Are you into the mobile photography game?
The statistic of smartphone users has grown from 2.1 billion in 2016 to 2.5 billion in 2019. The way we see it, the relentless advancement of technology and the birth of social media are held accountable.
Photography is one of the languages of social media. Though not everybody is skilled enough to brave the challenge of achieving great photos, the manufacturers of the phones we own did not let our lack of formal training to stop us from producing those admirable shots. Specifications are tailored to have the automatic settings that will enable us to capture with ease.
Yet, professional-looking pictures are not achieved solely by relying on your phones and editing apps. A little knowledge won’t hurt. Learn the easiest tips and tricks in getting ahead of the photography game here!
How To Take Great Photos On Your Phone
#1: Clean the lens
Source: Lifewire
Clarity is the goal. If you have a dirty lens, the dust and fungus will be included in your photographs. Make sure you polish it with a clean, soft cloth before using so you get an unclouded picture. Most of the time you won’t notice the blemishes right away until you see it in a larger screen, so just be preventive by keeping it clean. You wouldn’t want to go through the process all over again.
#2: Use gridlines
Source: Photo2Print
We know it’s just extremely hard to make that balanced shot especially when you haven’t got the eye for it, but don’t worry, it can be trained. For the interim, you can use your smartphone’s gridlines.
Activate it and your screen will be divided into 9 parts – based on the rule of thirds. It is a photography technique that breaks the composition into thirds, both horizontally and vertically.
#3: Focus on a specific subject
Source: Envira Gallery
Your subject should stand out. So, you need to make all else appear less significant but essential in your photo. Tap the screen of your smartphone where the subject is positioned; the focus should adjust automatically, giving an unobstructed view of your subject.
Source: Digital Photography School
Some phones have a ‘manual focus’ option. This works more effectively. And if you wish the capture the entire scene clearly, for example, the streets or the landscape, you can do that by adjusting the aperture in the camera settings – going for a huge depth of field.
#4: Let the negative space be
Source: Art Ignition
Do not be awkward with having negative space – it has its own part to play. Negative space actually makes your composition better. It captures the viewer’s attention and conveys a certain feeling.
What is negative space in photography? It is the area that surrounds the main subject of the layout. Without it, your subject or the positive space will be hardly recognized. Good photography does not only focus on building the subject excellently, but you will also need to learn how to spot a cool background that will complement it.
#5: Go for the manual setting
Manual mode can be a little bit foreign to use, but once you take some time to understand the basic controls (i.e. ISO, aperture and shutter speed), you will take your mobile photography into a much higher level.
Lighting is most of the time tricky and hard to control when you’re in automatic mode, so going for the manual setting will enable you to adjust according to the light that your lens is receiving. With this, you can easily gain consistent exposures for your photographs. Thus, you can get more creative in shooting photos.
#6: Use natural light
Source: Ben Sasso
Natural light is the best light source in photography. So if you’re shooting at daytime under good weather conditions, you are likely to get the best lighting results. The greatest part is that it’s free of charge!
Figure it out for yourself – natural light brings the best out of your photos! It gives a fresh, soft glow to your subject. The more it looks spontaneous and organic, the more it’s pleasing to the eye.
#7: Look for symmetry
Source: iPhone Photography School
Symmetry refers to a composition that is marked with balance and proportion. If the image is cut into two and one portion mirrors the other, that is considered symmetrical. Symmetry can be done in three ways: vertical, horizontal and radial.
Creating a strong focal point within the symmetrical composition will make it more appealing and interesting.
#8: Love good patterns
Source: Abritton Photography & Thom Ortiz
Patterns feed aesthetics to our eyes. Whenever we see good patterns, we normally admire them and get impressed by them. They are produced when graphic elements are repeated. The repetition of lines, shapes, forms, etc. pave the way to a more striking composition.
#9: Get steady with a mobile tripod
Source: Brand Love 101
Shaky hands mean blurred photo. Ideally, you can invest in a cell phone stand or tripod so you’ll get rid of the fuzzy look of your photographs – unless you are purposefully working on that effect. Using a tripod will make the shooting easier, less hassle and more steady.
#10: Learn how to post-process
Source: Photoshop CC Tutorial
This is the last and crucial part of the photography session. Photo editing is where the miracle happens. That is if you know how to edit effectively. Everything that you weren’t able to do during the photoshoot, you can attempt to adjust and give remedy to in this phase.
We recommend that you watch tutorials or read articles that will provide more in-depth technical details about photo editing and which apps offer the best features.
Conclusion
This generation is so lucky to have been gifted with a lot of technological innovations. Before, producing quality images take so much time and effort, but now, everything is made easier and faster.
So, do yourself a favor – LEARN. Learn how you can maximize all the resources available today. Don’t give up and press on!
