How to take better photos with your smartphone | Tutorial

People often take a camera with them when they decide to travel, but they also use their smartphones to take pictures as well. However, it may be difficult to take beautiful photos with your smartphone. You need to know what the device is capable of and understand its limitations. Here are some helpful tips.

The use of smartphones in photography continues to rise. Your phone is almost always with you and the cameras on these devices become better and better as time passes. So, it is time to share some tips to take even better photos with your smartphone.

Clean your lens

It is clear, you cannot take good photos without a clean lens. Wipe dirt and fingerprints off your lens before you decide to take pictures with your mobile phone. Without dust on your camera lens, you’ll take much sharper pictures. It’s the first step in the right direction.

Turn on the grid feature

Most guidance grids consist of four lines that run over the screen. Two lines horizontal and two lines vertical. These lines form nine equal blocks in your photo and this is the equivalent of the composition rule known as the rule of thirds.

In short, it is common practice to put your subjects on top of these lines to create dynamics in your composition. As an example, you set the horizon equal to one of the horizontal lines of your grid and position a person or object on one of the vertical lines.

Keep your phone level

Try to keep the horizon level in your photos. Sometimes, a tilted photo may have a good effect but only use this in dynamic photos without a visible horizon in the distance. Otherwise the entire photo tends to become too restless.

Tap the screen to focus the camera

The camera on your phone will focus on the closest object, but sometimes you may want to focus on a different point in the view. Tap the screen where you want to focus and the image adjusts itself. This feature gives you more control over the soft out-of-focus background blur effect known as the bokeh effect. This gives your photos a more professional look comparable to shots taken with a reflex camera.

Hold your phone steady

It seems so simple, but a lot of pictures are ruined because they are blurred as a result of movements of the camera itself. Try to keep your phone as still as possible when taking a photo. Hold your phone with two hands and keep your arms close to your body. This helps you to hold the phone in a stable position.

Use good natural lighting

It is essential to have good lighting if you want to take good photographs. In the dark, it is almost impossible to take a good picture with a mobile phone. The reason is the smaller sensor of the camera on your smartphone compared to the one on a regular reflex camera.

As a result, you will experience noise faster in low light. Therefore, the finest photos are taken in natural light and if possible on a somewhat sunnier day. If you are inside, turn on all the lights in the room. The more light, the better the chance that the photo will look good.

The best moments to take photos are at sunrise or just before sunset.

Turn off the flash

Despite the previous point, it is better to turn off the flash on your camera if you want to take a decent picture. The flash on your smartphone is not an actual flash, but a helpful light. It may look as if it is bright, but the light does not reach far and causes red eyes. For this reason, it is better to take photos in a well-lit environment without flash.

Do not use digital zoom

If there is one thing a smartphone camera at the moment is not capable of, it is to be able to zoom in and out. You may be used to control the zoom levels by turning the zoom lens on your reflex camera, but with a smartphone you have to rely on your feet to close the distance between you and your subject.

You can use the volume buttons to zoom with a smartphone, but please do not do this! Most smartphone cameras use a digital zoom which means that you are enlarging the image with a loss of image sharpness as a result. If you are unable to get a closer shot, it is better to take a photo without zoom and crop it later.

Take your time and think about the result

Most users with a reflex camera think about the composition and the desired result to position their camera and create a dynamic photo. With a smartphone on the other hand, you are tempted to take quick snapshots. Try to take your time to create the best possible photograph with your smartphone. Soon you will see that you will be able to exceed the average smartphone photo.

Edit your photos with an editing app

It is a common practice in professional photography and helps you emphasise the essence of your photo. Seen the limited camera of your smartphone and the reduced colours and contrasts compared to a professional camera, a photo editing app may help you to adjust the image.

One last piece of advice. It is good practice to ensure that you do not lose your memorable moments and photographs. Remember to back up your photos at all times. Enjoy being a smartphone photographer.

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