Two camera tools on your phone are worth learning first: the grid and the exposure.
Practice with the phone you have, and let the walk come first. The grid helps you place the horizon and your subject. The exposure fixes a sky that comes out white or a forest that comes out too dark.
Start With Your Phone
On an iPhone, Apple’s guide says to open the Settings app, tap Camera, then turn on Grid and Level. On an Android phone, look for a grid option in the camera app’s own settings.
To focus, tap the screen where your subject is. On an iPhone, you can then drag up or down next to the focus box to brighten or darken the shot.
If a bright sky turns white, tap the sky and drag down until the clouds show. Take several shots of the same scene, then keep the best one.
Afterward, the phone’s own photo editor can adjust brightness and contrast.
Small changes are usually enough.
Frame With the Rule of Thirds
The grid divides the frame into nine equal sections. The rule of thirds places key elements along those lines or at their crossings rather than dead center.
Place the horizon on the top or bottom line, not in the middle. Try putting a tree or a hill at one of the crossings.
Break the rule later, once you know it.
Use Leading Lines
Paths, streams and fences work as leading lines. They pull the viewer’s eye into the frame and toward your subject.
Try a few angles to see which lines work best.
A line that ends near a rule-of-thirds crossing adds extra pull.
Shoot in Soft Light, and Be Back Before Dark
Light is low and warm shortly after sunrise and before sunset, which brings out texture and long shadows. Photographers call this golden hour.
Low light is also when trails get harder to read. The National Park Service says to set a turn-around time and stick to it so you are not caught outside in the dark.
Choose a trail you know for evening light, and plan to be back before it fades.
Steady Your Shots
Keep your elbows tight against your body and your feet planted with knees slightly bent. Hold your breath for the moment you press the shutter.
A small tripod is optional, and many hikers skip it. A sturdy tree on level ground can steady your shoulder.
Never climb onto slippery rocks or logs, or step off the trail, to get a shot. Footing is easy to lose on uneven ground, and the National Park Service asks hikers to stay on maintained trails and other durable surfaces.
Photograph Wildlife From a Distance
Once handheld shots feel comfortable, try including animals in your frame. Stay still and quiet, and let the animal come into view.
Birds are a good place to start, and the guide to bird watching while hiking covers where and when to find them.
Never move closer to an animal to get a photo. Yellowstone National Park asks visitors to stay at least 100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars and 25 yards from all other animals, so use zoom, not steps.
Other parks may post their own distances, so check the rules where you hike. Seeing a bear on the trail has its own steps to follow, and none involve a photo.
Build a Practice Habit
Bring the phone camera on the walks you already take. Try one idea per walk: the grid one week, leading lines the next, the exposure drag after that.
Each season changes the light and color on a familiar trail. Spring has blooms, fall has foliage, and winter has long shadows and bare branches.
A photo idea for each walk can give you a reason to head out. Look back over your photos every few weeks. Pick the three you like best and ask what they have in common.