My photo
Joe Noonan
It's All About The Ride was founded by Britta and Joseph Noonan. Britta and Joe are a happily married couple who share a love for travel, exploring and experiencing all that life has to offer. Currently on a work assignment away from their home in beautiful Coeur d' Alene, ID, they are presently living full-time in a fifth wheel near the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Both Britta and Joe are adventure seekers with experiences and insights into all aspects of exploring and visiting unique locations. From camping off the back of a motorcycle to living out of an RV and exploring off the beaten path, their product and trip reviews come from first-hand knowledge and a love of seeing and experiencing all that life has to offer.

Photography and Traveling - When Your Phone Is Not Good Enough

As a professional photographer and owner of Joseph Noonan Photography, I can say with confidence that an iPhone 6s can take great pictures. I took this shot a couple weeks ago on my iPhone on a canoe trip down the Salt River in Arizona. I also risked losing and dropping my phone after we flipped the canoe! Luckily, it stayed put in the cooler.

copyright @ 2017 Joseph Noonan Photography
Image I captured recently of the Salt River in Arizona.


The photo below shows  that when conditions are right, that you can take great images on the iPhone. This shot I captured on Priest Lake in Northern Idaho was published in a local Idaho Magazine.

copyright@2017 Joseph Noonan Photography
Captured at Priest Lake in Northern Idaho and was published in local Idaho Magazine

Probably the main reason I take my iPhone along on photo shoots is the stunning panoramic images you can capture. This past spring, Britta and I traveled to Palouse Falls State Park in Washington State during the spring melt to capture the falls when they are roaring. The panorama feature allowed me to capture not only the falls but the canyon and the Snake River as it meanders towards Idaho.

copyright@2017 Joseph Noonan Photography

 I especially like my iPhone 6s. The camera has an impressive list of features "for a phone". Just take a look at these specs:
  • 12-megapixel camera
  • Live Photos with stabilization
  • Autofocus with Focus Pixels
  • Optical image stabilization (iPhone 6s Plus only)
  • True Tone flash
  • Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)
  • Auto HDR for photos
  • Exposure control
  • Burst mode
  • Timer mode
  • ƒ/2.2 aperture
  • Five-element lens
  • 5x digital zoom
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • Backside illumination sensor
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Local tone mapping
  • Noise reduction
  • Face detection
  • Photo geotagging
I have started taking just my iPhone more and more on weekend get-aways and local hikes. It is not, however, the be all, end all for those of you interested in taking better photos on your trips. For most snap shots it is more then enough camera.

It is a phone, however, and if you are like me. it is the hub for all your communications, planning, scheduling and organizing all that we need to keep track of in our busy lives. I get more than a little nervous sometimes holding my slippery little phone over a 200' waterfall to get that perfect shot. I have seen many a broken screen from people dropping their phones taking pictures. My phone has its limits and so do I. My Canon 7D is still the work horse for me. I usually pack my full camera gear for our trips. However, my camera gear, tripod and camera bag are overkill for certain hikes or trips and my phone is not enough. I still need to capture high resolution images and usually in situations that are not recommended for an iPhone. For example, balancing on a rock in the middle of a stream trying to get that perfect nature shot. This image I captured in Moran State Park on Orcas Island, WA. with the legs on my tripod precariously balanced in the stream with one leg set up in rushing water.

copyright @ 2017 Joseph Noonan Photography
Moran State Park, Orcas Island, WA. captured on Canon 7D

Enter a rugged compact point and shoot that can withstand any punishment we can dish out on our excursions. Britta swears by her Nikon Coolpix AW130.
Rugged Waterproof travel camera
Coolpix AW130
As adventurers and explorers, we needed a camera that could take a beating. It can handle everything from freezing temps to desert heat or being on the water. Whether swimming or canoeing, to snowshoeing in the mountains or riding the Pacific North West during a rain storm on the back of a motorcycle, Britta uses this waterproof, dust proof and drop proof camera without worry. The AW130 has recorded every trip we have taken for the past 5 years or so. It was been a great addition to our travel gear. This little point and shoot has a 12 megapixel sensor that gives us more then enough resolution for our images. The specs of the camera match up well for any amateur photographer and offers enough flexibility for me if I need to tweak the settings a little in manual mode.

Britta has recorded well over 10,000 images on this camera so far. We will post an in-depth review with image samples soon. Many of our trip reviews you see will have been taken on this great little camera.

If your would like to keep your phone in the car when on vacation, do yourself a favor and pick up this fantastic camera. 


Never forget: It's All About The Ride so why not record every great moment along the way

Joe


Comments

Momma said…
Great reading and informative