A well-known saying amongst photographers is 'the best camera is the one that you have with you'. This is true because ultimately, capturing the moment is more important than the device which records the image.
These days, nearly everyone has a pretty decent camera either in their pocket or in their hand everywhere we go. Smartphones have come on leaps and bounds in the past 5 years, and their built-in cameras and photography apps have no doubt contributed to the decline in popularity of compact cameras. My phone has a 16MP sensor and the ability to shoot RAW - that’s pretty remarkable when you think about it, and means I can capture quality images even when I’m without my DSLR. The trouble is, most people aren’t aware of their smartphone’s camera potential and end up taking substandard shots. Here’s 10 expert tips to make the most of your smartphone photography.
Learn how to take better pictures with your smartphone
1) Set the focus
It only takes one tap with your finger, so if you want to be sure your subject is as sharp as it can be you need to set the focus. Most people skip this essential step and rely on the camera’s decision making process, but it doesn’t always get it right. Simply tapping the screen on the part of the scene you want to be sharpest will ensure your image is off to a solid start.
Tap the part of the image you want to set the focus on
2) Use exposure compensation
Sometimes the lighting in a scene can be a bit tricky for our cameras to accurately set the exposure, especially when shooting a subject which is much brighter or darker than the background. This results in an over or underexposed image, with a loss of detail in the highlights or shadows. On your screen you’ll often find a brightness slider which you can drag left or right to adjust the exposure, and make sure it’s set to how you want it. Sometimes double-tapping on the screen will take a meter reading from that point of the scene and lock in the exposure, allowing you to recompose and then take the shot. You can use this feature to get creative and use your phone to capture striking silhouettes.
Use exposure compensation to create silhouettes against brighter backgrounds
3) Use the flash correctly
Lots of people automatically turn the flash on at night, even when the subject is a fair distance from the lens. In reality you should only use the flash when taking pictures of things that are close to the camera, as the effective distance of the flash is no more than a couple of metres. Lots of people use flash when taking pictures at concerts, but all it’s going to do is light up the backs of the heads in front of you, which will distract from the main subject. Using flash in low light scenes can also be detrimental to the atmosphere of the image. It may seem counterintuitive but you can also use your phone’s flash in bright daylight, especially when taking portraits against the sun. This will help to lift dark shadows on the face and also add a sparkling catchlight to your subject’s eyes.
Resisting the urge to turn on the flash can result in more atmospheric night shots
4) Turn on the grid for better compositions
Most smartphone cameras have a grid overlay that can be turned on and off within the camera settings. It’s a good idea to have it enabled to help you compose accurately and ensure any straight lines such as the horizon or buildings aren’t wonky, making for a more professional shot.
Enable Grid lines in your camera's menu to help compose more accurately
5) Avoid zooming when possible
The cameras on the majority of smartphones offer digital rather than optical zoom. This means that in order to magnify the subject, the image is cropped resulting in a reduced resolution. Wherever possible, instead of pinching with your fingers to zoom, move closer to the subject to make it bigger in your frame. If you want to maximise image quality you should only use the digital zoom as a last resort.
6) Banish the blur of camera shake
You’re most likely to encounter camera shake when shooting dimly lit subjects, such as night scenes. This is because the camera is using a slower shutter speed to let in more light, and any movement from an unsteady hand is translated as blurred and streaky detail in the image. To avoid this unwanted effect you need to keep your smartphone camera as steady as possible. Try resting on something solid like a table or railings to prevent your hands from wobbling. Alternatively prop your phone up on something stable, or consider investing in a mini tripod, so your camera doesn’t move during the exposure.
When shooting at night you need to keep your phone steady to avoid camera shake
7) Use Manual mode
Many phones have different shooting modes beyond Auto, so check what yours offers in the camera menu. I’m using a Samsung S6 and within the options there’s Pro mode. This lets me adjust all kinds of shooting settings including the shutter speed, ISO, White Balance, metering mode and the focusing distance. This means I have lots of control over the image, so no matter what I’m shooting, I don’t have to rely on the camera automatically selecting the settings and I can choose the optimum variables to get the best shot.
Take full control of your camera's settings and shoot like a pro with Manual mode
8) Shoot RAW
As any professional photographer will tell you, if you want the most control over the final look of your image you need to shoot RAW. The good news is most recent smartphones offer RAW image shooting, so you can capture uncompressed images and maximise their potential when you come to edit. Take a look at your camera’s menu and check to see if you can shoot RAW. Some phones only let you enable the setting when using Pro or Manual mode. The downside to using RAW is that the files are much larger than a standard JPEG, so if you shoot RAW all the time you’ll quickly fill your phone’s storage. If however you’re shooting something a bit special and want to maximise your options when you edit your image, it’s a good idea to temporarily enable this setting in the menu.
Set your phone to capture RAW files to create images without compression
9) Get arty with built-in filter effects
Every smartphone lets you apply different filter effects at the time of capture, so you can see on screen exactly how your image will look. Every manufacturer varys, but you’ll most likely find a range of effects from black & white, vintage, vignette, cartoon, faded and many more. You can use these to get super creative, and the advantage over apps like Instagram that let you apply filters afterwards, is that you know precisely how your image will be before you take the shot.
Instantly get arty and abstract using your camera's filter effect options
10) Use the self timer
We all love a selfie, but sometimes it’s not possible to fit a big group of people into a single shot and even a selfie stick isn’t long enough. The other disadvantage of using the front facing camera to capture selfies is that this camera has a smaller resolution and not as much shooting control. The solution is to use your smartphone’s built-in self timer. Prop up your camera so it’s framed up on your group photo, get the settings right, then turn on the self timer. You can usually choose to set it to a 2, 5 or 10 second delay, giving you long enough to get yourself into the shot once you’ve pressed the shutter.
. digitalrev.com2017-7-28 03:00
