5 tips for smartphone photos from the plane

The plane is not a nice place for everyone: some people have a fear of flying, others just want to be at their destination and skip that whole route. A shame, because you can take very cool photos along the way. That’s not only nice to complete the story (it’s always a bit strange when you start on the sun-drenched beach with holiday photos), but also because you can shoot really nice shots that you can’t get done in any other way. We give you 5 tips to take beautiful smartphone photos from the plane.

1. Stick to the window

The tips in this article secretly assume that you are sitting by the window, because if you are not, then you cannot really manage to take a photo from the plane. Moreover, you also get the best shots if you hold your device against the window. That way you prevent reflections and you don’t see all the dirt on the window. So put your lens really against the window to take the cleanest picture.

It’s a pity that there is just an edge of the window here, but this is still a good introduction to your holiday photos.

You would almost think that Superman took this photo while flying, but this was just a window sticker.

2. Turn on your grid for the horizon

We’ve said it before, but even with this type of photos it’s a good extra to have the horizon straight. Turn on your grid on your phone so you have some guides to make sure you put the horizon straight on the photo. That way you’ll have a much calmer, more professional looking image than if you position the horizon in such a way that it looks more like you’re on a rocket to the moon.

As far as the horizon can be seen of course…

A grid wouldn’t have been a superfluous luxury here, but do you see that little boat over there?

Sometimes it’s also nice to see what your phone can do: this is the zoom function of the Samsung Galaxy Ultra S23.

3. Keep an eye on the sky

If you want to take a nice picture from the plane, then it is of course cool if there is also a lot of sky on it: that is after all where you are. With this tip, however, we mainly mean the circumstances. Sometimes beautiful sheep clouds can be seen, which are illuminated from the top by a little pink sunlight. Or you can spot a sunset, which brings completely different color effects to your photo. There are even lucky people who have been able to see the Northern Lights from the plane. In short: during your trip, regularly look out the window, because not only is the landscape constantly changing, but also the sky.

Not a pink glow, but still this field with sheep is very nice to see (no doubt partly because of that straight horizon 😉 )

A good example of how not to do it with the horizon, but also a good example of how beautiful the sky can be

4. Or take a photo without sky

Now that we have drones, not much is happening anymore, but you used to have people who wanted their business or home photographed from the air and hired helicopters especially for that purpose. You can also take those beautiful photos from above, but not necessarily of your house, but of the world. So try to make sure that you don’t put air on the sensitive plate, but only land. That makes it a completely different photo than when there is air on it.

Our country is quite beautiful from above, with those cow spots (clouds).

Also consider taking these kinds of photos at night (it is also possible with a little sky on them)

5. Play the window game

Sometimes it can be very cool to take a picture of the window, because you get a nice view through it, but in many photos it is still the most fun to play with that window and, above all, to ensure that there are as little window as possible in the photo. Or to ensure that there is exactly a little window that gives you a kind of fake fisheye effect. The window of an airplane can be a lot of fun to play with in your photo, so do that. Again, only do it if you are sitting by the window yourself, do not sit with your arms outstretched in front of your fellow traveler, unless you have consciously asked permission to do so or he/she stretches his/her legs.

Still a small piece of window in the photo: but this snapshot is not completely failed, is it?

In the evening, at sunset, in broad daylight, of the countryside, of the sky: there are many variations in photos taken from the plane. All you have to do is keep your eyes open to see the beauty that passes you by in this still very special mode of transport. If you are going on a trip this summer, you know what to do. This also makes flying a lot more fun, for anyone who has some difficulty with it. Happy Holidays!

More photography tips

Want more photography tips? Maybe from the beach, or else iris photos, photos of food, mountains on winter sports, the northern lights, a concert or flowers. Do you prefer a selfie or a photo of movement? That is also possible.

Related articles

Also listen to our podcast about smartphone photography:

Do you have any smart tips for taking cool airplane shots (from the plane)? Leave them now in the comments.