How to Get Amazing Pictures on Your Smartphone Camera

While shooting photographs with a camera phone will never give you the high-quality shots of a DSLR, you can still get some pretty great photos if you know what you’re doing. Here are some tips to help you best utilize that smartphone camera function.

Avoid the Zoom

Most smartphones come equipped with an eight-megapixel resolution, so degrading the photo quality by zooming in is never a good idea. Instead, take the photo in full view and crop the sections you want to focus on.

Turn it Sideways

Landscape orientation is invariably better than portrait when it comes to photos. You’ll fit more in the frame and won’t be stuck with those black bars above and below your photos that you have to edit out later.

Forget the Flash

The flash in a smartphone camera is actually just an LED light that goes off when you snap the picture. It doesn’t provide the same type of lighting that an actual camera flash should and will only light up the space a couple of feet in front of your camera. Avoid it unless you like dark backgrounds in your photos.

Choose Your Timing Wisely

Since the flash is all but useless, the timing and setting of your photo is important. Cloudy days are perfect for smartphone cameras because they provide softer lighting, while twilight works great because it creates colors that pop.

Placement is Everything

Putting your subject in the center of the camera makes for poor compositions. Try moving it to the left or right to add in some background and perspective. It creates drama and depth and allows your subject to truly stand out.

Buy a Lens

That’s right, they make lenses for smartphone cameras. You can purchase a lens that will allow close-ups for small objects or will widen your shot for great landscape portraits. There are quite a few available nowadays and a simple Amazon search will turn up many options.