How to Shoot Scroll-Stopping Images from Your Phone
Your phone is your pocket-sized storytelling device, and in Alaska, it becomes your creative tool. The shimmering light reflecting off glaciers, the unexpected smile of a bear across a meadow, the sweeping curve of mountain ridges under endless daylight – you can capture these with your iPhone. Here’s how to shoot images that will stop the scroll, win hearts, and leave your friends wondering, “How did you get that shot?!”
Tip 1: Use the light to your advantage
In Alaska’s long summer days and golden-hour evenings, lighting is everything. Use natural side-lighting (sun low in the sky) to emphasize glacier texture or wildlife fur. Avoid midday harsh light when possible.
Tip 2: Frame for scale & drama
Showcase Alaska’s vastness by including a person in the foreground or using negative space around a glacier or mountain. Zoom in tight for a detail shot – an eagle’s talons, the ridges on ice, the seal’s whiskers. Real travel-inspiration happens when you combine emotion with a story.
Tip 3: Use iPhone features & tricks
– Set your camera to portrait mode for wildlife or dramatic lodge portraits
– Utilize the panorama setting for fjords or train-ride landscapes
– Live Photo will let you re-live action-packed moments even after you return (like whales breaching or bears fishing in a stream)
– Edit your shot in the iPhone Photos app: don’t be shy when playing with the contrast, slightly boost warmth for golden light, or crop for stronger composition.
Tip 4: Tell a story, don’t just snap
Ready to share with friends and fam? Post your pics to social media, using sequences like: glacier / wildlife / lodge sunset. Use captions that connect: “This wasn’t a staged shot – we paused mid-cruise as we heard the loud echoes of the glacier calving.” Your audience will appreciate authenticity.
Tip 5: Respect nature & your fellow travelers
Keep a safe distance from wildlife, follow tour guide instructions and don’t block others for the photo. Don’t be afraid to live in the moment, taking it all in as it appears before you. Alaska’s landscapes and inhabitants deserve the respect of responsible encounters.
Ready to fill your feed with Alaska magic? Partner with a AAA Central Pennsylvania Travel Advisor to book a tour featuring expert photography stops, small-group excursions and guided photo moments. We’ll help you capture memories – and images – that stand the test of time.
