Consumers seek high camera specifications to shoot videos and capture shots. With each passing day, the photography realm is moving towards smartphone cameras. Professional cameras are expensive, and why invest so much when you can have a wide variety of DSLR-level controls on your camera phone?
Most people love to click pictures on their smartphones. They are the go-to device and come in handy as you carry them with you all the time. Smartphone photography will not only capture special moments anywhere and anytime. Instead, according to a study, it can bring positive effects on one’s well-being.
Over the last few decades, the camera quality and editing features have improved drastically. But sometimes, even the best smartphone cameras may not give you the desired shot. Are your photographs grainy, dark, blurry, or not turning out as great as expected?
Fret not; follow these tips to improve your photography and get the best shot in one go!
1. Start With Cleaning The Lenses
Nowadays, brands are competing to provide the best lenses and features on their smartphones. The quality and design value values of lenses and sensors they possess are no less than a professional camera.
But a slight smudge on the lens can ruin a perfect shot. As most of the time we carry our phones either in our pockets or in our bags, it can attract dust or lint on the camera. Hence, it is advisable to wipe your lenses before taking any picture. Avoid using coarse materials and use only soft microfiber material to clean your camera lenses.
2. Use The Gridlines
Turn on the gridlines of your camera to frame and balance your image artfully. It will superimpose a 3×3 grid on your smartphone’s screen. These grids will split an image into nine blocks based on rule-of-thirds.
By applying these rules, you can get the major points of a picture near a block’s corners or where the grid lines intersect. It will give your image a more balanced and natural feel. It allows the viewer’s eye to flow smoothly around the photo.
3. Utilize Negative Spaces
Negative space is extra space around or between the subjects in an image. It can be an empty area, open sky, a large water body, or an enormous wall. While clicking a picture, people usually crop out the extra space in the frame.
In contrast to that, the tip is to embrace all the extra space you can get. Using negative space in your picture will bring more focus on the subject. Take some time to set up the frame, bring focus onto the subject. It can turn a dull shot into an amazing one.
4. Don’t Use Digital Zoom
If you don’t want to compromise with the image resolution and get the best snap at once, avoid using digital zoom. It results in poor-quality grainy and blurry photos.
Try to get in the proximity of the subject instead of zooming in. Even after moving closer, if you still have the extra background, you can crop it later. There are many photo-editing apps in the market to help you edit an image without ruining its quality.
5. Play With Angles
There is something unique about taking pictures from different perspectives. Clicking photos from unusual and out-of-the-box angles can add more depth to the image.
For instance, if you want a bird’s-eye view, you should position yourself above the subject. You can click pictures from ladders or rooftops. In case you want a reverse bird’s-eye, you will have to lie on your back.
Make use of reflections wherever you could find mirrors, water bodies, reflective surfaces, glasses, or puddles on the ground. Thus, find more opportunities to play with the camera angle.
6. Use Natural Light
Embrace the natural light sources wherever you could find them. Be it sunlight, house lights, or even candlelight for an artsy vibe. Renowned photographers focus on using natural lights as much as possible. You can add a small light on the subject toward the natural light source.
If you are still struggling to illuminate your subject, you can use another phone’s flashlight when it gets necessary.
7. Use Editing Tools To Post-Process Images
Taking an impressive picture doesn’t end at composing and getting enough lighting. Processing your images is a crucial step to get the best quality images. There are several post-editing apps available for both Android and iOS.
Most of the smartphones have preset default editing modes, which can be helpful for beginners. Moreover, advanced editing apps like Adobe Lightroom or Snapseed are the best in the market.
Final thoughts
Finally, it all comes down to practice. The best tip above all is to practice, take as many shots as you want. Analyze your images — the camera angles, the right amount of exposure, composition, and more. By keeping in mind these easy tips, you can capture a high-quality professional shot.
If you still want to learn more about photography on smartphones, you can enroll in a brief workshop, online or offline. There are several courses available for the same as well.
