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8 Phonebox Magazine | July 2025Olney Camera Club: Holiday SnapsJust a few images from my family archives highlight the fact that ever since folks had a camera, we have been taking snaps on our holidays.Next Meetings:www.olneycameraclub.co.ukWednesday 16th July: Kathy Brown%u2019s Garden & Stevington Windmill. Starts 7pm, meeting at Stevington.Wednesday 30th July: Talk by Anne Miles: %u201cWeather to Photograph and What%u201d. Starts 8pm at Olney Centre.August: No Meeting.Wednesday 24th September: Club Competition, round 3. Starts 8pm at Olney Centre.For further information, call Andy on 01234 714570, or info@olneycameraclub.co.ukTo a creative photographer a smartphone camera can seem a bit limited, but they are very useful as a small, go-anywhere device. A mediocre camera doesn%u2019t always mean a mediocre shot. With a Kodak folding %u2018pocket%u2019 camera having a small viewfi nder, my dad seemed challenged to keep the horizon level, and in the image of my family outside a hostelry, that could be his artistic intent, but he should have also pointed the camera a tad to the left.The takeaway from these snaps is that there is little image composition here, other than a holiday record of the family; that was their primary intent, after all. Including family members will give signifi cance to your images, but the viewer deserves more. Selfi es can facilitate this idea by combining yourself in front of an interesting background; but conversely, with the landscape photography theme, it is customary to exclude %u2013 or even delete people from the shot as they often are a distraction from the narrative: the curve of the river, or the sunset light; as your viewer%u2019s eyes are drawn around the image.So, next trip away, try to %u2018make%u2019 a picture rather than taking an instant snap. Remember: smartphone cameras are limited. They work OK in most situations but struggle in others, and when they work, the quality is only passable, not exceptional. Why is this a good thing in this case? It%u2019s because by far the most critical factor in image quality isn%u2019t the camera %u2013 it%u2019s the photographer and the decisions they make. Problem-solving with limitations is an excellent exercise in improving your photography. Three images, all taken by my parents (sadly deceased).We also hold %u2018Social%u2019 meetings on the third Wednesday of the month at various locations.Suggestions:%u2022 Switch on the grid lines on your phone to help get horizon level as well as a composition check.%u2022 Try diff erent aspect ratios to see if it improves composition: e.g, 1:1, 9:16, etc. %u2022 Try switching to Black & White as it can be forgiving of low-quality phone images as well as emphasizing the image tones.%u2022 Don%u2019t rush it. Take your time. Enjoy your holiday.