You aren’t always able to get out your professional camera to capture a moment you are experiencing. However, luckily for you, just about everyone can be a photographer simply by using their smartphone. Your smartphone's camera is capable of taking great pictures if you know the best ways to use it. The camera on your phone has an incredible lens, editing tools built in and is usually with you at all times. Here are a few tips to help you take the best pictures using your smartphone.
Tip 1: Lighting is everything!
Lighting is probably the most important aspect of taking a great quality photograph. However, using the camera's flash can often times be too harsh. Instead, use natural lighting as it is best. If you are indoors, try moving your subject near a window. If you are outside, be wary of too much sun as this will cause your photograph to be overexposed. If this is the case, move your subject into the shade. When taking a photo at night, be sure your subject is well-lit, as the camera will need something to focus on. Always be sure to keep the light behind the subject you are photographing, whether indoors or out.
Tip 2: Use the Rule of Thirds
Grid Lines are extremely helpful when using a smartphone's camera. This feature divides your picture into 9 equal boxes and really helps you with your composition. The goal is to line up the subject of your portrait with these lines or where these lines meet. Compose your image using the law of thirds and you are sure to take an interesting picture.
Tip 3: Never Use Digital Zoom
Never use the zoom function on your phones's camera. Instead, move physically closer to or away from your subject. Using the digital zoom reduces the number of pixels per square inch and reduces the quality of your photo. After you have taken the picture, you can always zoom in on your photo and crop it during the editing process. This gives you more editing power of your pictures and the ability to craft the exact same (or an even better) result.
Tip 4: Hold Your Smartphone with Two Hands
Sure your smartphone is light and thin, but you can still can move it around while you are taking a picture. Use two hands whenever you are taking a picture to ensure less movement. Keep your arms in close to your body and rest them on your hips to stabilize yourself. For best results, try resting your smartphone on something sturdy if possible. Also, on an iPhone, don’t forget that you can hold the + button on the side of your iPhone to release the shutter for action shots.
Tip 5: Have fun!
Taking photographs of the things you love should be fun. Utilize what's around you. Pay attention to the texture of objects or the way the light hits something just right. Train your eye to see things differently. This is a great opportunity for you to be creative. And remember, if you don't like the picture, just delete it and try again!
Once you have taken the perfect pictures with your smartphone, you can use your Aura Frame to pull pictures right from your phone into a digital frame. By simply downloading their free app and creating an account, the frame uses Wi-Fi and bluetooth to connect to your phone's camera roll. Aura uses Smart Selection, updating your frame with new photos as you take them. No need to regularly check the app to select photos as your best pictures will just appear on your frame. Aura will only display your best photos by avoiding photos that are low contrast, blurry, duplicate or low resolution. This is a great way to show off the pictures you have taken using the tips above to your family and friends!
