Quick Mobile Photography Tips to Learn From

Cameras on smartphones and mobile devices are becoming more and more advanced as consumers demand better quality pictures.

In the past five years especially, this has really been noticeable. I remember when the photos were decent quality on a Nokia N70 and now we have the iPhone 6 with 8MP camera and two lights on the back. But we all know, that camera or mobile phone you’re using for taking pictures is not the most important thing. What is really important is how you take the shot.

That is why today I wanted to share some of my favorite mobile photography tips with you.

1. Check if it’s Clean

I’m starting with a pretty interesting and unusual tip, but for me it was the few times that my lens of the mobile phone was dirty. Our phones spend a lot of time in our pocket, a bag or in our hands. As a result they tend to get dirty.

Dirt, dust, grease and fingerprints on your lens will have a big effect on the quality of your photos. Take a few seconds to wipe it off and make sure everything is clear.

2. Highest Quality Settings

All phones will usually have a way of adjusting picture resolution, quality and other basic options. Choose the highest quality you can. The photos may look great on the small screen on your phone, but once you see them on the big screen, you’ll notice the little details which then end up ruining the picture.

3. Set the Focus

One of the most important things to look out for when taking a photo is to make sure that your subject is in focus. This will make your photos sharper and more appealing.

To focus on the iPhone camera is very simple, just tap on the screen where your subject is. A small yellow square will appear to confirm the focus point. Sometimes you need to try to tap on different areas of the screen, until you find the best combination of sharpness and light.

4. Don’t use ZOOM

Using zoom is the first step towards taking bad pictures with your mobile device. I’m not talking about how bad it looks on your phone, you need to see the photo after you upload it to your computer. It’s look like a disaster! It’s much better to find the way to get closer.

Don’t forget that this is just a phone, and its opportunities are not those of a DSLR lens. Sometimes limitations lead to creativity, which can create the best photos!

5. More Light = Better Quality

Lighting-Tips-for-Mobile-Photos

To take the best quality photos with your phone you need as much light as you can find.

When taking a photo of someone or something, be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to how the light not only hits your subject, but the spaces around them and even around you.

The more light you have available in the scene, the clearer and brighter your pictures will be. Be warned though, avoid getting absolute direct light into the camera lens. This will cause your pictures to be overly exposed.

6. Take Photos Multiple Times

The last and the simplest advice I have is to take the photo multiple times.

Always try to take your picture from various angles and distances. This is especially important when you’re taking photos of people.

In the end, after reviewing all those photos you will probably delete 80% of them and it takes time, but you will have great photos to share with your friends and family.

Bonus Resources

Smartphone camera’s are really good at producing decent to high quality photos at this point. They are still pretty limited though.

Whether you have an iPhone, Android, or Windows phone, there will be hundreds of apps available for you to really take advantage of your camera. Here are my favorites The first one is Manual and another one is ProCam 2. Both apps are paid, but it’s really worth.

  1. Manual – custom exposure for your mobile camera
  2. ProCam 2 – image editor and camera settings app
  3. Free Photoshop Actions – our best free effects for your mobile photos

What are your favorite mobile photography tips and tricks? Leave a comment below so everyone can learn!

 

This guest post was written by Justas Markus. A brilliant blogger and entrepreneur from Vilnius, Lithuania. Follow him on Twitter.

4 Replies to “Quick Mobile Photography Tips to Learn From”

  1. Sherish says:

    I visited your blog for the first time and just been your fan. Keep posting as I am gonna come to read it everyday.thank you for your post

  2. Prompttips says:

    Ah thanks for these tips, i usually worried about the pictures taken from my cellphone, but now will definitely use these tricks for a better result. Thanks again

    1. Mike says:

      Thanks for the feedback! Glad we could help.

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