Mobile photography has made huge strides in a short
time. We have this great powerful device in our hands or pockets now with all
the extra tools and software needed to capture, edit and distribute our images
in an extremely efficient and flexible manner. These devices output high enough
quality images for commercial stock applications — provided the person looking
through the viewfinder understands the fundamentals of what makes an image work.
The keys to taking better mobile photos are 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.
With that said, a mobile device is a different kind
of box, and takes some getting used to. Here are our tips for taking better
mobile photographs.
1. Know Your Gear
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.
2. Know Your Apps
The right apps can help you overcome the
limitations of your device.
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.
3. Get the ExposureRight
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.
4. Composition is
(Still) King
Again, use the knowledge and skills you already
have. Mobile photographs are well-composed for the same reasons as any other
photographs:
- Get level — keep those horizons and verticals in check. (Many camera apps have horizon levels and grids.)
- The rule of thirds — is still the rule. Don't always centre your subject.
- Use curves and converging lines.
- Use positive and negative space.
- Know your color! Make use of complimentary colors. Use color patterns and shapes to add compositional interest.
- Watch your backgrounds. Poles growing out of people's heads or lines cutting through them ruin mobile shots just like they ruin any other shots.
- Direct — Don't wait around for the perfect composition to happen (or settle for what you've got). Move things and people. Arrange your frame so that is makes you happy.
- Break the rules! But know why and when to break them.
5. Frame your Shots
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.
7. Black &
White
Black & White compositions work in mobile for
all the same reasons they do in other photography:
- Removing color can add impact by distilling the image down to its essence.
- Eliminate competing colors.
- Take advantage of backlighting and silhouette.
- Use B&W to save a noisy or poorly-exposed image.
Always save the full-color original and re-import a
copy for your black & white version.
8. Crop It
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.
9. Accessorize
If you are a gear-head, there are more than enough
gadgets out there to make you happy:
- Get a little mobile tripod with clips for that steady shot.
- There are all kinds of clip-on and magnetic lenses out there: fish eyes, macros, telephotos. Avoid the digital zoom if you can.
- Save money with a little ingenuity and what you have on hand. Shoot through the lens or viewfinder of your SLR or pocket camera — or even a pair of reading glasses
10. Take More
Pictures (Or, Shoot Upload Repeat)
The advantage of digital photography is that we
have unlimited film and instant feedback. The advantage of mobile digital
photography is that the camera fits in your pocket. Just shoot it — happy
accidents and defining moments happen all the time.
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