How Herbert Schröer Captures Breathtaking iPhone Photos

If you’re lacking inspiration for your iPhone photography, the images of Herbert Schröer will make you want to grab your phone and explore! Whether he’s shooting stunning landscapes or interesting architecture, his photos are always breathtakingly beautiful. In this interview you’ll learn more about Herbert and how he captures such incredible images with his iPhone.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m 28 years old and live in the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands, together with my girlfriend Sanne (@sanneb10).

I have a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering and work as a project manager at a Dutch automated transport systems company.

How did your iPhone photography journey begin?

It started in early 2011 when I got my first iPhone and began using Instagram. I’d never owned a camera before and I started to learn about photography with the iPhone 4.

At first I mainly took abstract photos of things around the house, but it quickly developed into a passion for landscape photography.

What inspires you to take photos with the iPhone?

The main advantage of the iPhone is that I always have it with me, so I never have to miss a moment.

It’s also great that you can immediately edit the photos on your phone. I love that I can just edit a photo when I have a little moment to spare.

You take incredible landscape photos with your iPhone. What draws you to this genre of photography?

I like the quietness of landscapes. I’m a calm person and I think that reflects in my photos. I especially like mountain landscapes. I love to walk around in the mountains and be at one with nature.

Where do you go to find such amazing landscapes to photograph?

Most of my mountain landscapes have been taken in the Alps. I try to go there at least twice a year – once in the winter for skiing and once in the summer for hiking.

Unfortunately I’m not going there this summer, but in September I’m going to spend two weeks traveling around Iceland. I can’t wait to take photos there!

Do you have a favorite time of day and type of weather for landscape photography?

I really like to shoot around sunset because of the nice contrast and colors you get at that time.

I also love to take photos in foggy weather. Just a little bit a fog is enough to create an amazing mystical atmosphere. You also get some amazing deep colors in this type of weather.

Many people find it difficult to convey the beauty and scale of vast landscapes in a photo, and a lot of this is down to composition. What composition tips would you give to aspiring landscape photographers who want to capture the landscape at its best?

The most important thing is to find strong lines in the landscape and use these to your advantage. These leading lines will help guide your eye through the photo. The lines can be created by the landscape itself, but also by color or light.

Another thing you can do is add people to your landscape. These people add a sense of scale to your photo – their small size in relation to the surroundings shows how big the landscape is.

What else do you like to shoot with your iPhone?

I like to take photos of animals, especially of sheep. For some reason they often just stand still and stare at me when I’m photographing them.

Congratulations on having your amazing video of a murmuration of starlings selected for Apple’s World Gallery! How does it feel to have your iPhone video appearing all over the world?

Thank you very much! It feels great. It’s so nice to hear from people all around the world that they’ve seen my video somewhere on TV or in the cinema.

Let’s talk about photo apps. Are there any apps that you use for taking photos besides the native Camera app?

I mainly use the native Camera app, but sometimes I use Cortex Cam. This is a great app when shooting in low light and your subject isn’t moving.

When you press the shutter button the app takes a number of photos (the number depends on the amount of light), combines them and puts some noise reduction over it. The results can be impressive.

What are your favorite apps for post-processing?

I use Snapseed and VSCO Cam for almost all of my edits. I sometimes use SKRWT to straighten the photo and correct perspective problems.

Do you use any iPhone photography accessories?

Not really. I once owned an olloclip lens for my iPhone 4, but it’s too much hassle.

Can you briefly explain the story and editing behind your three favorite iPhone photos?

I took this photo in Heiligenblut, Austria. This was the second time I was there, and the second time I took the exact same picture.

The view of the church between those mountains is an amazing sight to see. I edited the picture using VSCO Cam and Snapseed photo editing tools. I used quite a lot of vignette to create extra focus on the church.

This is a photo of my girlfriend Sanne under the Ponte 25 de Abril in Lisbon, Portugal. When we arrived at the airport that day it was incredibly foggy.

We couldn’t get into our apartment yet, and even though we had to carry around our luggage we decided to go to this bridge. We took some amazing photos there, and a couple of hours later it completely cleared up. We were so lucky.

I edited the photo using Snapseed and VSCO Cam.

I took this photo while skiing in Flaine, France. I turned my iPhone upside down, and made sure the lens got really close to the ground so you could see the lines in the snow.

There are a lot of snow particles in the air which gives a nice effect. I edited the photo using Snapseed.

Do you shoot with any other cameras?

I bought my first DSLR a couple of years ago, but due to a lack of time I haven’t used it very much lately. And I’m more than a year behind in editing the photos I took with it.

I still take it with me when I’m really going somewhere to take photos, but in most cases I only shoot with my iPhone.

You have over 100,000 followers on Instagram. How has Instagram influenced your photography and what does this online community mean to you?

I started to learn about photography thanks to Instagram. I’ve come across a lot of photographers that inspire me and they’ve really helped me become a better photographer.

The Instagram community is very important to me. I’ve met a lot of Instagramers from all around the world and I’ve made some real friends. And the best part is that I even met my girlfriend through Instagram.

What tips do you have for beginner iPhone photographers who want to start taking more creative photos with the iPhone?

Go out and explore. The best photos are not taken from the couch.

Which iPhone photographers do you admire the most?

They’re not all pure iPhoneographers (any more), but some of my favorite Instagramers are @moneal, @chrisozer, @servoss and @janske.

Where can we see your iPhone photography?

You can find my photos on Instagram @herbertschroer