The best photos aren't necessarily taken with the best cameras. Every
day, millions of people take professional-quality photos using the
camera that stays with you at all times.
This has probably never been truer than today, with almost a quarter of the world's population expected to have smartphones by the end of this year. The humble camera phone is capable of better pictures if you know how to use it. Here are five tips to show you how to take your phone to the next level and shoot pictures that can rival fancier (not to mention expensive and clunky) cameras.
1. Composition rules!
Traditional photography composition can elevate your photo from a forgettable snapshot to a work of art. Composition is necessary to arrange the elements of a picture into something pleasing to the eye. One guideline is the "rule of thirds", which teaches photographers how to avoid featuring a subject smack in the middle of the frame.
Here, a photograph I took splits the sky, mountain and land roughly into thirds, with the two peaks of the mountain intersecting the picture at the upper third.
2. Lighting makes a big difference
Watch out for the source of light. There is a fair bit of refraction in the lenses for smartphones, but occasionally you can use this to your advantage by having the light coming straight at you to form a burst, also called lens flare.
In this picture, I've used it to add a dramatic spark to the worker coming down the stairs.
3. Keep your eyes peeled for patterns or interesting points
Sometimes a photo can tell a story without overtly showcasing the subject. At a fashion event, I captured a group of people discussing the show, and their shadows cast upon the concrete at the lower portion of the photo are the focus, while the background offers the context of what they might be talking about.
4. Good pictures aren't always at eye level
Sometimes, good photos won't be right in front of you. Get down on the ground to look at the world in a different way! This works especially well for photos of pets and kids.
For this one, I noticed a tiny lion statue on the street in Hong Kong. It looked exactly like one of those majestic figures adorning building entrances, except it was so small and cute. Getting down to its eye level and using a friend's feet for scale lends this lion cub some perspective.
5. Keep it steady
Smartphone cameras often feature smaller apertures than their bigger brethren. This means that less light is able to come through the lens, and the shutter has to stay open longer. At night and in dim settings, when the shutter stays open for a longer duration, you're going to get blurry pictures unless you're absolutely still.
You can keep still by bracing yourself against a pillar or wall, or holding your breath when hitting the shutter key. This can go a long way to ensuring your images stay sharp, so you don't ruin an otherwise priceless shot.
Here, I rested my hands on the ledge of a rooftop and managed to capture the cloud patterns over the night sky one clear evening.
Ready for action?
-By @vickiho
This has probably never been truer than today, with almost a quarter of the world's population expected to have smartphones by the end of this year. The humble camera phone is capable of better pictures if you know how to use it. Here are five tips to show you how to take your phone to the next level and shoot pictures that can rival fancier (not to mention expensive and clunky) cameras.
1. Composition rules!
Traditional photography composition can elevate your photo from a forgettable snapshot to a work of art. Composition is necessary to arrange the elements of a picture into something pleasing to the eye. One guideline is the "rule of thirds", which teaches photographers how to avoid featuring a subject smack in the middle of the frame.
Here, a photograph I took splits the sky, mountain and land roughly into thirds, with the two peaks of the mountain intersecting the picture at the upper third.
2. Lighting makes a big difference
Watch out for the source of light. There is a fair bit of refraction in the lenses for smartphones, but occasionally you can use this to your advantage by having the light coming straight at you to form a burst, also called lens flare.
In this picture, I've used it to add a dramatic spark to the worker coming down the stairs.
3. Keep your eyes peeled for patterns or interesting points
Sometimes a photo can tell a story without overtly showcasing the subject. At a fashion event, I captured a group of people discussing the show, and their shadows cast upon the concrete at the lower portion of the photo are the focus, while the background offers the context of what they might be talking about.
4. Good pictures aren't always at eye level
Sometimes, good photos won't be right in front of you. Get down on the ground to look at the world in a different way! This works especially well for photos of pets and kids.
For this one, I noticed a tiny lion statue on the street in Hong Kong. It looked exactly like one of those majestic figures adorning building entrances, except it was so small and cute. Getting down to its eye level and using a friend's feet for scale lends this lion cub some perspective.
5. Keep it steady
Smartphone cameras often feature smaller apertures than their bigger brethren. This means that less light is able to come through the lens, and the shutter has to stay open longer. At night and in dim settings, when the shutter stays open for a longer duration, you're going to get blurry pictures unless you're absolutely still.
You can keep still by bracing yourself against a pillar or wall, or holding your breath when hitting the shutter key. This can go a long way to ensuring your images stay sharp, so you don't ruin an otherwise priceless shot.
Here, I rested my hands on the ledge of a rooftop and managed to capture the cloud patterns over the night sky one clear evening.
Ready for action?
-By @vickiho
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