All of us have used our phones to take photos–whether of our family, of a sunset, or of interesting sights along a walk or hike. But they don’t always turn out great, sadly. That’s simply because many of us aren’t familiar with our phone’s capabilities, or how to enhance a photo without overdoing it. Remember our 7 iPhone Photography Tricks & Tips? We’ve compiled more tips for all you phone photographers out there. Use these tips to keep your vacation photos and spur-of-the-moment snapshots great!
Don’t zoom
This tip may seem odd, or even overly restrictive. But your phone’s zoom is likely a digital zoom, not optical. This means you’re more likely to get grainy, low-quality images, especially if you zoom in too far. Instead, get closer and use the camera as usual.
If this is not an option, crop the image later to bring the subject closer. The high-quality shot from not zooming will help you get close without losing details or sharpness.
Use black and white
Sometimes a bad background or contrasting colors are unavoidable. But rather than miss the shot, or edit an eyesore, turn photos with distracting backgrounds black and white. This helps put the focus back on your subject, especially if you have clashing or loud colors in the background or in surrounding objects.
Take multiple shots
More likely than not, you won’t get the perfect shot with just one. Move around to different angles and distances from your subject if you can. You may find a great new side of that subject, or a new composition! Plus, you’ll have the ability to review all those photos as you take them to make sure you’re getting your compositions just right.
The beauty of digital photography is that you can delete the old photos if you decide you don’t like them. Be sure to carry an extra memory card if you won’t have time immediately afterwards to delete some of these excess shots.
Pay attention to leading lines
Lines in your photo are a great way to draw attention to a subject. These can be railings, trees and branches, or even just the lines of your landscape.
However, you want to avoid lines that will detract from your subject. These lines that point away from your subject will drag the viewer’s eye out of the frame and ruin your image. If you run into these, try changing position. Sometimes, you may be able to crop them out, but try to take the image from a different angle first.
Avoid over-processing
This is one of the many rookie mistakes new photographers make. Focus on making your photo great as you take the shot, not on the computer. Apps can enhance a good photo, and maybe an okay photo, but they will not save a bad photo.
What are some tips and tricks you’ve learned from mobile phone photography? We’d love to hear from you!
