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Smartphone Photography: The Essential Guide

  Smartphone Photography: The Essential Guide These days, you don’t need professional photography equipment to take stunning photos. The smartphone in your pocket has the power to capture the kind of high-quality shots you can find in magazines – and it’s extremely easy to use, too! That said, smartphone photography involves more than grabbing that iPhone or Google Pixel, turning on the camera, and pointing it in the right direction. To take great photos with a smartphone, you’ll need to think about a variety of elements, including composition, lighting, and exposure settings. You’ll also want to consider the capabilities of your specific model and even think about purchasing an accessory or two. In the following sections, I’ll share everything you need to know to tap into your smartphone’s photography potential. From choosing the right smartphone photo gear to understanding the various Android and iPhone modes and settings, I’ll carefully guide you through the process. I’ll also s...
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Clean your lens

  Clean your lens This tip is extremely basic, but you will be  amazed  by the dirt and grime that accumulate on your smartphone lens. (When I reach for my phone, I often find lots of smudges and dirt caused by my kids, my pockets, the environment, and more.) So do yourself a favor and get in the habit of quickly wiping your phone lens before beginning a photoshoot. It’ll make your photos look so much sharper! Note that you’ll want to pay especially close attention to your smartphone camera lens during bad weather; if you’re photographing in the rain, for instance, a single drop of water can turn the whole shot blurry. Make sure you wipe that lens clean at least every few minutes!
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Tap the screen to set focus

  Tap the screen to set focus Typically, when you point your smartphone at a subject, the camera will guess what you want to photograph. For instance, if it recognizes faces, it’ll focus on the faces; if it recognizes a person, it’ll focus on the person. This method of autofocusing can work well, especially if you’re photographing a clear scene with an obvious main subject. But when the scene is more complex – you’re photographing a bird surrounded by trees, for example – your smartphone may get the focusing wrong, and the shot will turn out blurry. So what do you do? Instead of letting your smartphone’s algorithms determine your point of focus, simply tap on your subject, and then – voila! – you’ll get a sharp result. Note: If you want extremely fine control over your smartphone’s focusing – such as when you’re doing close-up photography – there are a variety of camera apps that allow you to focus manually so that you can rack the plane of focus back and forth until you get the re...
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Manually set the image brightness

  Manually set the image brightness Did you know that you can set image brightness (i.e. image exposer) manually?  It’s true, and you can use this function to control the level of detail that will appear in the final photo. The details depend on your specific smartphone model, but try tapping on the screen, then look for some sort of exposure symbol (such as a sun). Swipe up (or drag the corresponding slider) to brighten the exposure, and swipe down (or drag the corresponding slider) to darken it. Note that the general goal is to keep as much detail as possible in the final image. However, you can also deliberately brighten or darken an image for creative effect, like this:
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Make sure your smartphone’s HDR function is on

  Make sure your smartphone’s HDR function is on HDR is a handy feature found in most smartphones today, and you might be surprised to learn how much it can enhance your photos. It stands for  high dynamic range , and its primary purpose is to bring out the details in the shadows and highlights. It works by taking multiple shots at different exposures and then merging them together to create a balanced image. Most modern phones offer some sort of HDR option, which can often be toggled on and off in your phone’s settings. (It’s usually tucked away in the camera app settings.)
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Test out your smartphone’s photography modes

  Test out your smartphone’s photography modes Your smartphone likely comes with several photography modes, each offering a different way to create your images. Portrait mode, for instance, will blur the background and put focus on the subject. This is great for individual or couple photos and can give a professional touch, similar to what you could achieve with a high-end camera. Night mode is another powerful feature. If you’ve ever tried to take a photo in low light, you know how difficult it can be, but Night mode takes several images and blends them together for a clear and bright shot. And then there’s Panorama. Want to capture a breathtaking landscape? Panorama mode lets you take a series of photos and stitch them together into one wide image. You don’t need to be a technical whiz to use these modes. Just find them in your camera app, select the one that fits your scene, and shoot. Over time, you’ll get a feel for when to use each mode, but experimenting is the best way to l...
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Use leading lines

  Use leading lines Leading line are lines that lead the viewer into the frame and draw attention to the main subject. And these lines, if used correctly, are insanely powerful. When you’re shooting with your smartphone, look around for roads, buildings, or even furniture that can help lead the eye to the subject. Technically, a leading line can be pretty much anything, from outstretched arms and tree branches to road signs and buildings, so even if you can’t see any obvious lines, I encourage you to keep looking! Once you find a leading line, adjust your position so that it points to the main subject. Your composition will instantly improve! Here, I used the row of chairs to direct the viewer toward the building in the background:
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