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Some believe that striking pictures can only be taken using a professional camera. Nonetheless, you have probably browsed impressive shots on social media; ones that were captured on smartphones. The truth is that you don’t need professional equipment to take shots that amaze people with their beauty and deep meaning. It only requires a little practice.
Phone photos can also look like they were taken on a professional camera. After all, today’s smartphones provide you with incredible options that are not inferior in quality to specialized equipment. Moreover, modern photography is always about searching for a unique way of presenting ordinary things. Read this article to learn how to capture fascinating pictures using only your smartphone’s camera!
Prepare your smartphone for mobile photography
Often, phone photos can look non-professional because your camera is not properly prepared. Here are some aspects you should consider before embarking on your phone photoshoot:
- Clean your camera lenses. Since your smartphone has a lot of small details, it’s no wonder dust penetrates its parts, including the camera lens. Moreover, fingerprints are easily left on glass optics. As a result, you get blurry, unclear pictures. Just wipe your lenses with a dry cloth before making shots to avoid this issue.
- Switch to manual mode. Aspiring photographers frequently rely on auto camera settings, believing it can improve the quality of their pictures. But in most cases, auto camera settings don’t allow you to adapt to different environmental conditions. You can get overexposed or darkened shots. On the contrary, properly set manual mode enables the creation of fascinating images. Pay special attention to ISO and aperture, since they directly affect the lighting in your shots.
- Turn HDR on. High Dynamic Range is a useful feature in your smartphone’s camera. It automatically regulates light and dark balance in your high-contrasted shots. Using this option, you can capture pictures that look similar to what the human eye sees.
- Make sure you use manual focus. Modern cameras can recognize objects in your frames. However, this technology is still imperfect in some situations. For example, when you’re eager to focus on one of multiple objects. In this case, you need to set up the manual option to make clearly-visible images.
Useful mobile photo tricks and techniques
Professional photographers are more likely to experiment with different scenes and angles due to their watchfulness. But it’s better for aspiring creators to first familiarize themselves with basics like composition rules, contrast, and horizon line. After gaining more mobile photography experience, you can add something new to your personal approach and work in different conditions.
Take pictures in high quality
Poor-quality images look non-professional and blurred due to their pixelization. When zooming such pictures in, you can see how the visual turns into small dots. Standard-quality photos are set by default in most smartphone cameras. If you find your image unclear, change the quality options in settings.
Nonetheless, there might be situations in which an excellent composition is ruined by low resolution. This can be easily fixed. On the web, you can find different online solutions called image upscalers. These tools are based on AI and can automatically add missing pixels to your images. Moreover, they sharpen object details and remove excess noise using smart algorithms. If you have a low-resolution image, try Depositphotos Image Upscaler. The tool allows you to quickly double the resolution of any visual in a couple of seconds. It also sharpens details, brightens colors, and reduces blur and noise.
Balance your pictures using the rule of thirds
Following well-established compositional rules is one of the most useful tips for aspiring phone photographers. For example, you can create harmony in scenes using the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio. Nonetheless, the rule of thirds is much easier to understand for beginners.
The rule of thirds is a technique of building composition where the main object is placed in the left or right third of a grid in a frame. The rule of thirds generally leads to compelling and well-composed shots. To build compositions with the rule of thirds, you can add gridlines to the camera’s screen. This option is available on all modern smartphones.
Search for natural sources of light
Aspiring photographers often use flash in low-light conditions. However, this can make objects in your scene look abnormal and overexposed. Unwanted shadows and flares can also appear. That’s why professional photographers often take images in specially equipped studios where it’s possible to manage lighting conditions.
Generally, it’s better to search for natural light sources like the sun or moon to get accurate results. You should also be able to locate your light sources correctly to add volumetric shadows to depicted objects. Your light source should be positioned behind the сamera. Otherwise, you will get overexposed photos.
Hold your camera inert
Smartphone cameras are sensitive to movement. So, when you shake it while shooting, it results in defocused images. You can lean your hand on something stable to avoid this problem. However, you may want to try the long-exposure technique that allows creators to make impressive photos.It requires a stable camera for a prolonged time. In such situations, you will require a tripod.
Find unusual points of view
People are accustomed to seeing the world from their eye level. As a photographer, you must change the habitual ways of perceiving life to take memorable shots. You can do this by applying different effects and experimenting with camera settings. But the easiest way to make something extraordinary is to change the viewpoint.
For example, you can depict your hometown from an aerial view. Or, sit down and direct your camera to the sky to make surrounding objects look larger.
Follow object patterns
Have you ever thought about why people find tiles appealing? This is due to repetitive components. Such scenes deliver harmony to your composition. This is also a great way to experiment with visual narratives. For example, you can put books in one straight line and take pictures. It’s also possible to highlight one object among others. Just change its size, form, or color. This is a useful technique for developing visual storylines and advertisement banners.
Make small things your main accent
In real life, people don’t always notice the little details that can make your pictures exceptional. Since some objects are not visible or noticeable by the human eye, capturing them in your images will make the photos more striking and unusual. For example, you can depict dew drops on flower petals or show the elegance of cat eyes.
Noticing details is a useful skill in phone photography. Practicing it, you can develop your inner watchfulness and unique style. Make notes on small, hidden things you can depict in your images. Then, you will see how your creativity grows every day.
Focus on natural lines in your frame
The main rule of art states that each object can be depicted using simple lines and shapes. You should develop your skill of finding simple lines in complex objects. Natural lines can be found in ordinary objects. For example, in tree branches, staircases, or roads. To make a visually appealing shot, you should also play with different angles where lines are clearly visible.
Depict reflections in water
Water reflections look charming. They often draw the viewers’ eyes. Moreover, this technique offers a lot of room for creativity. First, find an appropriate location near rivers or even puddles. Then, experiment with different scenes. If you want to add a bit of fantasy to your shots, post-process your images. For example, make an object and its reflection different or leave only some significant parts of the reflection.
Conclusion
Your smartphone camera can be perfect for creating memorable and unusual shots. Of course, this requires a little practice and a creative mindset. But, anything is possible in the right hands. So, start your journey with a positive experience—use the techniques and tips presented in this article.