Smartphone Photography Tips


Posted on October 8th, by Cathy Olsen in Technology, Tutorial. 1 Comment

 

 

We all have cameras on our smart phones. They CAN take pretty decent pictures. It's sad that my Canon Rebel doesn't see the light of day now that I can snap a quick picture on an outing with the kids. Now you will obviously NOT get the same quality as a SLR (Single Lens Reflux) camera, but if you follow the tips below, you will be surprised at how GOOD the pictures can look.

First know the limitations for a Smartphone camera.

 

Smartphone Photography Tip #1: Know your limitations!

Smartphone Cameras do not like:

[list style="cross"]
  • Low light
  • Fast Motion
  • Sunlight into the lens
[/list]

Smartphone Photography Tip #2: Learn to work with Limitations!

 

[list style="idea"]
  • Add external light  - Open a curtain or turn on a light in the room if possible in a low light situation.  Do NOT use the flash.  I haven't see many phones with an attractive flash lighting.  My kids always look like Racoons with the flash on.
  • Take a video – Sometimes when capturing a moment with little kids it is so hard to get and indoor picture in focus.  Why fight it?  Just take a video and you still have the memory.  Newer smartphone camera's allow you to take snapshots while taking a video.  SWEET!
  • Back to Sun – They really don't make lens shades for a smartphone camera. Just change the composition of the picture so that you can have an attractive picture.
[/list]

Smartphone Photography Tip#3: Use spot focus and metering

 I apologize for the out-of-focus picture.  I took a screen shot of my smartphone while taking a picture.  Have you ever tried this feature?  If you touch the screen the camera can focus on a face and can adjust the metering for the picture.

Metering explained: Sometimes in situations where the light is high in contrast you may see a silhouette instead of a face.  Touch the screen on the face and the smartphone will adjust the metering and you will have a better shot of the face.

Smartphone Photography Tip#4: Hold it Steady! 

Instead of using the picture button on the screen, use the volume up button to take a picture.  This will allow you to have a steady hand and a clear picture.  (iPhone 4 and above for this feature). For other smart phones, do a google search to see if you can customize your camera app so you can press a button instead of touching the screen.

Smartphone Photography Tip#5: Add Filter effects

No filter effect:

 Filter Effect Added:

It's easy to see which picture is more dramatic and has an overall better effect.  I remember investing money in a polarized filter, contrast filter, etc.  Now with digital editing you can add a filter AFTER you take the picture.  There are also apps available that may create the desired effect while taking a picture.

I typically use instagram and use one of their built-in filters.

Smartphone Photography Tip#6: Edit Photos on your Phone

You can do basic photo editing on your phone – crop, rotate, etc.  If you need some other more beefy photo editing tools on the go here are two of my favorite apps:

BeFunky: (Free) Can adjust contrast and saturation for a picture on your phone.

vsco-cam: ($.99) Can add fill light contrast, and most importantly: fade.

 

Conclusion:

We all love to document our lives, our loved ones, and the funny moments in life.

We don't always have our nicest camera on hand, but you can get a good shot with what you ALWAYS have on your person: YOUR SMARTPHONE!!

 

 





One Response to “Smartphone Photography Tips”

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