10 Tips For Taking Better Photos On Your Smartphone

It’s super simple to take photos with our phones nowadays. The inbuilt cameras tend to be of really high quality and we have them on our person almost all the time. We can share our snaps via various social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram. But what can we do to transform our photos from average to awesome? As it turns out there are a lot of things that you can do to increase the quality and help you take better photos with your smartphone.

You have probably seen a landslide of smartphone accessories that can help up the quality of your photos, or at least that’s what they promise you. It doesn’t really have to be that complicated and you don’t always have to spend money to increase the quality of the pictures you take. It could actually be way easier than that.

In an attempt to help you take better photos with your smartphone, we have put together a list of things you can do right now that will push the quality from average to awesome with just a few minor adjustments. Enjoy!

Oh, and don’t forget, using a selfie stick can vastly improve the quality of your photos. There are a lot of them to choose from, however, here is a handy selfie stick guide for you.

1. Avoid digital zoom. Most smartphones offer a digital zoom function, but they’re notorious for ruining photos. It’s always better to crop an image after the photo was taken rather than zooming in as you’re taking it. That’s because when zooming in, the camera is simply extrapolating what’s already there or, in other words, guessing.

While cropping you’re sampling pixel info that was recorded, making it the better choice.

2. Don’t use filters aimlessly. There is a time and a place for using a filter, but if you’re trying to take photos that stand out from all the others, then in most cases, putting a filter over it that millions of other people use as well isn’t going to help. It’s always better to use more refined editing tools.

3. Be careful with blurring. When used correctly, tilt-shift and blurring can add depth to a photo, but it’s very important that it doesn’t look fake. Sudden transitions between blurry and sharp look messy, distracting and will contribute to better photos.

4. Get close. A lot of smartphone cameras really come into their own when you get them in close. Their sensors usually provide a very wide depth of field allowing you to get the entire object in focus. It’ll also give you more control over the lighting.

5. Avoid the flash. Smartphone flashes aren’t proper flashes and the results tend to have terrible lighting. It’s better to try and find another light source before taking a picture.

6. The rule of thirds. This rule is really useful to help you make better compositions no matter what camera you’re using. Most smartphone’ camera screens will have four lines that divide the frame into equal parts. Your subject should be on one of the lines or where they intersect. It’s a simple rule but will definitely allow you to take better photos.

7. Use HDR carefully. HDR can be a great way of ensuring that light and shadow in your photo are evenly exposed. But too much of a good thing can end with terrible results so don’t overdo it.

8. Clean your lens. If you carry your phone around in your pockets, it can easily get dirty, and get fingerprints or other stains on it. If your lens is dirty, then all photos will come out hazy, no matter how much you fiddle with the settings.

9. Wait for the right moment. A good photo is taken at exactly the right moment. For instance, if you want to take a photo of a picturesque alley, then you can add interest to your photo by waiting for the old man on the bike to ride into the frame. Sometimes that means taking several photos of the same thing to ensure that you capture the decisive moment.

10. Make prints. Getting your photos printed by specialists like Photobox can be a great way of getting more out of your pictures. Very often, digital photos don’t make the transition into the real world anymore, but having something tangible can be very rewarding. Also, real photos are always better photos.

Almost everybody has a smartphone with a camera today and if you’re following some basic photography rules, then you can use these cameras to take some amazing photos. If after following these steps and you still cannot get some good photos then you might want to start looking at Dreamstime to get some stock photos.