Unless you’re a serious photographer, when’s the last time you took a camera out for a special event or a vacation? Smartphone cameras have advanced so quickly that many amateur shooters have opted to capture memories simply with their phones. Not only is the quality comparable to a traditional camera, but the files can be easily saved and categorized with the help of built-in photo software.

On today’s Tech Tuesday conversation, Kojo will consult three photography professionals for how to find the best angles and lighting using digital photography. Until then, enjoy Team Kojo’s favorite vacation photos –captured by cell phones. Send us your own favorites at kojo@wamu.org.

Tayla Burney, Producer

1 In fall of 2012 I got an iPhone just before I went to Hawaii for the first time. Lucky girl, I know. This was one of the first shots I took, from the balcony of the hotel we were staying in, just on the edge of Waikiki. The light, and the way the water, clouds and sky capture it, have made it a favorite of mine.

2 La Mariana Sailing Club is a must visit if you ever find yourself in Honolulu. It’s off the main drag, kind of out by the airport. It’s also a land that time forgot, with awesome ambiance, amazing drinks and local regulars mixing with tourists in the know. Must. Go.

3 Last summer I spent time on Cape Cod with my family, which I was fortunate to do every year for the first 21 years of my life. One afternoon my husband and I struck out for Wellfleet where the oysters were so good that the setting didn’t matter. Though, for the record, though, it was sublime – they were eaten with toes in the sand, off a picnic table along the water.

Katherine Goldgeier, Producer

Sunset over the Golden Gate, after a delicious veggie dinner at Green’s in Fort Mason. San Francisco’s the best!

Ruth Tam, Web producer

1 Rickshaws: easy on the eyes, hard on the behind. This photo’s of my first ride in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where I spent 10 days on a reporting fellowship in 2013.

2 If you’re looking for a weekend road trip within range of D.C., Bourbon Country outside Louisville, Ky., is definitely too far. If you decide to go anyway, like I did last fall, you will be rewarded with good food and most importantly, good drink.

3 The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library in New Haven, Ct., may be one of the most lovely indoor spaces I’ve ever been. While most books are off limits to the average visitor, you get access to some of the quirkiest collections, like one photographer’s documentation of American truckers and one French lexicographer’s study of street life.

4 “Walking outdoors? I can do that!” Wrong. Few activities are more humbling than hiking. Here’s a snapshot off a trail at Shenandoah National Park.

Ingalisa Schrobsdorff, Producer

1  My daughter (right) and a friend (left) at her spring dance recital.

2  My husband, Saverio, at our last family vacation at Dead Horse Point in Utah.

Michael Martinez, Producer

I hiked to the top of Pikes Peak when I vacationed in Colorado in 2014.

I felt a little guilty about taking an iPhone to a place where the experience of being 14,000 feet high in a gorgeous mountain range should have been plenty enough. I gave myself the excuse that it was important to have the phone in case of an emergency. But it was also nice to be able to take a few photos along the way. This one was taken just below the summit.

Courtland Sutherland, Intern

These photos are from a Spring Break Trip I took to Greece in April of 2012. The trips is especially meaningful, because I took it with a friend who passed this last fall. It was my first time abroad and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Avery Kleinman, Producer

I’m quite fond of this photo I took during my first cherry blossom season in D.C. I think it’s worth mentioning that the beauty of the smart phone camera (in my opinion) is not in the quality of the photos but in the fact that it’s always with you, so you end up documenting your life more than you might have with a digital camera. I think that’s a good thing… more memories.