20 tips for taking professional photos with your phone
It's hard to find someone who doesn't usually take pictures with their smartphone today. Considering that the lenses of these devices are becoming more advanced, there is also no reason to invest in a camera by itself. Fortunately, it is also possible to take professional photos with your phone more easily, especially if you know how to take advantage of the smartphone's dual cameras. If you're curious about how you can do this, just check out our top tips from the list below!
1. Check the resolution
Most current smartphones have Full HD or 4K resolution in their cameras. Still, many of them have a lower resolution enabled by default.
This helps not to fill your device storage with photos at full resolution, but is not ideal for those who want high quality images. So be sure to look at your camera settings before you start taking pictures.
2. Pay attention to focus
Another important aspect to pay attention to before taking your pictures is the focus of the camera. We suggest that you do not use auto focus that is already enabled on many modern smartphones.
We say this because the device can focus on the wrong object or person right at the time of the photo. If your device does not allow switching to manual focus, use another camera application that has this option.
3. Do not use flash
A lot of people still insist on using flash when taking pictures with their smartphone. This may seem to help in dark environments, but it will only make your images look uglier, weirder, people with red eyes, etc.
This makes photos look very amateurish, largely because it is used in the wrong situations. Other than that, the flash that comes equipped with smartphones is always very weak and doesn't have a cool effect even on the right occasions.
4. Do not use digital zoom
Another factor that doesn't work on smartphones is zoom. As there are few smartphones that have some kind of manual zoom, it is best to leave the option completely aside.
Digital zoom just enlarges and distorts the image that is already on the screen instead of actually getting close to it. Like flash, it will look amateurish in your photos.
5. Beware of the lens
Even being part of the body of the smartphone, many people do not care much for the camera lens of the device. Still, this is the most important part of the device for those who like to take professional photos with their mobile phone.
Our tip is to keep the lens protected, to keep it very clean and to watch to see if the protective glass has not come out unintentionally. This last fact is a bit unusual, but it can happen in steeper falls.
6. Take multiple photos at once
It will hardly be possible to get a perfect photo on the first try. So we suggest that you take dozens of photos in a row and without much thought.
The good thing is that you can test different angles and positions quickly and in a more improvised manner. This can create a very interesting photo that you didn't even expect at first.
7. Use special accessories
You can now find many different types of accessories for taking professional photos with your phone. In addition to tripods and other brackets, there are also a few different lenses for you to try.
In general, these lenses give a different effect to your photos, either with a zoom type or even the familiar fisheye effect. Either way, it's a great way to get different results.
8. Use both hands
Unless you're taking a selfie, it's important to use both hands to take your photos with a smartphone. This helps you to firm up and get a better frame. Other than just using one hand, you can end up shaking your smartphone just in time to hit the capture button.
9. Use framing
Almost every smartphone today has the option of adding a grid to the screen so you get a better sense of the framing of your photos. It is essential to use this feature to take professional photos with the phone.
This way you can better adjust the angle of your photos and decide what can be centered. It's also a good way to prevent people or objects in your photo from being bent or missing parts by accident.
10. Always take horizontal photos
While it is common to view photos vertically on your smartphone, you should always take photos horizontally. You will have more framing options and can include a little more of the scenery around you. This also helps when viewing photos in other ways, whether on TV, computer or even if they are printed.
11. Test different distances
You can follow all the tips in this list, but it is still possible to spoil a photo if you do not get the correct distance from the camera and the photographed object. Getting too close or too far turns out to be a big problem, but it can also be difficult to figure out the perfect distance without testing first.
So our tip is to try different distances of the same photo whenever possible and make multiple images to gain a better sense of space.
12. Watch out for the backdrop
Something very common to see in more casual photos is unnecessary objects appearing at the bottom of the photo, something that takes the focus off what you really wanted to show in the image.
As you adjust the frame, start paying attention to it and remove whatever you think is necessary. Just don't take anything away from it, as certain objects can help create a sense of depth in the image.
13. Ensure good lighting
One of the elements that makes a photo fantastic is its lighting, especially when it consists of natural light. As much as some situations require artificial light, we recommend that you always try some alternatives with the actual lighting of the place of the photo.
Another tip is to avoid bright lights directly on the subject (unless the subject is overexposed) and to use shadows in your favor. Good lighting is essential for taking professional photos with your phone.
14. Use HDR Mode
Most of today's smartphones feature HDR, which can greatly improve the quality of your photos. It helps you achieve great contrast, more vibrant colors and much better detail than usual.
To do this, it automatically takes three photos at different exposure levels to match your best looks and then deliver the highest quality result. Photos taken with this feature take a little longer, but are worth it.
15. Use different perspectives
We also recommend that you don't just take professional photos with your phone that just feel too flat or straight. Play with the perspective of the place, especially if it's a photo of a scene, not people or objects.
To do this, you can try different angles or less uniform distances from one object to another. Of course, this doesn't work well for all kinds of photos, so it's a matter of testing what works.
16. Edit the images
Of course this is a tip for after you have already taken your photos on your phone. In many situations, light editing is all you need to make a picture look more interesting.
You can apply a different filter, highlight only one color, blur an object, etc. We only suggest that you do nothing very artificial, as this may negatively draw attention to your photo.
17. Use apps with manual controls
Unsurprisingly, smartphone's native camera apps are lacking. They do not have many options and still end up having many automatic features.
This is bad for dealing with different types of photos, as you barely have to change the options. We suggest that you use specific applications that have manual controls. You can check out some of the best apps of its kind on our list of professional smartphone camera apps at the following link.
18. Blur the backdrop
A very interesting tip for taking professional photos with the phone that not everyone uses is the blur of the background. This type of image is very popular with photographers, but we end up not seeing so much in images taken with smartphones.
There are editing apps that blur this, but some newer smartphones already offer the ability to take a picture. In any case, it is an effect worth exploring.
19. Take pictures on the go
If you want a professional effect without having to work hard, you can try taking moving pictures. These images are not very complicated to achieve and can have a very interesting effect. There are many ways to take these photos effectively, as you can see in our guide at the following link.
20. Use the shadows to your advantage.
We already mentioned the importance of good lighting in your photos, but we know you can't always guarantee that. This is exactly why we suggest using the shadows to your advantage.
Shadows can be used to have a slightly dramatic effect on your photo, but without appealing too much. Our suggestion is to test different types of shadows on the object or person photographed first.
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