When Yüyan and I chatted about taking standout photos on a phone, he talked about uncommon angles, proximity to the subject, interesting foregrounds, and time spent shooting.

Here are his best tips for creating powerful pictures with a phone, along with examples of their success from my own camera roll.

"The real secret of professional photographers is we shoot a lot and then edit it down to just one or two," Yüyan said. "You should do the same with your phone."

According to Yüyan, spending a long time in one location allows you to find optimal lighting and interesting backdrops. Truly immerse yourself in the environment to notice things that didn't stand out to you at first.

In the photos above, I spent between one and five hours at each location. I was able to take pictures with light I found inspiring, including a rainbow, the sun beaming through the trees, and a shot of a red-hued moon dimmed behind a cloud on a rooftop in Brooklyn, New York. 

"Good photographs come from deep observation, and the muses reward those who slow down, stop running from place to place, and immerse themselves in the specific place and moment," Yüyan said.

So, stick around in one location, take tons of pictures, and "make room for life to unfold in front of your lens," he told Business Insider.

To find the perfect angle, Yüyan said to start by considering how shooting with a lightweight, thin object can open up the realm of possibilities. 

"It becomes a habit to use the phone at just eye level, but if you watch someone who is good at selfies, you can see they are always moving the phone around — up, down, and around to try better angles," he said. "The same applies to making any other kind of photo."

This was an important point I'd never thought about before, but it left me wondering how to tell which angle makes the strongest shot. 

"One good criterion is seeing how much depth an angle will show in a photograph," Yüyan said.

For example, he said, if your subject is a child, pointing the camera down at the kid will typically result in a flat, boring image. It's the angle we're used to seeing, where the background is likely the floor. But shooting from beneath the child's eye level, looking up, can show the layers of the person and whatever is above them. 

"We rarely get down below a child's height to look up at the world, and that perspective can be magical," Yüyan said.

Yüyan's example reminded me of how I photographed a small dog at parks around New York. When I took pictures of her from above or straight on, I couldn't get a sense of her expression or personality.

But when I got below her and snapped the picture while aiming up, I could see her exploratory nature and how she uses her environment to feel bigger, like perching on a rock at the edge of a creek. 

Yüyan's tip of experimenting with angles that add depth reminded me of another subject I've shot on my phone — the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in NYC.

The first time I photographed the famous tree, I shot from eye level. When I looked at my photo, I felt like I'd seen it many times before.

When I returned to try a lower angle beneath some foliage, I thought I ended up with a more distinctive image. I could now see layers of smaller plants in front of the tree and the tops of the buildings surrounding it, giving me a better sense of its scale, which had been missing.

Yüyan said it's hard to take standout pictures of stunning natural landscapes because they've been photographed so much. His best advice is to find a good foreground subject to set your image apart from the rest.

"Great backgrounds, such as mountains or waterfalls, are easy to find because we're always looking for them," Yüyan said. "On the other hand, a good foreground subject, such as blooming wildflowers or a craggy tree, can be much harder to find in the right location."

Yüyan recommended searching for a foreground subject and framing your shot so you can see the scenery in the distance. 

"It'll give your images depth, intimacy, and make your photos unique," he said.

His tip reminded me of when I photographed a beach across the street from the mountains in Santa Cruz, California. I started by photographing the beach from the shore. The mountains looked nice, but there was so much sand that I thought the bottom half of my image looked boring. 

So, I took my phone across some ocean rocks and into the tide pools. The rocks and reflecting water spruced up my foreground, adding layers to my image. To me, this made it feel more dynamic.

Yüyan's foreground tip reminded me of some photos I also took during a hike in Prescott, Arizona. 

When I first arrived at the Watson Lake parking lot for my hike, I was entranced by rock formations I hadn't seen before. But my photographs from the lot didn't seem to do it justice. 

Once I started hiking and immersing myself in the landscape, I found foreground subjects, such as shrubs, that better framed the lake scene.

I thought having these elements in the second image gave a better sense of what it was really like to be there, with more layers of the environment in frame.

According to Yüyan, intimate photos of your subject are often more powerful because the viewer can feel how close you are to them.

That's why he suggested that when you're shooting with a phone, you should make it feel like you are standing right next to something for "a more human and intimate feeling."

But don't just use the camera's zoom function. Yüyan suggests standing face-to-face with your subject to "really get in close on what's happening." 

This tip reminded me of photographing a 250-year-old Lebanon cedar tree on the grounds of Castello di Roncade outside Venice, Italy.

As soon as I saw the tree, I snapped a photo because it was alluring. But like my shot of Santa Cruz from the shore, I thought the bottom half of my photo was a bland waste of space. And like my shot of Watson Lake from the parking lot in Prescott, I didn't find my image nearly as impressive as the real thing. 

As I walked closer, I realized the tree was even more breathtaking. In my second photograph, I stood right in front of the tree, capturing the details of its spewing branches and surrounding greenery.

My goal was to make the photo all about the tree, and I think I accomplished this in my second image because every inch of the frame showed its details.

Yüyan's advice to shoot up close with phones also reminded me of another experience I had in Italy. 

When I went inside a fresh pasta shop in Vatican City, I was fascinated by the shaped dough on display. Their smooth texture and specks of flour that kept them fresh made me salivate, and I wanted to capture that feeling in a photograph. 

My first picture of the display case expressed none of this. While I could see a large chunk of the counter, this image was supposed to be about the pasta, and I could hardly capture its texture from this distance. 

So, for my second image, I got right up next to the glass and snapped a shot of the case with the widest variety of pasta shapes. I lit up as I peeked at the image because it elicited the exact feeling I was hoping for when I made it — a strong craving to taste the pasta, thanks to a front-row view detailing its shapes and textures. 

After getting these tips from Yüyan, I was pleased to find that some images in my camera roll supported them.

Now that I've identified what makes some of these pictures stronger than others, I'll go on my next trip feeling more inspired to shoot from my phone. 

As a first-time visitor to Salt Lake City and Park City, I thought seeing the mountains blanketed in snow would be awe-inspiring — and it really was.

I knew winter would be a popular time to visit Utah since it's a ski hub, but I underestimated how busy it would be. Park City was packed with winter sports enthusiasts.

Skiers and snowboarders crowded the sidewalks lining congested streets in downtown Park City, all suited up — some with gear in tow.

I stopped by the slopes at Deer Valley Resort and spotted long lines of skiers waiting for lifts. I waited in line to ride a funicular up and down the mountain.

Maybe seeing the snow was worth the crowds — I won't know for sure until I visit during another season. But had I realized I'd be visiting during the busiest time of year, I would have pushed my trip to the spring, during the shoulder season.

Overpacking is a rookie mistake when traveling, so I go to great lengths to avoid stuffing too many outfits into my bag. But this time, I overcorrected.

When packing for a trip that's less than a week long, I typically only bring layers I can wear all at once when needed or mix and match. Since I was traveling in winter, I brought a couple of extra shirts, one additional pair of pants, and zero extra outer layers.

But in January along Utah's Wasatch Front, when temperatures ranged from 24 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit, I needed to wear most of my layers daily.

After bundling up for a flight and a train ride, I felt desperate for fresh layers when I arrived in Salt Lake City.

What do you do when you need clean clothes on the road? Utilizing the hotel's laundry services seemed the most straightforward solution, but I regretted it.

That night, I stayed at the five-star Grand America Hotel, where laundry services were top-tier. My shirts and sweaters were returned to me on hangers, each in an individual hotel-branded bag. Smaller items were wrapped in paper in a cardboard box.

I felt like I was opening a present as I sorted through my clean clothes. It excited me — until I saw the receipt.

I paid $115 for three shirts, two pairs of pants, one hoodie, six undergarments, and one two-piece blazer. It was certainly the most luxurious laundry service I'd ever experienced, but for the same money, I could have bought a whole new outfit — and what a great excuse it would have been to treat myself.

I didn't consider other winter activities I could have enjoyed besides skiing and snowboarding.

I wish I'd taken time to tour Utah Olympic Park in the snow and get a feel for what it was like during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

After my trip, I learned that Park City offers mountain-top snowshoe yoga classes, which I would have loved to try.

Next time I travel to the Silicon Slopes, I'll pack enough clothing and make use of the season's offerings.

Before booking, I should have researched how a cabin's location can affect how much motion you feel while the ship is moving.

My ocean-view cabin was at the front of the ship, and I felt more movement than I expected. As a first-time cruiser, I found it uncomfortably rocky. Shaky nights made it tough to sleep.

Several seasoned cruisers on the voyage told me that the front of the ship was one of the worst places to feel motion. Higher decks in the middle of the ship felt calmer and more stable.

If you are as prone to motion sickness as I am, I suggest choosing a room in the middle of the ship.

One of the most distinctive things about cruising is that most meals, snacks, and drinks are included in the cruise rate.

However, on Wonder of the Seas and many other mega-ships, more than a dozen restaurants with specialty offerings, such as sushi, are not included and incur additional charges, either as a one-time fee or per dish. I paid $40 to $60 for each specialty meal. 

I reserved all specialty restaurants before my trip, but I found myself wishing I hadn't booked so many once I realized the included restaurants offered a wide range of delicious food.

There were multiple buffets, and the main dining room served a three-course meal with changing menu items each night.

These included options that satisfied every craving. One of the best meals I had was in the main dining room.

Since I booked so many specialty restaurants, I didn't have time to try all the buffets or eat in the main dining room more than once. If I had known they'd be so satisfying, I would've saved money and eaten more of the included meals instead.

I have an aversion to dressing up, but I knew my cruise included formal nights, so I brought one nice dress. After the first formal night, however, I learned that the dress code wasn't strictly enforced. I noticed people wore a variety of outfits, from suits and evening gowns to T-shirts and track pants.

I was happy to relax my look on the other two formal nights, but the dress felt like a waste of the limited space in my carry-on suitcase. If I had known it wasn't necessary, I would've left it at home and brought multiple other articles in its place.

My favorite times to be on the top decks of the ship were early in the morning and late at night, when there weren't as many crowds. These were also the coldest, windiest parts of the day.

Instead of my shiny, poofy, formal dress, I should've brought another pair of pants and another sweater to keep me warm. Since I didn't, I ended up wearing the same pants and sweater nearly every morning and evening.

Since I brought only a carry-on luggage, I hoped to get some laundry done on board, but then I saw the pricing sheet.

Living in New York City, most of the apartments I've rented haven't had in-unit laundry, so I'm used to paying to have my clothes washed. But rather than pricing by weight, as local New York laundromats do, Royal Caribbean charged for each article of clothing. Each shirt was $4, and a dress cost $9. Most surprisingly, washing just one pair of underwear would have cost $2.

I thought this would add up fast, so I didn't do any laundry on my trip. In hindsight, I should have brought a bar of laundry soap to hand-wash a few things. 

To ensure I stayed hydrated throughout my trip, I opted for the water bottle package while booking trip extras like restaurant reservations and excursions. For $16, Royal Caribbean delivered a case of 24 water bottles to my cabin. It seemed expensive for a pack of water, but I thought this was just part of the price of cruising.

When I was boarding the ship, though, I noticed people carrying their own cases of water. That's when I realized Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages.

If I had known this, I would've brought my own water and saved a few bucks.

While I enjoyed parts of my cruise, some of this knowledge could've made my trip much more comfortable.

On my next cruise, I'll remember what I learned about cabin locations, formal nights, and cool, windy mornings sailing in the Caribbean Sea.

Worn by Claudia Schiffer, the diamond-encrusted lingerie was dubbed the "Million Dollar Miracle Bra."

It was modeled for the Victoria's Secret catalog and advertisements, such as the massive one displayed in New York City.

The "Diamond Dream Bra" was much more understated than the original. It was crafted from white satin, lined with diamonds, and had one 42-carat teardrop gem hanging from its center.

Though the bra cost $3 million, it was never modeled on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway — only by Banks at a private event held later.

The ruby-covered bra and matching panties modeled by Bündchen for a catalog were the most expensive lingerie set created by Victoria's Secret at the time, costing $15 million when they were designed.

Called the "Heavenly Star Fantasy Bra," the sparkling white piece was decorated with 1,200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires, 2,300 round white diamonds arranged in a wave pattern, and a 90-carat diamond at the center.

It cost $12.5 million on its own, making it the most expensive bra in the world at the time, according to the Guinness World Records. It was also the first Fantasy Bra modeled during a televised Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The $10 million piece had a floral theme, with 1,150 rubies in the shape of roses, 1,600 emeralds arranged like leaves, and diamonds forming smaller flowers around them.

Like its predecessor, this Fantasy Bra also featured a massive diamond in its center — this one a 60-carat Mouawad Mondera stone.

Dubbed the "Very Sexy Fantasy Bra," the 2003 design was a chainmail-style piece made from a mix of 2,809 white diamonds, yellow-orange sapphires, rhodolites, and amethysts.

It also featured the Mouawad Excelsior Diamond —a 69-carat piece cut from the second-largest diamond in the world — hanging from its center.

Likely because it was see-through, Klum modeled it on the runway over a standard red bra.

Modeled by Gisele Bündchen, the see-through piece cost $12.5 million and was crafted from 22 rubies and 2,900 pavé-set diamonds in a floral pattern.

Hanging from its middle strap was the 101-carat Mouawad Splendor Diamond pendant.

The "Hearts on Fire Fantasy Bra" was one of the most dazzling ever seen on the Victoria's Secret runway.

Valued at $6.5 million, the silver bra was covered in tiny diamonds from its straps to its cups. It also had two thin straps in the middle, with a 10-carat flower-shaped pendant hanging from them.

The diamond-covered, $4.5 million "Very Sexy Holiday" bra — modeled by Selita Ebanks — stood out thanks to the rubies, emeralds, and yellow sapphires arranged in the shape of holly across its cups.

Its Mouawad gems totaled 1,662.51 carats.

Adriana Lima modeled the $5 million "Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra."

It was covered in black diamonds and had strings of rubies and white diamonds across it, for a total of 3,900 gems.

The black "Harlequin Fantasy Bra" modeled by Marisa Miller was lined with white diamonds and decorated with brown gems in crisscross patterns — the work of Italian jeweler Damiani.

The $3 million piece also included a 16-carat heart-shaped diamond hanging from its center.

Lima modeled the "Bombshell Fantasy Bra," a $2 million semi-sheer garment set with 3,000 diamonds, sapphires, and topaz stones, in shapes inspired by stars and constellations.

It took 1,500 hours for Damiani to create the piece.

Modeled by Miranda Kerr, the $2.5 million bra — designed by London Jewelers of New York — was covered in a mix of 3,400 diamonds, citrines, aquamarines, and pearls, the latter of which were also strung in rows beneath its cups.

Like other Fantasy Bras before it, the 2011 piece featured massive white and yellow diamonds, each weighing around 8 carats, that hung from its center.

Another London Jewelers of New York creation, the peach-colored bra was valued at $2.5 million.

It had amethysts, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds in the shape of flowers set in 18-karat pink and yellow gold, as well as a 20-carat radiant-cut diamond hanging from a sparkling pendant.

Designed by Mouawad, the "Royal Fantasy Bra" featured 5,400 multicolored gems — a mix of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires — and 18-karat yellow gold.

Its center stone, adorned with a diamond bow, was a 52-carat pear-shaped ruby.

Crafted over 1,380 hours by Mouawad artists, the "Dream Angels Fantasy Bras" stood out in 2014 thanks to an array of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and multicolored gems over 18-karat gold.

Adriana Lima modeled the blue version, and Alessandra Ambrosio modeled the red. Each cost $2 million.

Called the "Fireworks Fantasy Bra," the $2 million piece was covered in 6,808 gemstones.

White diamonds covered its cups, while multicolored sapphires, garnets, amethysts, topazes, tourmalines, peridots, quartzes, citrines, and tsavorites were used to create the firework-esque swirls across them.

Created over 700 hours by Aziz and Walid Mouzannar, the $3 million bra was one of the most luxurious ever made for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The geometric piece featured 9,000 round-cut diamonds and emeralds in clusters, creating a cutout effect across its cups. 

This $2 million piece was created with 6,000 white diamonds, yellow sapphires, and blue topazes.

While the bra featured a signature stone hanging from its center — a giant blue topaz — its golden collar with a second loose gem was unique.

Designed by Atelier Swarovski, the $1 million "Dream Angels Fantasy Bra" was a netted bralette covered in 2,100 tiny diamonds.

It also had diamond-encrusted rope straps and a matching body chain that sat across it.

Jenner walked the runway in the much-anticipated bra, designed by Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co., to the cheers of Kris Jenner and Timothée Chalamet.

Arabo said ahead of the show that it was his goal to create "the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever made," and he delivered.

The bra was made entirely of diamonds and gold, unlike bras from past years that had a fabric base. It was made of 4,410 diamonds in total, including a 75.54-carat Natural Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond hanging from the center, as Victoria's Secret shared on Instagram after the show.

The 2026 Fantasy Bra took over 1,000 hours to make and is worth a whopping $50 million.

For the first time since 2018, Victoria's Secret sent a Fantasy Bra down the runway at its famed fashion show.

It collaborated with jewelers Jacob and Co. to create the one-of-a-kind piece, which took over 1,000 hours and 15 artisans to make.

On Instagram, Jacob and Co. said the bra features 4,410 diamonds totaling 1,373 carats. One of those is the brand's 75.54-carat natural Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond, which hangs in the middle of the bra.

It's valued at $50 million, which makes it the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever shown on the Victoria's Secret runway.

It was also a massive surprise that Jenner, 29, who never previously walked for Victoria's Secret, had the honor of wearing the special piece. It's usually reserved for veteran models of the show.

Palvin walked her fifth Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Sunday — and it was one of her most impressive appearances.

The 33-year-old model delivered her first child, a son, six weeks earlier, as she and her husband Dylan Sprouse announced on Instagram in September.

Backstage at the show, Palvin told People that it was "empowering" to walk the runway, but also "not that big of a deal."

"I'm going to be six weeks postpartum tomorrow, which I think in the US most people have to go back after six weeks," she told the publication.

It's also not the first time Palvin has walked the runway after a major health event. In 2025, her husband revealed that she'd broken her foot four weeks earlier and still walked the runway in heels.

The former "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" actor, who married Palvin in 2023, was seen in videos applauding and cheering for his wife as she walked the runway.

He's made memorable appearances at past Victoria's Secret shows as well, including one time in 2018 when he brought burgers to the model backstage after the show.

You couldn't miss Lima as she walked the runway in a lime-green, lace one-piece with a plunging neckline and waist cutouts. She also wore green sandals, jewelry, and a pink floral back piece.

The 45-year-old model first walked for the brand in 1999 and was named an Angel in 2000. She's since walked while pregnant, and in three different Fantasy Bras.

Though she technically retired from the show in 2018, Lima returned when the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show made its comeback in 2024.

Hosk, 37, stepped onto the runway wearing a sheer, beige bodysuit and massive Angel wings made from brown feathers and flowing gold fabric.

On Instagram, the model confirmed they were the biggest wings worn on the 2026 runway.

"Thank you for trusting me and letting this new mama walk with the most gorgeous and biggest wings of the show," she wrote across an Instagram story.

Hosk gave birth to her second child, a daughter, at the end of July.