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10 iPhone hacks to take travel photos like a pro

Emily MurphyBy Emily Murphy
The new iPhone is almost here, and it could change the way we capture our travels.

I have been hanging out for the iPhone 17 Pro to launch before upgrading my iPhone 14 Pro. Back when I bought the 14 Pro, it was top of the line, but smartphone cameras are advancing at lightning speed. Every generation seems to reinvent what pocket photography can do, and this one has me particularly excited. With three 48MP rear lenses, improved low-light performance and cinematic zoom, it will be like carrying a mini DSLR in my carry-on.

Three women of the Yakel tribe in Tanna, Vanuatu
A photo of three women from the Yakel tribe taken on an iPhone 14 Pro. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Now, before you say that iPhone photos will never quite measure up to a real DLSR, which is true to an extent, iPhone quality isn’t what it used to be. I’ve had multiple images published in our print magazines that I took on my iPhone, including a stunning portrait of three young women from the Yakel tribe in Tanna, Vanuatu, which is the best picture I’ve ever taken.

And because I travel for a living, I have learnt that even the best camera is wasted without the right tricks. Here are the hacks I swear by to take my iPhone travel photos from “holiday snaps" to “wish you were here" moments.

1. Use the grid for symmetry

Josef Chromy Wines in Launceston, Tasmania
The grid is your trusty sidekick. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Head to Settings > Camera > Grid and switch it on. Lining up the horizon on the lower third makes that endless outback road look like it belongs on a movie poster.

2. Shoot in ProRAW

Uluru at sunset
Shoot in ProRAW and edit the image later. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Standing at the base of Uluṟu or floating on a canoe in the Cocos Keeling Islands deserves more than a quick snap. Switch to ProRAW mode to capture all the detail you can, then polish it later without losing sky colour or texture.

3. Master night mode

From street food markets in Melbourne to light shows in Adelaide, night mode on the iPhone 17 Pro captures vibrant colour and sharp detail. Hold steady for a few seconds and watch the magic appear.

4. Use the telephoto lens with confidence

Direction Island in the Cocos Keeling Islands
For the first time ever, all three iPhone lenses are the same quality. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Sometimes you cannot get closer, like when you are peering over a cliff edge or watching wildlife from afar. The 17 Pro’s new 5x telephoto zoom makes it possible to frame details without sacrificing quality.

5. Go ultra-wide for landscapes

Wollongong oceanscape
Use ultra-wide to show scale. (Image: Emily Murphy)

From Tasmania’s Bay of Fires to The Kimberley’s Horizontal Falls, the ultra-wide lens is perfect for showing the scale of a place. Tilt your phone upwards slightly to exaggerate the height of cliffs or mountains.

6. Capture motion with Live Photos

Hold down the shutter to record a few seconds of movement. Crashing waves, lanterns drifting into the sky, or a kookaburra mid-flight will bring your memories to life. Later, you can even turn these into long exposure shots.

7. Edit on the fly

Sunset in Brooklyn, NYC
Edit your pictures as you go. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Travelling light? The built-in editing tools do more than enough. Bring out shadows, soften highlights and use the vibrance slider instead of saturation for natural-looking colour.

8. Clean the lens every time

Hamilton Island
Don’t forget to clean your lens. (Image: Emily Murphy)

It sounds basic, but a quick wipe before shooting makes all the difference. Think of it as part of your pre-photo ritual.

9. Pack a pocket light

Natural light is king, but travel does not always deliver perfect conditions. A small portable light can rescue a dim hotel room, a moody restaurant, or a shadowy temple interior. I always carry one, and it makes a huge difference. This is the one I use .

10. Shoot video with intention

If you haven’t added the Cocos Keeling Islands to your bucket list, now’s your time!

The iPhone 17 Pro is a beast for video, with cinematic mode, stabilisation and Dolby Vision HDR. The trick is to treat it like you are directing a film. Move slowly, only pan with purpose and use both hands for stability. Bonus points if you have a gimbal. Short clips are best for editing later, and always think about capturing sound – a bustling market or crashing waves can bring your travel video to life.

The iPhone 17 Pro is already a powerhouse for travel photography, but the real magic comes when you learn how to use it well. With a few simple hacks, your shots will capture the spirit of your travels so vividly that your friends will feel like they are right there beside you.

Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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Farm fresh produce to a trail of lights: the ultimate guide to Mildura

    Rachel LayBy Rachel Lay
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    The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

    From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

    Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura.
    Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

    Taste Mildura’s produce

    It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

    If you haven’t added the Cocos Keeling Islands to your bucket list, now’s your time!

    Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

    Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

    Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

    Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

    Hatted dining & Italian history

    Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

    To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

    Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel.
    Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

    Discover a thriving culture scene

    The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

    The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

    Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

    Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

    Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery.
    Find culture around every corner.

    Wonder at ancient landscapes

    The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

    The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

    Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

    Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

    Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity.
    Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

    Meet your home away from home

    On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

    Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

    When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

    A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura.
    Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

    Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .