Recommendations for the best way to quickly snap an image that appeals and at the end of the day  upload to include in that days write up

iPhone seems to be tricky , iPad is not right if being carried in a pannier maybe something like a canon sure shot .

What do you find works well for you ?

Thx in advance for your replies

Roger 

Good morning.

On tour I always bring my mini tablet (Samsung Tab A7) because it acts as my camera, my phone, my book, my trove of movies and I can whatsapp my accommodations when I arrive. I keep it in my rack top bag so it is an easy grab, or in a side spot in a pannier so I can quickly get it for a photo. At times I have also carried my small digicam with me but then I have to carry it, the charger and it takes a bit more fussing to upload the photos online. Moreover, it ends up sitting in the same spot as my tablet - neither is 'easier' to grab. All this to say...on my latest trip a few weeks back, I only brought the tablet and was happy with the results.

I know you said the iPhone is tricky, but if you can master it for taking photos there’s definitely some advantages. Not only does it take decent pictures, but assuming you’re automatically backing up to iCloud, your pictures will automatically be available on your iPad when you get it hooked up to Wi-Fi, so you don’t have to deal with uploading photos from a camera. Also, one less device to carry and worry about charging.

This is exactly what I do.  Photos taken on the iPhone.  Notes jotted down through the day (if I think of it) in the Notes app.   Notes and photos both automatically upload to iCloud once I'm on Wi-Fi. Then I write the journal on my iPad. 

For at least the past 10 years of cycle touring I’ve used only an iPhone for photography, editing and journaling. I don’t find anything tricky about the iPhone. The controls are easy to use and the standard editing software works well. 

I try to be very selective about which photos to use in journals. No one misses the many pics I delete because they have technical faults, or are similar to other photos. Less is better.

Composition, lighting and subject selection are important. Basic photography principles apply the same for a dedicated camera or a phone camera. 

Captions help. Minimal but I aim to mention anything useful, and not obvious from the image.

As Bob mentioned, iCloud storage is worth having. Not just for photos, but for all the other information, contacts, apps and so on that accumulate on the phone. 

The loss of a phone without cloud back-up can be a major inconvenience, or worse, when travelling. For example e-visa, ticket and of course banking records. 

Jade I went through a transition stage where I’d take a camera as well as the phone, but gradually came to accept that phone-cameras are as good, or even better than, my compact digital camera for most conditions. 

Night photography, astrophotography, high-speed photography or extreme telephotography eg subjects such distant, small birds probably still require large sensor, big lens real cameras and a tripod. Or taking photos for professional quality, large format printing. 

But for on-screen journal pics, the phone has been excellent.