How to Take a Good Photo with a Smartphone – 5 Tips for Mobile Photography Enthusiasts
Photos have become the language of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, and as a result, billions of photographs are uploaded to the internet every day. It comes as no surprise, then, that smartphone manufacturers are constantly outdoing one another in bringing devices to market equipped with ever more advanced cameras and photo-editing features. The possibilities offered by new technologies are one thing – you still need to know how to harness their potential.
If you care about awe-inspiring shots for Instagram, beautiful family photographs or keepsakes from a holiday trip, it is worth working on your craft. Here are 5 tips that will take you to a higher level of mobile photography.
1. Get the right frame
Professional photo framing requires a basic knowledge of composition. Its absence, however, does not mean you cannot take a good photo! The latest apps help with framing and composing perfect shots. To start with, you should familiarise yourself with the "Grid lines" feature. On Android smartphones, just as on iOS devices, you will find it in the camera settings. The four lines displayed on the screen are meant to help you compose your photo better. According to the rule of thirds, the most important elements of the composition should be placed exactly at the points where these lines intersect in order to be well exposed. The grid also makes it easier to keep the horizon line and the verticals of elements in the photo straight.
2. Take care of the light
Take care of the light
A common problem in amateur photography is the lack of full control over light. In such a situation, try to make the best possible use of the available light sources, e.g. the sun, light bulbs or illuminated street lamps at night. It is worth remembering that the main light source should be behind the photographer and should illuminate whatever is to appear in the photo. Try setting the camera at different angles, and the light will help you create amazing shots.
The quality of a photo, especially in difficult lighting conditions, depends largely on the equipment you have. That is why, when choosing a smartphone, it is worth paying attention to, among other things, the brightness of the lens. This is indicated by a parameter expressed as numbers preceded by the letter "f". The lower this value, the greater the brightness, and thus the better the lens will perform in low light. Smartphones usually have lenses with an f/2.4 aperture, but manufacturers keep raising the bar. For example, the Alcatel 3L (2020) has a triple camera with a main sensor of 48 Mpix and an f/1.8 aperture using 4-in-1 pixel binning technology, thanks to which it performs excellently even in poor lighting conditions. On top of that, there is a 5 Mpix (f/2.2) ultra-wide lens with a 115° field of view and a 2 Mpix (f/2.4) macro camera – explains Daniel Szoszew, Sales and Digital Marketing Director at Cyfrowe Centrum Serwisowe S.A., distributor of Alcatel-brand phones.
3. Make use of the different cameras
Make use of the different cameras
When taking photos with a smartphone, try to make the best possible use of all the available cameras and their features. Most devices available today are equipped with more than one lens. The additional ultra-wide camera works great for photographing landscapes, large objects, and also a larger group of people from a short distance. For photographing small objects, there is a special macro lens that lets you get as close as 1.6 in to the subject while keeping it fully sharp.
4. Discover new possibilities
Discover new possibilities
For even better results, you can use the various camera modes or simply choose the automatic option, which will adjust the settings to external factors such as the lighting or colours. The modes let you take night shots, create panoramas, take burst shots or portraits. When choosing a phone, it is worth going for one that also has an HDR (High Dynamic Range image) feature, which allows the tonal range of the captured image to be increased, as well as being equipped with electronic image stabilisation (EIS) or face recognition.
A good camera is one of the key features of a smartphone. Few people, however, can verify whether the device's advertised parameters will provide them with high photo quality. Fortunately, even without specialist knowledge you can enjoy excellent shots, ever since artificial intelligence entered the world of mobile photography. Today, even among budget smartphones such as the aforementioned Alcatel 3L (2020), we can find models equipped with an AI-powered scene recognition feature that automatically corrects the settings to get the best image quality for different objects and scenes – adds the expert from Cyfrowe Centrum Serwisowe S.A.
5. Have fun with photography
Photography is not only about technology, the perfect frame or colours, but above all about emotions and memories. Take photos, retouch, experiment with light, and enjoy the results. A smartphone with good cameras is an invaluable companion that will help you capture unique moments, wonderful places and company.
Summary
The article presents five practical tips on mobile photography: using grid lines and the rule of thirds, consciously managing light, making use of the different lenses in a smartphone, getting to know modes such as HDR or EIS, and also remembering to have fun and capture emotions in photography. Expert Daniel Szoszew from Cyfrowe Centrum Serwisowe S.A. advises that when choosing a phone it is worth paying attention to the brightness of the lens (the lower the f value, the better) as well as AI-based features such as automatic scene recognition. An example of equipment combining these features is the Alcatel 3L (2020) with a 48 Mpix sensor and f/1.8 aperture, which performs well in low light.
