. I still take photos with the 'real' camera, simply because I enjoy it so much. Much more than using the smartphone. But it is not always easier.
Choose a smartphone with a good camera, and you greatly expand the possibilities for your photography. You know, for a good photographer, the camera is just a tool. These days, the smartphone fits that role very well.
Only one of the photos in this article was taken with a 'real' camera. Can you tell which one it is? Let us know in a comment below this article, and also tell us whether you take photos seriously with your smartphone.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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15 comments
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Hans wrote on Friday 13 March 2026 at 17:52 | replyI think photo 2 was taken with a camera because of the gradation in the sky, evening twilight photo and the brightness/contrast of the water with the green color.
Translated from Dutch.
I myself recently spent 22 days in Japan and only took a photo 2 or 3 times with my Sony RX100 VI, because with my Xiaomi 15 tpro I can get very close to the subjects, people. I had bought this phone especially for my holiday, it had just come onto the market.
I took something like 1200 photos with my phone and had the photos printed at Fotofabriek in a beautiful album, with some photos printed across both pages, it is 60 x 30 cm, a lay-flat photobook. Super satisfied. -
Nando
wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 10:13
| reply
You're wrong. Photo 2 wasn't taken with a 'real' camera. It's a smartphone photo.
Translated from Dutch.
It's remarkable that you mention the smartphone when talking about getting your subject 'very close'. Because the RX100 is one of those cameras with an enormous zoom range, right? I would expect this to work (even) much better. -
Burry wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 10:54 | replyPhoto 6 with a real canera and longer shutter speed
Translated from Dutch. -
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Tido wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 11:24 | replyPhoto 4 Sakrisoy with a real camera
Translated from Dutch. -
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Marcel wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 12:48 | replyI would go for photo 1 if not-smartphone
Translated from Dutch. -
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Burry wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 12:50 | reply
Very beautiful photo. I was actually hesitating between 6 and 7.
Translated from Dutch. -
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Eric Dankbaar wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 12:52 | replyAt first I also thought of photo-6, but knowing that this is wrong I choose photo-1. My choice is based on bringing the DSLR along for bird photography.
Translated from Dutch.
I also use the smartphone frequently for all kinds of shots, and the quality of the images is more than sufficient for the purpose for which the photos are viewed. Often that is again on a smartphone via Instagram or in a browser. -
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Ed Huisman wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 15:03 | replyI’m going for photo 3, because of the blur in the snow in the foreground.
Translated from Dutch. -
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Ad Bervoets wrote on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 17:07 | replyI think photo 1 was taken with a ‘real’ camera. I’m an interior photographer and always use my DSRL for that. But always together with my smartphone, ideal for detail photos in hard-to-reach places.
Translated from Dutch.
For my last evening assignment outside - a church building + tower illuminated in different colors - I really did need my DSRL.
As a test, I had a smartphone photo printed at 30 x 45 cm: with an incredibly sharp and clear result. For larger formats (for example for Werk aan de Muur), I do need the larger sensor of my DSRL.
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