I thought I'd share a few sunset photos I've taken with my Galaxy S9.  I've had this phone for a little over a year and there have been upgrades since it came out, but one of my favorite features on this phone is its camera!  I noticed how great the quality was with my S8 (and I expect that the iphone is similar,) so this has quickly become my "point-and-shoot."  I can't always have my "big" cameras with me, so I am very happy with this option, especially as I am on the go so often and photo opportunities just tend to pop up.  One of those unexpected moments is the ever-changing sky!

I am not a landscape photographer as I've said many times before, but I do notice and love a beautiful landscape.  Frankly, they are hard to avoid when you've lived in beautiful states, but beauty can be found pretty much anywhere.  So, when I see this beauty I can't help myself and try to capture it.  Of course, easier said than done.  In my opinion, landscapes are among the hardest "subjects" to capture well.  What I see with my eye is rarely replicated on my lens.  There can be many reasons for this: 1.) Poor quality equipment that cannot handle the dynamics well, 2.) the "wrong" lens, 3.) poor lighting conditions, 4.) bad exposure, 5.) inadequate auto features, and more.  

We are quite limited with our phone when it comes to overcoming the obstacles I just laid out and, worse, we often are greatly limited by a short time frame.  Luckily, our cameras already come with a wide-angled lens and the auto features and resolution are better than ever!  This is exactly why I have stopped carrying a point-and-shoot camera around and use the phone.  I expect these features will only improve with time. 

So, yes, if landscapes are your bag, get your big camera out and keep working it, but if you are like me (a landscape "hobbyist,") then test and see what your phone can do! 

NOTE 1: Though our phones now come with excellent editing programs, I caution you to go easy on them.  It is tempting to enhance your photos and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you are trying to match what your eye has seen and what the camera couldn't quite capture.  But over-editing is the bane of landscape photography and it's surprisingly easy to detect (especially to a trained eye) immediately.  Editing for artistic purposes is one thing, but I like to keep my nature as natural as it was created.

NOTE 2: If you have a pre-2015 phone, it might be a LOT harder if not impossible to get results like I posted.   Still worth a try when the moment comes and still can capture a memory. 

Here are some favorites from late 2019 that I've collected.  All were taken in Marathon, Wisconsin where glorious and awe-inspiring skies are frequent!  Who says you need a fancy camera to take stunning shots? :)