I originally wrote this post in 2013! It’s been nearly TEN years of mobile photography. Our phone sensors are stronger, video has drastically improved, and there are more editing and filter apps than I can count! I’ve built my own mobile app, Persnickety Box, the easiest solution for timeless photographs that will last.
The key to taking better mobile photos are STILL the same fundamentals that apply to taking a picture with a pro SLR or any other camera. Photography is Photography: the tools may be different but the factors that make an image great are the same regardless of the box that captured it.
Here are some tips for taking better photographs with your phone.
Understand how your mobile phone camera works and get familiar with its limitations. Yes, it has limitations. Typically these cameras have a limited shutter-speed range and a fixed aperture, so major in-camera exposure adjustments are made by adapting the ISO. The good news is that there are apps to help get around or hack your mobile camera’s limitations.
The right apps can help you overcome the limitations of your device. (*note- new apps are arriving daily. These suggested apps are what we chose today)
Camera+™ and Camera Awesome™ (Apple® iOS only) have grid tools, levels, image editing and great controls for exposure and focus. They give you robust filters and interfaces for quickly uploading and sharing your images to social media sites.
Editing apps like Adobe® Photoshop® Express, Photoforge, and NIK® Software’s SnapSeed (iOS / Android) give great control and effects.
Slow Shutter can create dreamy long-exposure effects like flowing streams and evening hour light trails, while keeping the high ISO noise to a minimum.
Always save your images at the highest possible resolution and make copies before you apply any filters. Some apps won’t let you go back. Don’t lose good shots to impulsive filter decisions.
Your final image will always be better if you get the exposure right in-camera: this is just as true with a mobile camera as a DSLR. Even with all the great editing apps and filters available, exposure fundamentals remain the same. Get it right in-camera then play with it afterwards.
Small sensor cameras need light! Use the sun, get in the shade, use a piece of paper to bounce light, wait for the right light, use a flashlight or another mobile phone screen as a light source — make use of your existing knowledge to get the best light. Be patient.
Use your mobile phone camera flash as a last resort — it’s as bad if not worse as the one on your old Nikon Coolpix.
Again, use the knowledge and skills you already have. Mobile photographs are well-composed for the same reasons as any other photographs:
Use objects in the foreground to frame the main subject and give depth to your shots. Shoot through windows, mirrors, other objects — framing provides context and adds interest.
Look for different angles and viewpoints to add interest to your composition. Don’t be afraid to get down on the ground or climb a ledge for a bird’s eye view. Your camera is way smaller now — take it places.
Get close and focus on the small details, or go wide and give more context and sense of place.
Play with Apps: tilt-shift effects, distortion, and selective focus/blur can add cool variety.
Black & White compositions work in mobile for all the same reasons they do in other photography:
Always save the full-color original and re-import a copy for your black & white version.
Sometimes things happen quickly and you need to react instantly to get the shot — without getting quite enough time to compose. So shoot wider than you need and crop. The resolution of phone cameras gets higher and higher with each generation. There are a lot of pixels, so focus on getting the shot using a full-frame app like Camera+, then edit later.
When you have the time for careful composition, the right crop can change or enhance the context of an image.
Try cropping to a square (like Hipstamatic / Instagram) to add focus to the main subject.
If you are a gear-head, there are more than enough gadgets out there to make you happy:
A lot of people get excited about the possibilities offered by mobile technology. As with any new tech though, there are skeptics. Some of you may have prepared the following rant: I’m a professional with professional gear that cost a lot of money and I invested a lot of time into mastering it and now you’re telling me to go play with toys why the h*ck would I waste my time I mean this is real business serious stuff not Angry Birds what are you trying to tell me anyway?!?
Yes, the expensive professional gear you spent time mastering is a valuable asset to you as a professional photographer. In many cases your 5dMKII is the right tool for the job.
But it is your eye, mind, and skill that make you a professional, not your gear. What we’re saying is: your mobile device can be a tool for stock production. It isn’t necessarily going to replace any of your other tools, but it is an option.
What we’re saying is: play, experiment, and see what kinds of images these tools lend themselves to. Take advantage of the intimacy and spontaneity of your mobile device.
Most important > > Have FUN taking pictures!