04 Jun Seven Easy Tips to Up Your Mobile Photography Game
For travelers who are on the go—juggling work, family vacation, and trying to capture every moment along the way—getting that perfect photo with your mobile device can seem like a daunting task. With smartphones, a click of a button or a tap of a screen can either make your next awesome Facebook profile pic, or prove how uncoordinated you are when it comes to taking scenic shots or selfies. Here, we gather advice from some of our contributing photographers so that even the most novice smartphone shooter can snap a photo worthy of those thousand words. Here are seven tips to get you started.
1. Rule of Thirds
© Backroads
This is the quintessential rule of photography. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid. Your goal is to find a balance within that grid. Usually, photos of a specific subject should not be in the center, but placed in the outer boxes of the grid. Also be aware of keeping photos of linear subjects such as a horizon as straight as possible, as it is very easy for a photo to look slanted if it is not balanced. Luckily, most smartphones have a “grid” option that allows you to view what you’re about to capture through that grid.
2. Create the setting
© Maica
Professional photographer and Adventure Collection blogger Rick Sammon suggests using the setting as your studio and positioning your subject carefully. This is especially helpful if your subject is a person who can easily maneuver to the side of evocative scenery to get both the subject and the complementary background in the same frame.
3. Notice natural light
© Csondy
With a smartphone instead of a DSLR, take advantage of natural lighting because a phone’s flash is not as nearly as flattering for indoor or lowlight settings as a professional flash. Situate yourself around some light, evening if it’s under a lamp at night. And if you are taking a photo of something you can move (like a plate of food or a souvenir) go ahead and move it near a bright light.
4. Don’t use the zoom
© Lindblad Expeditions
If you’re on a tour and want a close-up, keep in mind that the more you use the zoom, the less defined and clear your photo will be. Instead, try to get closer to the subject.
5. Invest in phone protection
© Orla
Nothing is worse than losing your camera/phone/window-to-the-social-world in one drop. Be prepared. Invest in a shockproof (even waterproof) case that will still give you the ease of navigating through your phone. I’ve had a Lifeproof Case ($80) on my phone for two years and it still keeps water out when I take underwater photos – and it has saved my screen from breaking after some nasty falls.
6. Accessorize
© joshuaraineyphotography
By this I don’t mean that you should buy a bedazzling phone case or matching ear buds, but I do mean that it’s a good idea to have a phone tripod handy (why, yes, they do make those for less than $20) for family portraits or as a steady hand. This is a fantastic alternative for those instances when you ask someone else to take a photo with your phone and they’re not as tech-savvy as you might hope.
7. Easy editing. There’s an app for that.
© NOLS
All photos now can be tweaked and altered if they turn out to be too bright or dark, or if you want to add affects. Some of my favorite apps for photo editing include VSCO Cam (free) and PicTapGo ($2.99) for color-correcting and basic filters (including a tilt-shift/blur option); these will help you create a stand-out quality shot you’ll be proud to show friends and family.
Remember, your photos are just one tool to share your story. Photographer JD Andrews says every picture tells a story but not every story has a picture. So, how do you want your story to be told?
Kristina Bolton
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