If you were to ask any random stranger on the street, most likely, he or she would have a smartphone with a camera function. Aside from SLR-wielding enthusiasts and compact camera junkies, mobile photography has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade and no wonder, since we carry our smartphones everywhere we go.
While some cameras are better than others (like the new swanky Samsung or iPhone), you can still take amazing photos even with just a 5MP. Here are 5 simple tips to keep in mind so…Happy Shooting!
When You Have Light…
Use it! Natural light in photography is like sound in music. However, it can be tricky to master good lighting but with some hints, it can be your best friend! If there is something you should NOT do: use direct light. Take your photos in non-direct sunlight or non-direct artificial light so your subject don’t end up looking like a washed out monkey.
Less Zooming…
More focus. Bear in mind you’re toting a smartphone so you’re basically stuck with digital zoom, much unlike conventional camera with optical zoom. Digital zoom just takes the subject that you’re shooting at, and expands it to fit the entire screen so what do you get? Low-resolution images = low quality photos. If you must zoom, focus on taking a great photo and crop it later. Otherwise, it wouldn’t hurt to get in closer to your shot and catch a more detailed portfolio, especially when it comes to food photography. (but not SO close that you crop the important “bites” of the photo out).
Lead Those Eyes To…
The Rule of Thirds. Guide the viewer’s eyes to the subject with better image composition with framing. Hold your phone up and pause…..imagine two horizontal and vertical lines dividing your frame into nine equal parts. Place your subject on the intersections instead of the centre. Some phones even have a set grid overlay ready for you to snap snap snap away at different angles!
Control and Adjust Your…
Auto Fluorescent
White balance. Make your photo colors pop by adjusting your white balance setting on your smartphone. White balance control settings usually come with the “auto” function but you may also change it to other options such as “daylight”, “fluorescent”, “incandescent”, etc. While the “auto” function serves a commendable purpose for most photo-taking endeavours, sometimes you may get better snapshots by matching the right white balance feature with your lighting, especially indoors under yellow light.
Quit Flashing…
With Flash Without Flash
So much! Remember our little section on natural light? Time to practice it whenever you can. Flash is the source of all evil in photography kingdom. Well, metaphorically speaking. Sometimes, our smartphones have this amazing capability to “tell”us when to use flash when truly, it is not needed even in low light situations. Smartphone camera flashes are similar to LED flashlights and is the bane of the “red-eye” existence. However, in situations where a flash is required, that’s where editing apps will come in handy.
Get Professional Help…
From photo-editing apps! There are a gazillion apps out there to leave you spoilt for choice, but I am a personal fan of Pixlr. It’s free, and it’s available on the iPhone, Android and even on your computer. How is that for convenience? Do a search in your mobile app store and take your time to familiarize with the app first before downloading it.
If you just want a quick fix, then Instagram it! Better yet, you get to share the image instantly! Or you can monetise your photos on 123RF On-The-Go*. Just upload your lovely photos from your mobile to 123RF.com anytime, anywhere, with a simple description and a few tags and you’re good to go!
Now with all the mobile photography knowledge in mind, it’s time to experiment and shoot more! Practice makes perfect, so take a shot wherever you go in various settings and environments with different types of light.Don’t forget, you can always leave us a comment if you need an opinion or just to share your thoughts with us!
*123RF On-The-Go app is available on the App Store and Google Play for free.