Tips to help you become a pro smartphone photographer
Whether you are a professional photographer who wants to get some beautiful shots on the go, or a photography enthusiast who can't afford a DSLR, or you just want to click some nice selfies with your buds, smartphone photography comes easy, convenient, and light-on-pocket. Here, we have listed handy tips and tricks to help you hone your smartphone photography skills.
First, go about exploring your phone's default camera app
What photography-dumb people tend to do is shoot their pictures in full auto mode, which simply means strolling around and taking random pictures, hoping they come out good-looking. That's not how professional photography works. Every iPhone or Android default camera comes with a set of exclusive modes and features. That's why we suggest you to explore your default camera app comprehensively, to click nice images.
Then, download some third-party apps
Well, in case the first tip on the list doesn't work out too well for you, we've got backup. If your default camera app doesn't make you go gaga over those clicks, let go of it. There are plenty of third-party dedicated camera apps, that'll give you a long list of filters, amazing shooting modes, and other features. And, they are fairly simple to use.
Ready, 'steady', click!
One mistake that a lot of smartphone users make while taking pictures is thinking that it's just a matter of a click. It's not. Take some time to steady your shot. Just a couple of seconds, less or more, could make or break your pictures. You could also prop your phone over a friend's shoulder, a table, or consider buying a smartphone tripod.
Learn to adjust the focus and exposure in your frames
Don't be lazy while clicking on your smartphone, because it'll reflect in your photos. Every camera app has the basic focus and exposure options. Don't ignore them. To avoid blurry and un-catchy pictures, use the manual focus, usually activated by a single tap anywhere on the screen. Also, aptly adjust the exposure (amount of light in frame) in your clicks, for stunning pictures.
Understand how important the lens of the camera really is
A smudged camera lens is bound to ruin your pictures by making them cloudy and unclear. This can be avoided, if you just give a gentle wiping to it before every shot you take. Translate it into a habit, and see how your photos will start to come out. You could also consider buying a quality, add-on lens, to up your smartphone-photography game.
May the light be with you
Lighting is vital. Try to incorporate natural lights, if available, in your shots. You could also play well with artificial lights, just make sure they come on the face of your subject, so they don't look shadowy. Ditch the flash, more often than not. It'll probably ruin the picture quality. Use it only in case it's inevitable, like night time clicks.
Learn to edit your shots (on your own)
When we tell you to 'learn to edit', even the thought might seem tiresome to you, let alone the task. But, we're not asking you to take full-fledged editing courses and become professional. Just get your hands on some helpful editing apps, like the VSCO app, for Android and iOS. Your photos will look awe-inspiring, and it'll give you more satisfaction than those filters.
About getting closer to your subjects, and using HDR mode
Since your smartphone lacks an optical zoom, always get closer to your subject(s) to get undistorted, nice pictures. Try using the HDR (High dynamic range) mode on your camera app, to bring the details out of the darkest and lightest parts of your image, and create a beautiful balance of colors. Enough teaching? Go, click now.
