Currently, one of the most competitive points for cell phone manufacturers is the cameras. If a few years ago we had been told that we would take excellent photographs with cell phones, we probably wouldn't have believed it, but the reality is that technology has advanced so much that although there are still limitations, we can say that very good results can be achieved.
Especially if you follow these 10 tips for taking photos with your cell phone . Keep reading to get the most out of your cell phone camera. We have a great tool at hand, you just need to know it to take the best photos.
Tips for taking photos with your cell phone
1. Know your hardware
If you want to get the most out of taking photos with your cell phone , you need to know your camera. You can check the manual or the features that will give you important information to start taking photos. You should know the resolution, but also details such as the size of the sensor or the pixels, because these are even more important than the megapixels, and the same goes for the lens aperture.
Explore all the possibilities you have with the lens, especially the zoom, because this can be very useful to capture distant objects without blurring the image. The image stabilizer is another key aspect when you want to take photos in low light and record videos (it helps minimize shaking). There are digital and optical stabilizers, the first ones are the most effective.
Find out how your phone takes or shoots photos. If you have the option to do so from the volume buttons, this may be more convenient for you. Knowing your hardware specifications is certainly a good starting point to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your phone's camera.
2. Know the software
Once you know your hardware, it is also key to know a little more about the software to see what it offers and thus take good photos with your cell phone . Although the automatic mode is fine, it may be even better to adjust the parameters to improve the photos and knowing the software is a fundamental aspect.
Open the camera app to find the available options such as scene modes or manual mode, you will find the way to play with the values, if you have the option to put a filter it is better to do it after having taken the photo with an editing program. If you want to know 5 applications to edit your photos you can read our article Applications to edit your photos like a professional . There we will give you some complete applications with which you can improve your photos.
Check the resolution settings, because there are cases where you are not taking full advantage of everything your sensor has to offer. Also take advantage of the night, macro or portrait mode nodes, all of which are available in all smartphone ranges. The best thing to do is to test and find the settings that work best for you.
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3. Clean the lens
This may seem very obvious, but sometimes we forget this detail. Do it always and you will see a difference in your photos. What happens with the cell phone, unlike cameras, is that we always have them in our hand, the lens gets dirty easily and we have to clean it frequently.
In these cases, a cotton flannel may be sufficient, since we do not normally carry a special chamois cloth. You just have to be careful with the material because you do not want to scratch the lens.
4. Bet on natural light
Photography is about light, so this is a very important aspect. The more you can take advantage of natural light, the better. Also, as we mentioned before, one of the disadvantages of these cell phone cameras is that they don't perform well in low light conditions.
The best option will always be to opt for natural light whenever possible. We know that it will not always be possible to take photos in natural light, but you can create effects with not so strong light, and play with shadows.
5. Take care of the contrasts
Just as you should take advantage of daylight, you should take care of contrasts. If your camera maintains a balance between contrasts, between light and shadow, you can take advantage of this effect. If, on the other hand, your cell phone is not able to take advantage of this contrast, and instead the photos look burnt or the details are lost in the shadows, it is best to avoid this type of photos.
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6. Evaluate the backlight effect
While it can be a very nice effect, you need to know if your camera is capable of capturing a perfect or at least a decent backlit photo. If the light degrades subtly, creating a silhouette effect and it turns out to be attractive and harmonious, you can take advantage of this type of scenes.
7. Avoid flash
Back to the topic of natural light, using flash is the complete opposite. You should avoid it as much as possible, because flash rarely gives a subtle touch, it is always very noticeable and affects the composition of the photo. If you use it, it is because you really need to use it. Before using the flash, evaluate whether the photo would look better without it.
8. Use the grid
The grid is definitely a key aspect, it allows you to adjust the scene, for example: it is very useful for taking landscape photos, because a tilted horizon can ruin a good photo. Then these guide lines can help you, go to the menu and activate this composition to take more harmonious photos.
9. And finally…Take lots of photos
To finish our advice, the best thing you can do is take lots of photos. Almost no shot turns out well the first time, so you have to be patient and explore different options. Afterwards, you can select from all the options which one you liked the most.
So you have to practice, get to know your cell phone, the options it offers and what each one can be useful for. These are our tips for taking photos with your cell phone. What other tricks do you know for taking good photos?
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