The photo smarts of modern smartphones and tablets are ever rising, from iPhone 6 Plus optical stabilisation and Galaxy S6 processing advances to the iPad Air 2's crisp display for the bigger mitted. 

With their convenience for quick video effectively killing off the camcorder as A Thing, it's a mobile device that most of us inevitably turn to when filming our holiday, city break or stoic garden staycation.

But convenience doesn't have to come at the cost of film quality. With just a few basic guidelines in place and a few clever apps, it's easy enough to create a pro-grade travelogue with your smartphone or tablet that you won't have to get friends drunk to watch. 


5 rules of the mobile travelogue trade

We spoke to creative director and smartphone photography specialist Dan Rubin (730k Instagram followers and counting) and travel filmmaker Jack Harries, of Jack's Gap fame (just the 4 million subscribers), before we set off to give us some insider tips. 

1. Vary your shots to keep it interesting

It's important to keep the shots you will eventually have to edit together as varied as possible. Consider wide-angle shots to set the scene, close-ups, panning shots, slow motion, sped-up and even static shots to mix it up. The more you shoot, the more options you'll have in the 'edit room' (the sofa). 

2. Composition is key - whatever that is

How exactly do you want to line up your shot and how should you frame it? How's best to set the scene? Thinking about the end results up front can help you decide and plan (go Spielberg!). Starting the camera pointing in one place and ending in another can add movement, be it a slow or quick pan, but consider stabilisation - the less you move the camera the more clear your image will be. 

3. Make focus and exposure your friends

On a smartphone or tablet, simply touching the screen can suddenly change focus and exposure, so it's important to be aware of what you're touching and why. Highlighting main features is a good start, as is changing your clear and balanced settings whenever there's a change in lighting.

4. Keep an eye on the light

Speaking of which, you should, of course, generally shoot away from the light when possible. Also look to use natural light to enhance what you're shooting, or a specialist night-time app if brightness isn't in endless supply.

5. Make the local elements work for you

What natural landmarks are there to help link together your budding travelogue? Street signs, clocks and maps can all help get a theme going. Also listen out for street sounds you can use – individual details, maybe a local performer playing a song, something to set the scene. Think about audio you might want to avoid, too, as your device will almost certainly pick it up.
8 apps for mobile video masterstrokes

Editing for wannabe pros: FiLMiC Pro (iOS, £5.99) / KineMaster (Android, from free)

More professional, fully featured setups from the get-go for shooting and editing, offering more manual controls and greater performance. Filmic Pro was used to make Sundance cult hit 'Tangerine', KineMaster has a shed-ton of in-app purchases. 

Editing for beginners: iMovie (iOS, £3.99) / VivaVideo (Android, from free)

These are basic but fully integrated, drag-and-drop editing suites that help you get a decent showreel together of your travels quickly like the budding Michael Palin you are, without fuss and too much learning, but with enough depth for you to sate your editing bug.



For time-lapse video: Hyperlapse from Instagram (iOS, free) / Lapse It (Android, from free)

While the 'lapse' in the title does indeed refer to the House of Cards credits-style time lapses you can create, these have a double use, too: stabilisation aid. Shoot in slow motion then speed up via a variety of speeds to cover up any slight shakes and imperfections.

For specialist slow-motion: SloPro (iOS, Android, from free)

A lot of phones and tablets have slow motion modes built in, but as ever, a dedicated app has the space to give you more options – such as multiple frame rates on a single clip, for example – and therefore can deliver better results. 

For night-time prowess: NightCap Pro (iOS, £1.49), A Better Camera (Android, from free)

While mobiles keep upping their after-dark game – we still love you, Lumia 1020 – they can usually still use some help. NightCap boasts 4x the ISO of any other mobile app, while both offer a plethora of presets or manual exposure tools to tinker with.
Editing for the lazy: Replay Video Editor (iOS, free-£7.99) / Flipagram (Android, from free)

These effectively do everything for you – whack in your video clips and they stitch them together randomly, plonking on music, effects and credits to a theme of your choosing. Cry internally as its algorithm inevitably produces something much better than your hands can.

For retro effects: 8mm Vintage Camera (iOS, £1.49) / Vintage Retro Camera (Android, from free)

For when you absolutely, positively have to turn your hols into a 70s grindhouse movie. Manual film pops, reel slowdown and fade filters suddenly make the unfinished Malaga resort look far more interesting.

For going full Michael Bay: Action Movie FX (iOS, from free), FxGuru Movie FX Director (Android, from free)

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