How to take great Pictures on your Phone

By Juliette Perry

Take photos all day, every day

Never ponder for a second and think, 'hmm should I take a photo?' Just take it already. Needless to say, some of the most iconic shots that have been taken were just a click of the finger and in the next second that million dollar shot would have been gone. Be impulsive and click click click. The more you take, the better I say. 


Use natural light

We all know that there are certain times of day and certain amounts of light that aren't going to make a flattering selfie. So instead of using flash, take advantage of the sources of natural light you can find, even after dark. That gives you a chance to play with shadows, like in the second image below, or create a silhouette with other ambient sources of light, like traffic and surrounding buildings.

Another great tip is once you've taken the photo and your still a bit unsure, play with the "Exposure" tool where you can make the image slightly brighter or darker. Just be careful to do so without making it too grainy.


Take steps instead of Zoom

We have all become far to lazy and in the bad habit of just thinking, 'Well I'll zoom'. Don’t forget your phone is not an advanced canon or Nikon camera, it will most likely go blurry or pixelated and we don't want any of that. So instead, walk a little closer and viola! A beautifully focused, close up photo but with none of that silly zoom being used.



Clean your lens

An obvious tip I know, but you would be surprised how many people do forget this! After your phone has been rummaging around in your handbag, pocket or greasy hands all day long there is bound to be little something on your lens. Give it a little wipe and your good to go. 


Angles 

Now I know we don't all want to look like those classic foodie bloggers who are standing on their chairs in the middle of a restaurant to ensure they get that perfect angle, but whether they look stupid or not, they have got a good point. We are all to used to just thinking 'I want to take a photo' and clicking the button before we even analyse the subject were shooting. Next time you go to take a photo bend down to be the same level as your subject, tilt your screen, go for an over head shot, or if its a selfie? Well then of course take it from above. Play around and your experiments will bring you some brilliant outcomes. 


Forget about flash

Now we touched on this earlier, light is your friend, not foe. Try to always use light to your advantage instead of the horror of flash. You know when your photos look like your friends, family or pets have turned in to zombies with gleaming red eyes? That will be a bit of flash magic for you. Try to avoid when possible. 


Edit, Don't Filter

Be original and instead of all those photos you scroll past daily on Instagram, make yours unique by actually not using a filter. Play around with contract, saturation, brightness, until you find your perfect blend of edit. Practise makes perfect. 


Find a steady support

Unless your going for a specific blurred look, most of us want a picture taken in focus and with no blur. To ensure this a steady support can go along way. Yes, you can buy mobile tripods if you want to get the best results, but it’s just another thing to carry around. So why not try a pop socket or a steady wall, table, floor surface. Now most mobiles have a self timer setting or download an app. This is great in allowing you to leave your phone up on a shelf somewhere, resting on a steady surface without having to get behind it.


Use the physical shutter button

This mainly goes for when your trying to take selfies but this can be a handy little tool to know in all cases. It allows you to focus on your subject without your finger getting in the way on your screen and by how your hands are be positioned your bound to get a straighter, less giggled shot. 


To learn more about photography, click here.

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