Tips and Tricks for Better Smartphone Photos

Your smartphone is constantly with you, a continuous partner that can connect to the internet to search for any random fact and keep you in touch with the rest of the world. It’s one of the final things you gather before leaving the room, and the last time you switched it off was probably at the movies.

This also turns your phone into a digital camera that you can go anywhere and shoot anything with. Making photographs and videos with smartphones was a compromise only a few years ago, with worse image quality but a lot more ease than a good point-and-shoot camera.

However, times have evolved, and phone cameras have improved significantly. The latest models outperform affordable point-and-shoot cameras in terms of imaging and video, as well as ingenious software tricks for blurring backgrounds, just like an SLR with an f/2 or f/1.4 lens.

Phone with a Good Camera is The Key

Over the last few years, the quality of smartphone cameras has improved dramatically. Unfortunately, if you’re using an outdated phone, the camera is probably not up to par. If picture quality is essential to you when buying a new phone, check out our list of the best camera phones we’ve reviewed. But keep in mind that the latest Apple iPhone, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and Samsung Galaxy devices are excellent choices.

Clean the Lens

Do your photos have a milky tint to them? This is the most common issue we notice with smartphone cameras. Since the lens is so tiny, it’s simple for it to become dirty while you’re doing other things with your phone. You’ve spent the entire day reaching for your phone, so make sure those splotchy marks are gone before you start snapping.

This is very bothersome when the sunscreen comes out; wipe it away, and you’ll get better shots. This is also critical for the front camera. Take the time to wipe the sweat, oil, or makeup from the lens so that you look razor-sharp in your selfies.

Using HDR Mode Can Help

High Dynamic Range, or HDR, has become a standard feature in smartphone camera programs. So told, it enhances the detail in the darkest and lightest areas of your image and improves the overall color balance. The disadvantage is that photographs in HDR mode take a bit longer to process as your smartphone figures it all out.

It’s perfect for landscapes and portrait photographs with a lot of contrast between the darkest and lightest sections of the image. However, you should limit using it on fast-moving objects or when you can’t hold your phone steady because it takes a few milliseconds extra to take a picture.

Focusing Would Give Good Results

Its level of focus defines a photograph. In the last few years, cameras have improved at focusing on the subject but don’t just point and shoot. Take your time to ensure that the subject of your photograph is in focus.

Touch focusing is available on several smartphones. Touch the display area that you wish to focus on, and it will usually click into place. You might be too close if it won’t focus, especially if it’s anything small. Try backing up a little.

Good Lighting Is Essential

Smartphones have brilliant lenses and specific settings for taking pictures in low light—the Night modes on the latest iPhones and Pixels are far superior to point-and-shoot cameras.

Even so, finding some light to brighten a photograph is a brilliant idea. It’s always essential to find some environmental lighting, whether it’s sunshine from a window for an inside picture or a neon sign for a nighttime photo in a city—smartphone flashes pale in comparison.

Keep Your Hand Steady While Taking a Picture

The sensitivity to movement is where smartphone cameras still fall short of dedicated cameras. For example, a smartphone photo can look like it was taken on a rocking boat with just a tiny wobble, whereas a more professional DSLR can better handle this type of motion.

As a result, it’s critical to keep camera shake to a minimum. Although purchasing a tripod may appear overkill, you can get inexpensive, compact tripod types designed exclusively for cellphones.

If you don’t want to invest in a tripod, make do with what you have on hand: a wall, a friend’s shoulder, or even your other arm. Keeping the photograph steady is critical in low-light situations, where exposure duration must be longer.

Turn on Your Grid

Framing grids in the viewfinder glass of professional SLRs help you square up images and adhere to compositional standards like the rule of thirds. In your phone’s camera app, you can do the same thing.

Adding a grid line aids in maintaining the horizon straight and is especially useful for pictures taken in front of well-known locations. Except for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it’s generally a good idea to maintain upright structures in your shots precisely vertical.

So, when you’re thinking about all the fantastic methods to improve your images, don’t forget about video. Please tilt your phone to horizontal if you’re recording footage of anything spectacular that you might want to show on the big screen one day, so we don’t have to look at the blurry edges. Now, we hope you’ve learned something new and will continue to utilize your smartphone to document your surroundings.