Its no surprise that smartphone photography has overtaken amateur point and click photography for amateurs but whether its an iphone, Android or a Windows Phone then you have all you need to create a great image. However, it is of course not a professional camera so if you want really amazing shots then see some of our best tips to give your phone a little helping hand.
1. Lens
Remember we spend all day picking up and putting down our camera, in and out of pockets and bags so you are bound to get finger prints on your lens which will make the photos come out all cloudy. This issue tends to get worse when its hot so make sure you have a good cloth to clean the lens.
2. Photograph Everything
The perfect shot could happen when you least expect it so always be ready to take your photo at an instant and keep an eye out for an amazing photo. Keep your battery well charged so your phone camera is always powered up and ready to shoot. If you think you may have that killer moment then take as many photos as you can. You can always delete the unwanted ones.
3. Mind the Sunlight
Remember to take into account the angle of the sun when taking your photo. Sunlight is great for providing rich vivid colour to the content you are photographing but if the sunlight is cutting across your lens then are likely to get lens flare which will spoil the photo or cause overblown highlights which masks the detail. Lens flare can be reduced by using your hand to shade your lens but remember to make sure your hand isn’t in the photo! Also think about shadows and the angle of the shadow so that they fall in a good direction for your photo. For example shadows falling in the foreground may not be ideal.
4. Look for Contrast
Black and white photos can make amazing images but to achieve this then the best shots contain images that have strong contrast. If the same photo contains very bright subjects and very dark elements then a monochrome affect on the image can look stunning. Play around with angles when taking that photo so that you get maximum light on some areas and more shade on others to get the best light contrast.
5. Use the Editor
Whilst it obviously takes some effort to take a great photo and you need to think about what you are doing, you need to remember that you also have back up in terms of editing afterwards. Even better than that, all these editing features are all in your phone already so you can turn your photo from a great one into an amazing one with some subtle editing. This maybe orientation, cropping, zooming, special affects or just old fashioned touching up. This can all be done with built in editors. Take advantage of these tools to use affects that will enhance your image.