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CNET
4 days ago
- CNET
Want to Take Your Best-Ever Vacation Photos? My Pro Tips Will Level Up Your Game
Whether you're taking a big family vacation or planning a peaceful weekend away, you'll find great things to point your camera at while traveling. You don't have to be a professional photographer to capture all of the memorable experiences you'll encounter on your trip: Today's cameras make it incredibly easy to take great images. But simply pointing your camera towards a nice view and pressing the shutter button isn't necessarily going to see you coming home with award-worthy travel photos. Taking photos that you'll want to print for your wall or put in a photo book takes more understanding, but with just a bit of effort you'll be able to turn your everyday vacation snaps into stunning pieces of travel photography. In the first part of my two-part travel photography guide, I take you through the kit you should consider taking with you, whether it's a great phone like the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or a dedicated camera like the Canon EOS R5 or quirky Hasselblad 907X. Read more: Best Camera to Buy in 2025 Now I'm going to take you through the tips I keep in mind as a professional photographer while traveling the globe. By knowing how to quickly operate my camera I was able to capture the fleeting golden light of this sunset in Scotland. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Get to know your kit Learning how to operate your camera will not only help you get better, more creative shots, but will help you snap those shots faster, as you won't have to fiddle around with settings each time. Some of the most exciting travel shots can come and go in a split second, so whether you're capturing the running of the bulls in Pamplona or wanting to snag the last of a beautiful sunset's light over Tuscany, you'll need to learn to shoot quickly. Learning how to use manual controls will allow you to get creative with slow shutter speeds. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Spend time with your camera in manual mode before you go away. Learn how to change shutter speed, aperture, ISO speeds and white balance and experiment with what happens to your images when you change these settings. A good camera will be able to capture some great shots in auto mode, but when you want to get more creative, you'll need to take control. Shoot in raw If your camera has it (and almost all cameras and even most phones do), shoot in raw format. Yes, it creates bigger files, but memory cards are so cheap now that it's worth carrying an extra few 64GB cards with you. Raw shooting allows you to change white balance after your shot and capture more details in the very bright and very dark areas, letting you tone down any blown-out skies or lighten some shadows in Photoshop. Read more: Best Camera Phone of 2025 Although it's always best to get the shot right when you first take it, raw processing gives you much more flexibility to rescue a shot that's not quite right. Local events can provide a wealth of photography opportunities, such as this sea-swimming competition in the Italian town of Vernazza. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Do your research Search for your location on Google and visit travel websites to find out more about where you're going. Not only will that help you make the most of your trip, you may find out about local events or particularly photogenic locations you may otherwise have missed. You might also find out about photography restrictions that may land you in hot water -- as a general rule anywhere, avoid photographing government buildings, and if you're unsure, ask permission. Shooting in raw allows you to fine tune settings like white balance after you've taken the shot. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Search for your destination on Instagram or on photography websites such as Flickr and 500px for inspiration on what to see. It's handy to get an idea of the shots other people have taken -- either to replicate them yourself or to avoid taking the same generic shot the internet has seen hundreds of times before. Composition is key Good composition will make or break a photo, and unlike white balance or color tone, poor composition can't be fixed in post processing. The morning light bouncing off that rustic church won't count for much if you've accidentally chopped off the spire in your hurry to take the shot. By finding a higher viewpoint, I was able to better capture the beautiful towers, spires -- and the castle -- on a stunning winter evening in Edinburgh. Andrew Lanxon/CNET A generic shot of a popular spot can be transformed into an unusual and creative artwork simply by changing your angle. Take a moment to look at the scene before you shoot and don't be afraid to move around to get the best angles. Struggling with a beach scene? Walk farther down the coast to find boats, nets or rocks that might add foreground interest. Shooting in the city? Get up a tall building for dramatic urban cityscapes. Even just kneeling down and shooting from below can make a difference. This view overlooking the beach in Barcelona is fine, but adding in the detail of this person in the denim shirt and hat really brought the scene together. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Find the details that matter Capturing a beautiful, wide view of the stunning European city you're visiting is great for a nice print to hang on your wall, but it's those smaller details that really tell the story of your trip. Maybe it's the food market you visited, a weather-worn old door, a vintage scooter or a shop sign that hasn't been repainted in years. All of these small elements will not only help capture the essence of the location you're visiting but also help bring back more memories for you when you look at them as each image will tell such a strong story. It's up to you to decide what those small details might be to look out for, but my advice is to always have your camera ready to shoot so when you see something that speaks to you -- a stack of lobster pots in a harbor, perhaps -- you're ready to take your shot. Amazing things can happen in the dark. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Don't be afraid of the dark Just because the sun has gone down, it doesn't mean your photography needs to stop. It's a great time to get creative with slow shutter shots. Long exposures blur motion, turning regular car headlights on a city street into creative, abstract light trails, streaking through the darkness. Use a narrow aperture -- around f/12 -- and a long exposure to turn points of light into gorgeous starbursts. You'll need to secure your camera firmly in place -- with a tripod -- and if you're playing with exposures longer than a few seconds, you'll need to be careful about the breeze or people walking by adding any vibrations. If you want to do long exposures in the daytime, you'll need a dark neutral density filter, such as the Big Stopper by Lee Filters, to let you take minute-long exposures in the middle of the day. If you're shooting on a modern camera -- especially with a larger, full frame sensor -- then you can also likely increase your ISO speed above 3,200 without seeing too much degradation from image noise. Coupled with a wider aperture of f/2.8 or more, you may have more luck shooting handheld scenes in low light. If this is a priority for you, cameras that also offer in-body image stabilization (like the Canon EOS R5) should be on your list; this stabilization lets you use slower shutter speeds without needing a tripod. By visiting this busy Saturday morning market in the French town of La Rochelle, I was able to capture this street photo that packs in great elements including the flowers on the barrel, the man dipping his hat, the people having a conversation and a woman peering out from inside the building. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Be a people person It's often the people you meet as much as the places you see that makes traveling and exploring so interesting. People make fantastic subjects to photograph, whether they're wandering the streets, relaxing or hard at work. Naturally, not everybody will want to be photographed so, out of politeness if nothing else, it's a good idea to ask the person's permission beforehand if you're trying to take a portrait of someone. It'll help if you do your research and learn a few key phrases of the local language to not only ask permission, but be able to understand the response. If they say no, it's important to respect that. Otherwise, heading to busy areas like local markets will allow you to take more street-style photographs with candid moments of people going about their day. Again, it's still important to respect peoples' space here and keep in mind that some countries may have laws around this type of photography, so research is crucial if you don't want to land yourself in hot water. I loved capturing this moment on a trip to the Scottish seaside, and I think it really helps tell the story of the sort of community you'd find there. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Set your alarm The middle of the day may be the nicest time to wander around Tuscan streets, grab a hot chocolate on the mountainside or order a third cocktail on the beach, but the midday sun doesn't usually offer the best light for dramatic photographs. It's the early morning light, casting its long, golden shadows that will really make a place look its most beautiful. Setting your alarm for sunrise on holiday may seem like the worst thing in the world, but it's worth trying -- even just once -- to see what sort of shots you get. Scout out locations beforehand to make sure you don't waste the precious early hours trying to find somewhere to shoot. The other benefit is that you'll likely be out and about in your location long before other tourists get up and start flooding the streets. With the area to yourself, you can find photo opportunities that you simply couldn't take advantage of at busier times of day. By coming back to this tower later in the day, I was able to catch the sunset in the background. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Revisit the scene When you stumble upon a particularly picturesque scene, don't just visit it just the once. While a bay may look delightful in the daytime, it will look different again at night, with all the lights of nearby buildings stretching out across the water. If you know a great spot, do your best to come back to it to find out when it looks best. Sometimes a punchy black and white edit can really add to the drama of a scene. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Play with processing Although you should always try to get the best shot you can when you first take it, some well-placed post processing can turn a good photo into a great one. If you're shooting raw files, you'll need to process them anyway, so it's worth trying out a few of the sliders in Adobe Lightroom while you're at it. With your raw files, the first thing you'll need to do is correct the white balance. Have a play with the color temperature slider and see what tone suits best. Summer evening shots will benefit from a warmer color tone, while chilly February city streets might look best with something a bit cooler. Toning down the highlights can help keep a bright sky under control, while lifting the shadows will help make darker areas more visible, without affecting too much of the rest of the scene. It's important not to go overboard on this, as it can make your images look a little unnatural. From that point on, have a play with your editor of choice and see what you like. There's no one right way to edit your shots -- no matter what anybody says -- it's all about what you prefer. A high contrast black and white edit makes this image from a London tube station really stand out. Andrew LanxonCNET Do your own thing Sure, rules such as "take the lens cap off before shooting" should always be followed, but never be afraid to try an unusual angle, play with your settings or experiment with new editing techniques in Lightroom. If everybody always followed the exact same format, everybody's photography would look the same. Use these rules as guidelines and play with angles, settings and editing as much as you want to find what works for you.
CNET
11-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
A Final Prime Day Deal Drops This Great Personal Drone to the Lowest Price We've Seen
Amazon Prime Day may have only a few hours left, but impressive deals remain. If you've been thinking about getting a drone, especially for photography or video, DJI is an excellent brand -- CNET drone reviewer and pro photographer Andrew Lanxon has praised the company's Mini models -- and the Mini 4K is available now (but not for much longer) at only $240. This 4K-camera DJI drone has important features like a 3-axis gimbal to keep things steady, level 5 wind resistance and video transmission up to 32,800 feet away. But it's not just packed with tons of extra features, the controls are all app-based, which has its own advantages. CNET Analyst Natalie Goldberg praises the tiny DJI Neo she owns as a recommendation of the company's products in general. "The DJI [Neo] is the ideal beginner drone. The camera quality exceeded my expectations for aerial shots," she said. "My biggest fear was losing control and watching it disappear, but the 'fly home' feature put those worries to rest." Goldberg explained: "It doesn't have any crazy, advanced features like subject tracking, but the build quality feels solid, and the stable flight makes it perfect for someone just starting out in drone flying." This small drone includes a powerful camera. DJI Why this DJI deal is a great drone opportunity It's very rare to see drones this good under $300, but Amazon's Prime Day sale has made it happen. With that price, it's within reach for everyone from a videographer looking to upgrade their toolkit to a teen eager to take up drone exploration in a more serious way. Take one last look at our favorite Prime Day deals before they vanish for good!
CNET
08-07-2025
- CNET
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Watch Party: Join CNET Live as We See What Unfolds
Samsung's next wave of Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip phones are likely debuting Wednesday at Galaxy Unpacked, and CNET will be hosting a live watch party right as these reveals take place. CNET's Bridget Carey and Andrew Lanxon will kick off our live coverage at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT) on CNET's YouTube channel, counting down the final rumors and what we expect leading into Samsung's Unpacked event. Our livestream will then pivot straight into Samsung's conference when it begins at 10 a.m. ET. After Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked wraps, our live coverage will return to go over all of the new devices. CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland and Senior Editor Abrar Al-Heeti will join live from Samsung's event in New York, providing their on-the-ground perspective on all the reveals. Send in your questions and comments about the Samsung event in the live chat on CNET's YouTube channel, and you can also follow along with our coverage with our Samsung Unpacked live blog.
CNET
08-07-2025
- CNET
I'm Testing the Nothing Phone 3 and There's One Surprise Feature I Love So Far
I've been testing the Nothing Phone 3 since it was unveiled at an event in London last week. I still like the quirky design, with its transparent back and the Glyph Matrix rear display. It's too early for a full verdict on its processor performance or battery life, but there is one stand-out feature I've noticed that I particularly wanted to highlight. The camera's macro mode. Putting the Nothing Phone 3's macro mode to work. Andrew Lanxon/CNET It's a niche feature to focus on, especially as Nothing calls this phone its "first true flagship" thanks to its overall more elite spec list. That spec list also means this phone starts at $799 (£799), putting it squarely in line with higher-end phones like the Pixel 9 and painfully close to the iPhone 16. So it certainly needs an ace card to catch the eye and for me so far, it's the macro mode. Let me explain why. Enlarge Image This macro photo from the Nothing Phone 3 is exactly as shot. I'm impressed. Click the image to see the full version and marvel at those details. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Here's a shot I took of a bee enjoying a flower on a sunny day in Edinburgh. The phone has achieved a superb close focus here, but it's also maintained pin-sharp details on the insect's head and the pollen clinging to its legs with a natural fall-off in focus towards the background. The colors are vibrant, yet natural in their tone and the exposure is evenly balanced, with even the sun-drenched yellow petals retaining highlight detail. I've been a professional photographer for many years and also maintain a photography YouTube channel where I frequently shoot macro photography using thousands of dollars of specialist photographic equipment. I'd be happy to have taken this image from any of my usual kit and yet I snagged this using just the Nothing Phone 3's standard camera in its macro mode -- no extra lens attachments or lights needed. It's not the only phone to have a macro function, though. Most phones do -- including the iPhone 16 Pro, which uses its ultrawide lens to achieve close focus. The iPhone 16 Pro's macro attempt, taken in HEIF and converted to JPEG. Andrew Lanxon/CNET But here's the same scene, shot with the iPhone. It's close, sure, with the wide-angle lens giving a different sense of scale to the bee and the flower, but it's much more what I've come to expect from phone macro modes. I don't like the crunchy, over-sharpened details or how it's tried -- and failed -- to achieve background blur. I shot this using the "natural" look in the Photographic Styles but the colors look anything but natural, with desaturated greens and muted yellows. An iPhone 16 Pro macro shot taken in ProRaw and slightly adjusted in Lightroom. It looks more natural, but still much less impressive than the Nothing Phone 3. Andrew Lanxon/CNET A ProRaw version -- edited in Lightroom -- looks much better, but I didn't have to do any extra work to make the Nothing Phone 3's macro mode look great. Sure, maybe taking great photos of insects is a niche reason to like a phone, but it's the biggest thing I've noticed so far that's really stood out as a way that this phone separates itself from the pack. But here's what else I've seen in my early testing so far. Nothing Phone 3 Glyph Matrix Nothing's phones have always had quirky designs with see-through panels and the light-up Glyph interface but this time around the company has swapped the lights for a small dot-matrix display. The Glyph Matrix, as Nothing calls it, sits on the back of the phone and can display crucial info like battery level or incoming notifications but can also be used for more fun purposes. From a "spin the bottle" tool to a Magic 8 Ball function, there are various "Glyph Toys" on board, with developers being encouraged to create more. Andrew Lanxon/CNET I like the Glyph Matrix and CNET's Katie Collins described it as her favorite thing about the Nothing Phone 3. It's more usable than the lights on the previous Nothing Phone 2 as it actually gives you information, rather than just lighting up at random. Playing little mini games on a tiny screen on the back of your phone is still arguably something of a gimmick but in a world full of almost identical gray phones, it's nice to see something a bit quirky. Ditto the transparent design, which has become something of a hallmark of Nothing's phones. This time around, the "inside" of the phone has been given more of a blocky, cubist style that sort of reminds me of the Bauhaus art movement. I'm here for it. Nothing Phone 3: Snapdragon processor and triple camera array Nothing hasn't skimped on the specs with its flagship. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor should offer some potent performance for everyday use as well as more demanding gaming. It seems potent enough for everyday use in my testing so far, with PUBG playing well on its max setting. I'm yet to unleash our full suite of benchmarks on it yet so I'll leave the full conclusion on its performance against its rivals for the full review. The Nothing Phone 3 has a 6.67-inch display. Andrew Lanxon/CNET The rear of the phone is home to a triple-camera array with the standard lineup of main lens, ultrawide and telephoto zoom. All three cameras have 50 megapixels of resolution, which is the same resolution as the standard and ultrawide cameras found on the Nothing Phone 2. The company promises significant improvements in image processing, though, which should hopefully result in better-looking shots. The macro function has already impressed, but I've found the cameras more broadly to be at least capable of capturing solid everyday shots. I'll leave the full verdict for when I've done much deeper testing. Another 50-megapixel camera is located on the front display for self-taken photos and video calls, which is a big step up from the 32-megapixel camera on the Nothing Phone 2. An evening scene taken on the Nothing Phone 3's main camera. I like the colors and the gentle out of focus foreground flowers. Andrew Lanxon/CNET This street performer -- and the crowds watching -- look nice and sharp. Andrew Lanxon/CNET I'm looking forward to seeing how these cameras perform; camera performance is one of the key ways top-end phones like the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra differentiate themselves and if Nothing truly wants to compete in the elite arena, it needs to offer stellar imaging skills in all conditions, not just for taking close up photos of bees. One thing that has me excited is the inclusion of various color profiles, along with numerous more available to download. I loved the filmic vibes I got from the Nothing Phone 3A in Barcelona earlier this year and being able to create similar looks in Samsung's phones was a boon for me as a photographer. I'm keen to see how Nothing's compares as I continue testing. Nothing Phone 3 other specs and features Beyond the fancy Glyph Matrix and the cameras, the phone has a solid lineup of specs. The 6.67-inch display has a high resolution, the 5,150-mAh Silicon-carbon battery promises a full day of use while the 65W fast charging will take it from empty to half full in just 19 minutes. It's also IP68 rated for water- and dust-resistance so taking calls in the rain should be no problem. Andrew Lanxon/CNET It also comes with various AI tools sprinkled throughout, including Nothing's Essential Space that it launched with the Phone 3A earlier this year. The Essential Space is basically a repository for your voice notes and screen shots you take throughout the day that strives to give you some order to your mind clutter. I sort of think of it like a journalling tool. Nothing is building AI deeper into Essential Space, as well as providing more functionality over the coming months so I'm keen to see how useful this tool becomes. The phone launches with Android 15 on board, although Nothing says the phone will be updated to Android 16 later this year. The phone will receive four years of software updates and seven years of total security updates meaning this phone should still be safe to use in 2032 -- although there's still a lot you can do to make your phone last this long. Watch this: Nothing Headphone (1) Unboxing 00:41 Nothing Phone 3: Is it any good? I've only spent a short time using the phone and I'm already impressed by the macro mode and I'm quite charmed by the Glyph Matrix, whether or not it turns out to be a gimmick. If Nothing really wants to play in the elite leagues then it needs to offer top-end performance from the processor and the cameras in general. I'll be testing the phone rigorously over the coming days to really understand what this phone is like to live with. But if it performs as well as Nothing boasts then it might be a solid option at a price that's more reasonable than most of its flagship rivals.
CNET
08-07-2025
- CNET
The OnePlus Nord 5's Marble Design Is My Favorite Thing About This Phone
It's a little shallow that my favorite thing about the OnePlus Nord 5 -- and its cheaper sibling the Nord CE5 -- is the design on the back of the phone. But in a world where most budget-focused phones are identical gray slabs, it's refreshing to see something a bit different. The back of the Nord 5 has an unusual design that looks like marble. I don't know how OnePlus has done it, but the way that the material catches the light makes it look deeply three dimensional. Running your finger across it however will prove that it is actually flat. The CE5 doesn't look as 'deep' but it includes hues of purple and a hint of green that gives it a pearlescent look that's different, but no less attractive to look at. The marble-like appearance looks great in person -- the light refracts through the 'waves' in a way that makes it look genuinely three dimensional. Andrew Lanxon/CNET It makes the phones look more premium than their prices would suggest. Starting at £299 in the UK the Nord CE5 is the cheaper of the two although the £399 Nord 5 doesn't exactly break the bank either. Both phones are up for preorder this week, and while neither will be officially available to buy in the US, those prices convert to $407 and $543, respectively. Beyond the fancy aesthetics, the Nord 5 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor which should be more than powerful enough for all your everyday needs. The phone also includes a large 6.83-inch display and a 5,200mAh battery with a fast 80W charging speed. It doesn't come across that easily in photographs, but the Nord CE 5's back has a more pearlescent finish which looks very pretty. Andrew Lanxon/CNET The Nord CE5 uses a lower-end MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chip, which should still be sufficient for most tasks. The CE5 has a slightly smaller 6.77-inch display and despite its lower price it too boasts a 5,200mAh battery with 80W fast charging. OnePlus says that both phones will receive four years of software updates and six years of security updates. The Nord 5 and the Nord CE5. Both classy. Both cheap. Andrew Lanxon/CNET For the price it's not a bad lineup of specs for either phone and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform in everyday use. But if nothing else, it's certainly refreshing to see some fun design choices in the budget end of phones.
