Many years back, when we still used roll films in our cameras that could accommodate only a limited number of photos (around 36) we thought about each image very carefully before actually taking it. With time, technology advanced and nowadays we are able to take hundreds if not thousands of photos within a single day. The question is, are these photos any good really? Are they of high quality or are they simply just quick and spontaneous photos without any artistic intent?
The memory capacity of modern smartphones gives us the opportunity to try and err, to play and experiment with our photos. That being said, by following a few basic rules before snapping a photo we can get much better results worth posting to our social networks. Let’s go through some of the basics and take your mobile photography skills to the next level with the below words of advice:
Keep Your Phone Straight
Nothing can ruin an otherwise great photo more than the fact that it is slightly (or very) crooked. Although minor corrections can be easily fixed in post-processing with the help of photo editing software or directly in the mobile’s photo gallery, it would be nicer and more professional to get it right while taking the photo. To correct this, slow down, try to think of your horizon, and then press the shutter button. Plus, current smartphones offer gridlines which make the job that much easier.
Become Friends With HDR
There is an endless number of discussions about whether phone cameras can/will replace professional and expensive SLR cameras. Truth be told, under ideal conditions you can take a cover page-worthy photo with practically any smartphone. In less-than-ideal conditions, however, smartphones have their limitations. These can be seen for example when there are big changes in light and shadow or when we take photos at night. For those types of situations, HDR can be the solution so you should get acquainted with it.
Adjust The Focus And Work With Exposure
Cameras in our phones are fast and they can really do a lot of work for us. We just need to position our phones, wait for the automatic mechanism to do its job, and press the shuttle button. On the other hand, we are the only ones who know how we intend the final photo to look like. Try to focus manually by touching the phone screen at the place where you want to focus. Exposure usually follows and sets itself automatically based on the way you set the focus but you can also change it manually on the majority of mobile phones.
Use Portrait Mode On A Dual-Camera Smartphone
The biggest hit of the latest cell phones are two, and most recently even three separate rear cameras. These bring new possibilities to the users, such as portrait mode, for example. Portrait mode, simply put, is achieved by the camera creating a depth-of-field effect, which means that the focus is on the subject of the photo and the background becomes blurry. Professional photographers can pull off this effect by using the correct lens and choosing the ideal aperture. Modern phones can do this automatically thanks to their software. This, however, means that the final effect can be really cool or it can turn out bad and you might end up with blurry parts that should not be in fact blurry at all. You can always play with it in order to get the perfect shot.
Less Is More
As previously mentioned, the most important things can be influenced and corrected even before you press the shutter button. If you still feel certain details need improvement once the photo is taken, you can edit those details in the photo gallery of your phone or in specialized editing software. Keep in mind though that you should not exceed yourself with the edits. Using twice the saturation for instance will most likely not make the photo look better. The same goes for filters – before using them, take a moment to think if your shot doesn’t look more eye-pleasing without them.
