Some great photo opps leap up without warning. Others you lot create yourself, by hunting down or setting up truly epic shots. In either example, be gear up with the correct tools and tactics. Nosotros asked several pro shooters to walk us through the ins and outs of great photography. Employ their advice and outset racking upwards the "likes" wherever you postal service your shots.

Stride I: Choose Your Camera
Heading out of the house, all photographers are faced with the same question: Which photographic camera do I bring?National Geographic photographer Nib Hatcher offers an easy decision tree: How much practice you lot programme to photograph, and what practice yous desire to do with the photos? With this in mind, there'south an statement for every level of photographic camera.

1) Smartphone
If you're by and large interested in uploading to Facebook or Instagram, your camera's phone is more than acceptable. Fifty-fifty Jimmy Chin, an accolade-winning National Geographic photographer, touts the iPhone as a perfectly legit tool when he's off the clock: "It's always with me and there'south no pressure level to shoot anything amazing," he says. "Information technology'south creatively liberating in a lot of ways."

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In fact, some shooters are crafting entire careers from being iPhoneographers. Kevin Russ ditched his DSLR and travels the state selling prints shot from his iPhone—the image quality was comparable and the equipment easier to work with. The drawback is that smartphones will never truly match, let solitary exceed, the photographic quality of DSLRs. The greater versatility of interchangeable lenses and the functionality, from long-exposures to enhanced transmission controls, simply isn't there with smartphones.

2) Mirrorless cameras

Advanced compact cameras are the next step up for photography enthusiasts, Hatcher says. These are easily packable and very loftier-quality, making them ideal for travel. With the introduction of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILC), photographers tin can take the portability of betoken-and-shoots with versatility of lenses. In fact, some photographers feel mirrorless cameras are formidable competitors to entry level DSLRs. Hatcher's a Sony homo: He has considered the RX-100 line the best pocket digital camera for years (try the newest version, the Sony RX-100 III, $800, sony.com) and the Sony Alpha A7 is his go-to MILC ($1500, sony.com)—although both will set y'all back well-nigh as much as a DSLR. iPhoneographer Robert-Paul Jansen has traded his DSLR completely and uses his Fuji 10-Pro1 ($1400, bhphotovideo.com) MILC equally his main camera. However, since MILCs are nonetheless immature on the market, there aren't as many lenses bachelor, and the sensors on high-end DSLRs are still the best bachelor.

3) DSLR
If you're more serious about photography, DSLRs deliver ameliorate quality and offer more than control over your image, Mentum says. Both of are of import in advancing your skills and printing loftier-resolution pictures. DSLRs offer more options with a wider selection of lenses and more transmission settings. A huge downsize is bulk, not just of the camera itself, but of the lenses and tripod. However, the compact camera bags and tripod options available (more than on these later) make it easier to carry more than if yous're defended to the traditional grade of digital photography.

4) Action cameras
These high quality, lightweight, mountable, waterproof, and remote-controlled action cameras aren't express to extreme sports. Hatcher pulls out his GoPro ($200 to $400, gopro.com) when he wants an unusual photographic camera bending or video, especially during rock climbing or snorkeling, when unusual perspectives crop upwardly. Chin says ane of GoPro's best features is the high-speed burst, which ways it shoots thirty frames per second so you tin build wearisome-motility images of a person spinning or jumping. Since the GoPro can exist mounted on merely about anything, you can capture clever, creative angles—stick it on the end of an oar while kayaking, or a pole randomly held underwater near coral reefs. Since GoPro shoots on its own, you can come out from behind the lens and capture yourself in all the action. Plus, the company's newest camera, the Hero4 ($400 to $500, gopro.com) has the best lens and video capabilities of GoPros yet, especially smashing for shooting slow and motion video, Hatcher adds.

Other manufacturers make durable, waterproof digital handheld cameras built to withstand more than extreme conditions, such every bit Olympus' "Tough" line or Sony's Action Cams. While they won't prepare you dorsum quite every bit much every bit a GoPro (the latest Activity Cam, the HDR-AS100V, runs well-nigh $300), most risk photographers still pledge allegiance to the Hero line since information technology's so piece of cake to apply and faultlessly waterproof.

Photograph by: Jimmy Mentum

Stride Ii: Ready For Take chances Shooting

If y'all want to push your capabilities further, you'll demand to gear up a scrap beyond any photographic camera you choose to carry with you. The right selection of accessories makes a huge departure, our pros concord.

i) Lenses
Your go-to kit should include a standard and telephoto lens. The ideal is mid-range zoom lens (wide-angle to portrait, 24-100mm) that likely came with your DSLR or MILC. "Your zoom kit lens will embrace about things y'all're dealing with on a trip or vacation, from sunsets to family unit portraits," Hatcher says. "Information technology's ideal because it tin capture both people and landscapes in one frame, which is most of your traveling shots." If yous're going to be photographing sports or wild animals, splurge on a larger telephoto so you can snap close-ups. An eighty-300mm zoom will suffice for most amateur nature photography, but consider an even bigger zoom for bird photography.

    If yous are an amateur entomologist, bring a macro lens (fifty or 100mm) to assist capture close-ups of pocket-sized insects or plants. Mural shooters, on the other mitt, will benefit from a skillful ultra-wide-angle lens downward in the 12mm to 14mm range. They're too favored by sports photographers, since they capture dynamic motion of action shots very well. Want to grab amazing shots of the skies above? Go ultra-wide there, too.

    Both specialty lenses might exist harder to find for your MILC. Even Jansen, who loves his Fuji X-Pro1, admits the main downside to a MILC over a DSLR is fewer lens options (although manufacturers are working to changing this). If you desire to mix up some options for your smartphone, consider the pop and well-regarded lens attachments for smartphones from Photojojo. They sell a kit of three for $fifty (photojojo.com), which includes a fisheye, telephoto, and macro/wide angle. Best of all, all the lenses fit on iPhones, iPads, and Androids. Phocus as well makes a three-lens bundle which includes a broad bending, telephoto, and macro, just it'due south simply for the iPhone ($100, smartphocus.com).

2) Tripods
Capturing great shots on your adventures ways motion, landscapes, moments in nature—and a tripod is critical to snagging truly nifty images. The stability means you can snap moving objects in mid-air, take time-lapses of the sunset, amend low-light performance, and, most importantly, non have to ask a stranger to take your family'due south picture. Joby GorillaPods ($20-40, joby.com) are perfect to hold MILCs and smartphones, says Jansen. With an choice for each camera type, from smartphones to DSLRs, the tripods' compact size ways ane will fit into a small handbag while its bendy legs tin be wrapped around a co-operative, fence, etc.

For a bigger camera, you'll need a bigger tripod. Skip a monopod unless you are supporting a heavy, long lens and opt for a 3-legged carbon frame for stability and portability. Ane of the all-time brands is Manfrotto: Their MT294C3 Carbon Fiber Tripod with a 496RC2 head ($250 for legs, $ninety for head, bhphotovideo.com) tin aggrandize from 2 to five.5 feet and volition simply add 3.5 pounds to your pocketbook. An fifty-fifty smaller option would exist the Sirui T-005 ($129, amazon.com). This ultra-compact aluminum tripod includes a ball caput and it weighs only i.8 pounds. It folds down to 12 inches and extends to over 51 inches, supporting upwards to four.8 lbs. Hatcher's favorite, though, is Gitzo's carbon fiber pods—their Series 2 Carbon 6X Explorer Tripod 3 Section G-Lock ($690, gitzo.us) can hold a DSLR with a lens up to 300mm and has a carbon frame light enough to conduct with you on any take chances.

 3) Bags and cases
For walking around town or on a light hike, a compartmented shoulder pocketbook will concur your DSLR or MILC, lenses and tripod. Hatcher likes Crumpler for a basic, flap-opening style purse, and their new 7 Million Dollar Home is water-resistant, has 5 storage compartments inside, and straps to hold your tripod on the outside ($160, crumple.com). For longer hikes or climbing up boulders for a view, he recommends bringing a durable backpack, similar Think Tank'southward StreetWalker HardDrive Backpack ($230, thinktankphoto.com) which has a removable compartment for your equipment for extra protection, and pockets for memory cards, h2o and snacks.

    If your smartphone is your photographic camera of choice outside, protect it with a heavy-duty instance. Russ likes Lifeproof cases for the iPhone, which are dirt-proof, snow-proof, shock-proof, and waterproof, pregnant you lot can shoot underwater ($eighty for the iPhone 5 or Galaxy S5, lifeproof.com). Just remember to keep the lens cover make clean, since grime and droppings tin accumulate there. If you're looking to plunge your iPhone 6 into h2o, though, Lifeproof hasn't released a version for you however. You lot can, even so, stay safe with a instance from their competitor, Otterbox ($lx, otterbox.com).

4) Retention Cards
You never know what you'll find on your hike, so ever bring an extra memory card for your DSLR or MILC. Instead of clearing their cards every night to their computers, most pro shooters, including Mentum and Hatcher, will dedicate a retentiveness card (or two or iii) to a shoot or excursion and so store those cards in waterproof baggies until they're in the safety of their home.

    Remember that all SD cards are not created equal—yous become what you pay for in terms of how fast you can capture an image and when the card needs to buffer, says Chin. He prefers SanDisk, citing their reputation and quality command as non-negotiable for something as important as your in one case-in-a-lifetime photos. How do you lot know which card is fastest? Photographic camera manufacturers usually have a recommended minimum speed carte du jour for optimum functioning, Hatcher says. Most cards accept a speed designation on the front, two as the slowest and 10 as the fastest. A speed course of 4-6 will do for most photos and basic video, he adds.

To transfer your images, check to see what port your calculator includes—most take standard SD readers, some take micro-SD readers. Those might transfer faster than a USB cable could. If y'all've got several different formats going, a card reader, such every bit SanDisk's ImageMate All-in-One USB 3.0 Reader ($50, sandisk.com) will allow you quickly transfer from all SD formats and Meaty Flash. If you're buying a new camera, consider one with built-in Wi-Fi capability—this allows you to link your photographic camera to your smartphone so you can transfer photos directly in that location for editing and sharing.

five) Battery
Always bring an extra charged battery for your camera, especially if y'all'll exist shooting video (which can eat through your power). While Russ says his iPhone will stay juiced taking photos for an 8-mile hike, he brings a New Trent charger on longer hikes or backpacking adventures. The rechargeable, compact New Trent PowerPak Xtreme carries 5 charges for iPhones, Androids, or tablets via 2 USB ports, and it's waterproof, dirtproof, and shockproof ($52, newtrent.com).

Photo by: Kevin Russ

Step Three: Accept Great Photos!

Note, of course, that it's not the photographic camera or the accessories that makes a cracking lensman. As long equally yous're being artistic, keeping an middle out for great images, and taking the time to pull out the photographic camera to shoot, it doesn't matter what you're carrying, our experts agree.

    Taking things a step farther—with an center toward true photographic awesomeness—means really thinking things through. The pictures that garner the nigh responses on social media sites such equally Facebook and Instagram testify intention, Hatcher says—proof that you spent time thinking well-nigh the photo and whether it was really worth posting. "Exist picky and don't but post variations of the same motion picture," he says.

    Whatever you do, don't be boring. A bad photo is like a poorly written script, Chin says—you don't know what the story is about. "Great images take you on a journey via a unmarried photograph," he explains. "The depth and layers pull your center all over the frame, causing you to pick upward interesting pieces along the fashion, ultimately coming to a climax. At its most basic level, this ways that instead of your story stopping with a person standing in the middle of the frame, set them to one side and include eye-catching objects or landscapes throughout the balance of the photograph to pull your viewer along the narrative."

    All that said, don't take information technology too seriously. Photography is supposed to be fun and reverberate your personality, Chin stresses, so don't get caught upwardly in if other people like your shot. If you are serious about your photography, endeavor to put up an image you really dear in one case a week, he suggests. The rest can be fun and loose.

For the all-time results, keep these tips in listen:

ane) Master composition
Avoid shooting at eye level, which is the vantage point anybody has. Go higher or lower. A favorite trick of Ansel Adams deployed was continuing on elevation of his car and hold his cameras above his head to capture the highest view possible. For depression angles, effort Russ's trick: Hold your smartphone upside down then the viewfinder is on the lesser, and so squat down to put your phone equally shut to the ground as possible. You'll snag a dynamic ground shot without getting as well dirty.

    The fundamental to good composition lies in the rule of thirds: Remember of an paradigm as being divided into iii horizontally and vertically. Never identify a subject—including the horizon line—direct in the eye. Offsetting the focal bespeak to the commencement or third partition volition brand your photo more dynamic. And don't be afraid to play with depth. Framing a landscape with an out-of-focus tree in the foreground or a person really close to the camera will make the image seem more life-like. Assist your image tell a story by using lines and directional elements to pull the eye effectually, like roads entering from the corner of the frame, suggests Hatcher.

2) Keep location and lighting in heed
Our photographers agree: lighting is the game-changer in photography. The gold hours correct after sunrise and before dusk are when the light is most balanced and hits the skin or landscape softly, evenly reflecting colors instead of creating harsh shadows. Plus early hours bring unremarkably elusive wildlife into the open up. Hatcher also suggests keeping runway of the atmospheric condition—it can play a major role in how and what yous're photographing. A stormy twenty-four hours brings interesting clouds and maybe fog, both of which can make your landscape more than heady. Overcast, which tin can be a fizz kill on vacation, is perfect for shooting portraits, as that soft light normally confined to early and late hours is available all day.

Photo by: Robert-Paul Jansen

While postcard locations are obvious to shoot at, inquire the locals for the less-traveled overlooks and trails. Harness your social network: Russ says many of his hidden gems come from suggestions of his followers, so mail on Facebook and Twitter. Something like "Can't wait to play with my photographic camera on our G Coulee trip. Any suggestions for not bad places to shoot?" can score dozens of ideas for you. Russ' other method to find nifty places? Wait at a map for nearby mountains or canyons, or curvy roads because that means they're going up loftier or downward low.

three) Experiment with settings
Words like "f-stop" and "aperture" paralyze most DSLR noobs, causing them to turn to automatic mode and never expect back. While auto will capture a cute picture, the main advantage of a DSLR over a smartphone is the ability to dispense the settings, says Hatcher.

Photo past: Jimmy Mentum

To make the jump from smartphone shutterbug to apprentice photographer, blot only a few basic facts: The simplest things that bear upon a photograph are discontinuity, shutter speed, and ISO. Y'all tin can adjust the discontinuity to keep close objects in focus and blur the background, or vice versa. The shutter speed determines how long you capture an prototype for—the longer the shutter is open, the lighter the photo volition be and the more movement will be captured. ISO is the hardest of the three to grasp, so keep it on auto until you grasp the other transmission settings.

    Most aspiring photographers stay away from manual settings because they don't want to miss a smashing shot while they're messing with the dials. Hatcher's trick? Keep your camera on discontinuity priority (A or Av on the dial). The lightening volition automatically be ready and all you command is whether to focus on the foreground, middleground, or background. Creating depth of field is an piece of cake mode to make your photos await more than refined than ones shot on a smartphone.

4) Hone your tactics
—Water: "For wintertime shots, I brand sure to e'er have a UV Haze filter on my lens," Hatcher says. These filters, which reduce the ultra-violet rays inbound the lens, are designed to cutting through atmospheric brume and moisture, both of which will flood your pictures in the moist, snowy outdoors. If you're going to be shooting near large bodies of water or at higher altitudes, opt for a stronger filter which will besides tint your photograph amber, merely most low-distance winter adventurers need a basic UV Haze filter, like the Tiffen Haze 1 ($10 to $30, depending on size of lens, amazon.com).

—Ice and Snow: Shooting the winter wonderland around yous can be scenic, simply the stark whiteness of the snow, and reflection of lite off sheets of ice tin can bounce dorsum into your photographic camera and ruin the whole shot. Hatcher packs a polarizer filter to cut down on these blinding refelections. (Attempt Tiffen's Circular Polarizer ($10-$70 depending on size of lens, amazon.com).

—Sunny Days: While dawn and dusk are ideal for lighting, most adventures take identify on sunny afternoons. If you're snapping a view on your phone, Russ suggests avoiding lens flare by utilizing your environment: Adjust your angle so the sun is behind a tree or bush. No natural blocks? Use your finger to partially cover the top of the lens until the flare goes abroad, and so ingather the photograph later.

—Low Light: Night offers a whole dissimilar canvas of photo opportunities, merely comes with the price of blur. Ever use a tripod or something stable, and, with a DSLR or MILC, employ a self-timer so you aren't touching the button and moving the camera, suggests Chin. You tin too bump the ISO up equally high as possible, which will permit more light in, but will make the photo expect grainy (which isn't e'er bad). While flash can have a absurd upshot, don't utilise information technology straight on a subject at night. Smartphone flashes are specially harsh, so soften them with Chin's quick trick: Comprehend the flash with something thin and transparent, like a Kleenex. This will soften the light and be more flattering on your subject.

—Breathtaking Drives: There is no colour palette like the leaves on a autumn drive, but the hue you see doesn't always translate through the lens of the camera. Bring out those saturated colors past nether exposing a sunset shot, says Hatcher. The exposure bounty button/dial looks like a plus and minus sign (+/-) on both a Nikon and Canon, and is unremarkably located nigh the shutter push button or the LCD screen on the back. Once y'all find the button or dial, try this: In Automated (P) or Aperture Priority (A or Av) mode, shoot 1 picture normally, so shoot two more overexposed ane stop and underexposed one finish. But be sure to return your camera to the original setting one time your colors are captured. Likewise, try shooting when information technology's clouded or at dusk, Russ suggests: the colors will wait more even and pop in the lower light.

—Action/Sports: Capturing the fast motion of sports like snowboarding or sledding is a great opportunity to larn your Shutter Speed Priority (Tv). Hatcher suggests starting with basic parameters and playing with faster and slower speeds from at that place: Shoot runners at a shutter speed of one/30 or ane/sixty, and for faster shorts like bikes and cars, apply a higher speed of 1/125 or i/200. To freeze your athlete mid-air, stand in one spot and follow them down the field with the camera. This will cause the person to be in focus, but the background blurry. If you're having trouble capturing your subject perfectly even so, work with your constraints and make the most of information technology: Intentionally use the blurriness to show motility and action, suggests Chin.

—Crowd Scenes: Control the chaotic scene of festival crowds and holiday gatherings past isolating people from the busy background with the discontinuity. Create a shallow depth of field, where the foreground is in focus, by using Aperture Priority mode with a setting of 4, suggests Hatcher.

—Family shots: Centering people in the frame makes for a static image, then spice upward breathtaking family snapshots by crowding your clan to i side and displaying the picturesque background throughout the other. Also, accept one photo at "cheese" but then shoot a few correct afterwards—once people think the picture's over, they'll relax and the photo will look more natural with raw expressions.

—Portraits: Outdoor portraits are all-time shot on an overcast mean solar day when the calorie-free is soft and shadows aren't emphasizing wrinkles and creases. Plus, in the winter, clouds volition prevent as well much light reflecting off the snowfall and onto your subjects. Walk around the subject area and take photos from all angles at eye-level or slightly above. You can capture great portraits on any photographic camera, but play with the colour remainder when you become to edit—skin tones often need to exist adjusted for more xanthous or more blue, depending on the lighting, to look more flattering.

Photograph by: Kevin Russ

Step Four: Spruce Things Upwardly A Fleck!

While purists pride themselves on never editing a photograph, a few bones tricks can heighten your image, particularly if you lot're withal learning how to manipulate your photographic camera settings to capture the darks and colors. Nearly photos wait better with 3 steps: Bring the brights downwards—so the white isn't quite so blinding—the shadows upwards, to transform your darkest color from grey to black, and suit the white balance to be slightly warmer or libation. This will brand landscapes look more green and skin expect less blue. In snowy shots, the biggest tell is the snowfall: You desire information technology to expect white and not grey, which often means playing with brightness and white rest fifty-fifty more than normal, Russ adds.

    Professionals use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but there are plenty of intuitive and free basic desktop editing programs, such as Picasa. The easiest processing of all? Apps, of class. "The swell matter about using with your smartphone is nearly accessories you demand to shoot great photographs are in the phone itself," says Jansen. Our photographers' top three favorites:

1) VSCOCam (Gratis, iPhone and Android) This is one of the near popular filter-based apps, and favored past both our iPhoneographers. VSCOCam has a sleek interface that's well-nigh as cute as their filters. While the options are static, the clean filters don't cause photos to await over-edited, and the app makes it easy to share photos with all your social media accounts. Plus, the newest version syncs across your devices and has a gorgeous tablet layout, so y'all can happily edit on any device.

2) AfterLight ($.99, iPhone and Android) This is the other must-have app for Russ and Jansen, as well equally about iPhone Instagrammers. AfterLight offers quality temperature adjustments for highlights and lowlights. The filter options alter colors more than those on VSCOCam, and besides take a range of "light-leak" options for vintage effects. One advantage over other filter-based programs, including Instagram, is that each filter is adjustable, so the light leak can be equally potent as you want.

three) Faded (Free, iPhone only) Only released to iTunes this season, Faded has a excellent layout and offers 34 free filters with enticing names similar "Large Sur" and "Road Trip." In case none of these convey the emotion you want in your photo, there are another 36 filters available for purchase. While it isn't necessarily meliorate than VSCOCam, it's also free—and so it'due south nevertheless worth checking out.

4) Litely (Costless, iPhone but) Remember when Instagram was released and their filters were novel and breathtaking? Well, one of the photographers responsible for a handful of those filters—as well as mindblowing photos in National Geographic—has channeled his creative management into this newly released app. Already a favorite amid iPhone editors, Litely is simple in its userface and its edits. Nigh of the filters work to subtly enhance instead of kicking the saturation way up, but are still finished with a cinematic tone.

5) Snapseed (Free, iPhone and Android) This app gives the photographer more control over the image than the confined settings of filter-based programs. You can control the brights, dissimilarity, saturation, and white residue on a slider to choose how edited you want the image to look. It as well offers a few filters for a grungy or vintage feel, as well as a tilt-shift pick. Complimentary for both the iPhone and Android, this app was recommended by almost all of our photographers.

Since Snapseed handles virtually of what basic desktop photo editors practise, the question is, practise y'all take to edit DSLR images with desktop software? While yous lose image quality any fourth dimension you lot edit an prototype, photo-sharing sites downsize and compress all images anyway, then at that place's no impairment in editing on your phone, explains Hatcher. But keep originals of all your best shots in case you want to kickoff over later.

At present exit and start making some killer memories!