Tips to help you take better photos with your phone

Phone cameras have grown over the years to such an extent that phone photography is slowly becoming a niche in itself. Below are tips on how to take photos with your phone.

Yet, despite all these, many of us regular folks still struggle taking clear, normal photographs, even when we have a phone camera very much capable, if not excellent at it. So, what is it? Why can’t I take good photos with my phone camera? you ask.

Well, let us look at ways you can improve your phone camera photography.

Wipe your lenses

It really should come as no surprise that your phone lenses are – well often not very clean. From placing them on the table to placing them in your pockets to accidentally touching them as you scroll. The lenses will have a lot of smudges.

So, before taking any photo, ensure that you clean your phone lenses. And do not just use anything. Coarse material such as your cotton shirt or napkin damages the lens over time as they leave scratches. Go for a very soft microfiber cloth.

Set your phone resolution high

In photography, it goes without saying that the higher your camera resolution, the better the photo quality will be. So, when you switch to your camera app, go to the resolution and set it to its highest possible value. However, ensure that you have enough storage to store these photos as they are often large in size. You could opt for an external memory card.

Use proper lighting

Lighting is to photography what food is to our bodies – a necessity.

To take better photos indoors, take them closer to the window or the door. The light can make food appear more appetizing, or the subject’s facial features more prominent.

Also, know where to place the subject. Do not place the subject directly in front of the light, unless you are taking the photo for a very specific purpose. Instead, have the light either to the sides to capture the depth or from up top or below for mood.

You can also find artificial lights that mimic natural lighting, making indoor photography that much easier.

Know Where The Photos Are Going

For example – if they’re going into your phones album, you don’t need to do much. But if they’re going into fancy photo books or albums you might want to make sure you get the resolution and size right – when you print photos taken on an iPhone out they can sometimes look a bit distorted. You don’t want them looking like that when they’re in your photo album – so make sure you tweak the settings and get them looking on point first. This is especially the case if you’re looking at doing a photo book as a gift or for a business catalogue etc.

Keep still

Ensure that when you press the shutter, you are perfectly still so that the image is clearer.

So, you could stand the phone on a tripod or monopod if you have one, or rest your hands on something solid if you go with your hands. Note that you may need to hold the phone still for much longer after pressing the shutter because many phone cameras suffer from a ‘shutter lag’.

Do all these and you will see a significant improvement in your phone photo quality. Of course much is still dependent on the phone camera lens, but providing the right conditions improves it still.

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