Since Sharp released the first mobile phone with a 0.11-megapixel camera way back in 2004, the rise of the camera phone has been non stop. With the rise of the smartphone, it seems when every new model is released Manufactures are adding cameras with better specs.
They are constantly trying to outdo the competition by claiming their phone incorporates the best camera with all the latest and greatest features.
Now I’m not going to go into which smart phone has the best camera because to be honest no one smartphone camera is great in every situation, rather some phones get better results under different circumstances than others.
What this means to us as consumers is that today even the smartphone’s at the lower end of the price scale still have pretty decent cameras built in.
What it also means is that no matter what smartphone you own, whether it be android, iOS or windows unless its more than four years old you should have a fairly decent camera at your disposal.
Having said that even if you have the latest smartphone with the greatest camera on board it will make little difference to your photographs…
Unless you take the time to learn a few little tricks and techniques to help improve your images.
If you apply the advice that follows it will help you improve your photographs and impress your friends with the great images that you are consistently producing.
1. Learn The Rule Of Thirds
Ever wondered why two people can take a photograph of the same subject yet one looks significantly better than the other, even though they were taken under the same circumstances using the same equipment to produce the image?
Chances are the better photo was taken using The Rule Of Thirds.
The rule of thirds is a guide to help compose your images and thus create a better balance.
Think of your image divide equally by two lines horizontally and two lines vertically, the idea is that if we place our main subject at the point where any of these lines cross or keep important elements of the image running along these lines then the photos we produce will be so much more pleasing on the eye.
The good news is with most smartphone’s you don’t even have to imagine this line. It can be turned on in your cameras settings so its on your screen as a constant visual reminder.
On Android, tap the menu button and choose Settings then Show grid in viewfinder; on iOS, go to Photos & Camera in the main Settings menu and toggle the Grid Switch it on.
2. Look and Simplify
How many times have you taken what you thought was a great photograph only to look at the image later and see a random person behind what you were shooting…
or a tree/lamppost/street sign growing out of your subjects head…
or an object/piece of building/reflection distracting from your subject.
Thousands of otherwise great images are spoilt every single day by this easy to solve common mistake that everyone makes at some time.
Luckily for us all, this is a very easy problem to solve…
How?
By looking at what you are photographing!
I don’t just mean your subject – It’s far too easy to concentrate on your subject and not see what is right in front of you.
I mean look at EVERYTHING within the frame, look at your subject… Yes!
But also look what is behind your subject, what is to the side and even what is likely to enter into your viewfinder before you press the shutter button.
If you see something that will detract from the final image i.e. a lamppost sprouting from your subjects head then get them to move.
If you are photographing something that can’t move then, use your own feet…
Move closer/further away, move to the side or take a higher/lower vantage point.
A few steps now will spare you the frustration and disappointment later.
If you have distracting elements that cant be avoided try to simplify what you are shooting by moving in closer and cutting out any off-putting elements with a closer crop.
Or try getting down low so your subject is shot against the sky. This approach is great for inanimate objects but your loved ones will be unlikely to appreciate the way this low angle makes them look.
3. Support Your smartphone
By support your phone I’m not asking you to be there for it in times of stress or tell it how well it has done when you get a text message…
I’m talking about keeping your phone as steady as possible when taking your photos.
As good as today’s smartphone’s are and even with the introduction of image stabilising into some of their cameras you can never be too careful when trying to avoid camera shake. It can really spoil your images especially in low light situations.
If you are really serious about avoiding camera shake then you can get yourself a smart phone tripod or support but unless you are going out specifically to take photos its unlikely you would want to carry this with you at all times.
A more practical way is to use whatever is available in your immediate surroundings, a table, chair, wall, fence post, tree stump…
I’ve used them all to great effect and if you want a little extra help then you can set your cameras shutter timer so that you are avoiding touching your phone altogether at the vital time the photograph is taken.
Try and use some kind of support every time you take a photo, even if it’s just holding your phone and leaning yourself against a wall, you will be surprised at the difference it makes to the sharpness of your photos.
4. Avoid Using Zoom
Nowadays almost every smartphone has a digital zoom function incorporated into their camera and although this may seem a very handy thing to have, if you want to take great pictures you are best off by avoiding using it altogether.
You see the moment you start to use the zoom function the quality of your images start to deteriorate…
Why does this happen?
Because your camera has such a small lens it uses a digital zoom rather than the optical zoom used in most interchangeable lens cameras.
What this means to you as the smartphone camera user is the camera is simply taking the image it can see and adding
extra pixels to match the surrounding ones and so give the illusion that you are zooming in, when in reality all that’s happening is the camera is guessing what the image looks like.
The way to avoid this is to take the photo without the zoom activated and then crop the image in your editing app thus avoiding the deterioration in your photographs and ultimately having a better quality final image.
5. Avoid Low Light Whenever Possible
One of the areas smartphone cameras always come up short, is when shooting in low light.
Unfortunately because of the small size of the sensors they are always going to struggle in low light situations, giving you poorly lit subjects or lots of noise in the final image.
Yes you could use the flash but the problem with a flash on most smart phone cameras is they are not really designed for the use they are being put to.
They are essentially LED lights being forced to take on the roll of a flash and because they don’t behave as a flash should, you usually get average results at best.
Try and use available light whenever possible, or an alternative light source such as neon signs or light from a window, look at your surroundings, use your imagination and be creative.
Make sure you can see your subject as well as possible and avoid shooting into the light unless you are intending to get your subject as a silhouette.
Of course if you run out of alternatives using your flash is better than not getting the shot at all.
When shooting outside try and make sure the sun is to the side or at your back, this will ensure that your subject is well lit and you avoid lens flare or your subject being under exposed.
You will also find you get a more pleasing image when shooting on an overcast day. If you are shooting on a really sunny day try placing your subject in the shade.
6. Clean Your Lens
Yes you read that right!
Clean your lens…
Out of everything I have mentioned above, this is the single most important piece of information I can give to any photographer.
Whatever camera you use as a photographer whether it be a top end professional SLR, a simple point and click or even your humble smartphone camera…
If your lens is not clean then regardless of what measures you take, you will NOT get good photographs.
If you have a dirty lens covered in marks, spots or fingerprints then these will show up on your final image thus being detrimental to the quality of your work.
No special tools needed, just a clean lint free cloth should do the job. Should you find you have a few stubborn marks that this method wont seem to budge then an ever so slightly damp cotton bud should do the trick…
Just remember to avoid smears dry off any dampness after you have done cleaning.
If you apply the above tips when you next go out and shoot some photos, you will see a very noticeable improvement in the final images you are producing.
However do not for one minute believe that you are going to get great shots if you just point and shoot your smartphone camera.
No matter what you are using to shoot your images with it will make little difference to the end result unless you apply a few basic rules of photography.
Take your time…
Compose your shots…
Ensure your subject is in focus…
And try to get the best lighting possible.
In short – STOP – LOOK – THINK – before your press the shutter release.
But most of all have fun, because at the end of the day that is why we do it right?
