9 Phone Photography Tips
“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”
Cameras on phones in the last couple of years have improved leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. and you can create great photography with it. If you would like to step up your photography a bit on your phone, I have put a lit of 9 photography tips that you can use on your phone that will help with that.
Angles
Taking a subject at a different angle can change your photo drastically. Changing the angle changes the perspective and will make it different and make it look more professional. For a landscape, instead of taking it from eye level, get low.
Use the timer
The timer is great for selfies that include more than your face and group photos. For an iPhone, there is a little tent symbol on the top. If you hit that there is a timer symbol and if you click on that you can choose between 3 or 10 seconds. Which on you choose is determined by how much time you need to get into place.
Hold Steady
A camera phone to a DSLR, this tip applies to all cameras. Holding the camera steady is important because it hopes not to get a blurry photo and keep it straight. One way to keep the camera steady is to brace your elbows against your chest and hold the camera with both hands. You can also lean your arms across your knees if you're sitting down or on a table.
Negative Space
In the world of art, negative space refers to everything around the subject. So if you have a couple walking down a path, the couple would be the subject and the path around them would be the negative space. The saying that less is more comes to mind when thinking about negative space. Having more negative space, not all the time can make the photo simpler. It can put more emphasis on the subject, or at least make it easier to focus on it.
Avoid Zoom and Flash
Zoom
Cameras on phones have come a long way but when you zoom on them it doesn’t turn out very well. The photo gets all blurry and grainy. If you zoom in very close then it can get hard to tell what the photo is supposed to be a part of. So avoid zoom when possible. If you can get closer then do so and only do that if you can do it safely. If it comes down to using the zoom or getting hurt, then use the zoom.
Flash
Just like with the zoom, the flash should be avoided because the flash isn’t great on the phones. Having the flash on will do a couple of different things. It can cause your photos to be blurry, have the subject look ghost-like, or give the photo odd colors. Instead of using it, try using light in the room like a lamp or candles.
Natural Light
Phone cameras work best when you use natural light. This is especially true when you use portrait mode. When inside use light coming from a window or door. You can have the subject parallel to the to the light source to have the light fall on them or back light them with it. Using natural light when possible is going to give the best shot.
Two Photography Rules
1. Leading Lines- A path leading into the trees, a road, or a set of railroad tracks all can be leading lines. It can also be a wall, railing, or countertop. Having your subject somewhere on that leading line will help whoever looks at the photograph to directly to your subject. It's fun for me to find the leading lines and how to fit them into a photo. I think I’m going to play a game the next time I go to take photos which is to find the leading lines and see how I can use them to create a photo. Will you play with me?
2. Rule of Thirds- It’s best described as having your subject in the left or right third of the photo. There is a grid you can put on your phone to help you find where the thirds are. Having one’s subject in the center of the photograph makes it more interesting. It can be quite boring if it’s dead center. I personally like to use not just the left and right but also the up and down thirds as well.
Focus & Exposure
The camera is like a computer and will assume what to focus on and do what the proper exposure is supposed to be. It’s really smart so it gets it right most of the time but knowing how to change it on your camera will help you have artistic control. On the iPhone you can can change the focus and the exposure. With the camera app open, you hold down where you would like the like the camera to focus and a yellow box will pop up. Next to the box there is a sun and you can move that up and down to change the exposure. The sun can be hard to move when you're first learning how to do it or at least it was for me.
Backlight
When the light source is behind the subject and facing the camera. Its done a lot with portraits because the person has light on them and isn’t making a face because the light source is in their eyes.
I would love to hear which ones were helpful to you and which ones you used. What I would love more than anything is to see the photos you create. Please do share them with me.
