The modern smartphone can do almost anything including taking beautiful, high-quality pictures that are comparable to those snapped by a digital camera. Whether you are looking to capture spring scenery or take a sweet selfie, here are some tips to help up our smartphone photo game.
Advantage of Using Natural Light
When it comes to taking great pictures, it is important to think about the use of lighting. Try to use natural lighting as much as possible and avoid using your smartphone’s flash. Natural light sources allow more creativity when it comes to playing with shadows and it organically enhances the lighting of the subject you are photographing.
Steady Your Shot
Every smartphone photographer knows the feeling of struggling to hold their phones steady to take a shot. Unfortunately, smartphone cameras are highly sensitive to movements which means any slight twitch will cause them go out of focus. To minimize this, consider getting a small, inexpensive tripod. If that is not an option, be creative and think outside the box. Use flat surfaces such as a wall or steady your smartphone using your other arm resting on a stable surface.
Burst Mode Photography
Believe it or not, there is now a way to get that perfect family shot without worrying about the one member who always blinks when the picture is taken. Most modern smartphones come with a burst photography feature which instantly takes several pictures within a couple of seconds. By taking multiple photos during the short period of time, you don’t have to worry about taking time to set up the shot and retake photos that were not ideal. Depending on the smartphone, burst mode photography is usually activated by holding the down the shutter button while taking the picture.
Negative Space
Lindsay Kolowich from HubSpot Blog suggests embracing and making use of negative space to enhance your photography. She refers to negative space as the areas around and in between the subject in an image. She suggests using more empty spaces in photos as they create a contrast and help your subject stand out more.
Leading Lines
When setting up and framing the subject for a photograph, sometimes there are natural lines that direct the attention of a viewer in a certain direction. Whether it’s natural or something that you designed yourself, these “leading lines” can help enhance your photos and guide and direct a viewer’s eyes to the main highlight in your photo. For example, a picture of a spiral staircase guides the viewer’s eyes spinning up around the staircase.
Playing with Perspectives
One of the best ways to take photos that stand out is to get creative and play with perspective. Even if the scenery is repetitive and seems dull, using perspective can create unique and interesting shots. For example, taking a photo directly upwards into the sky or getting really close to the ground can create imagery that is often overlooked yet is very interesting.
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