Having an expensive and high quality DSLR is not necessarily if you want to take a good picture. In this post, we’re going to teach you how to take professional pictures with phone.
In this digital era, almost everyone has a cellphone, The sophistication of mobile technology comes with features, capabilities and specifications that are more advanced and qualified.
No exception for matters of photo and selfie photos. Today it is very common to see people everywhere enjoy capturing beautiful moments in their lives through selfies from their cellphone cameras.
Even now, people’s tendencies and habits are increasingly shifting towards being simpler and more mobile.
Take Professional Pictures With Phone Camera
In the past, if you want to capture the moment with better photo quality, a DSLR or digital camera is one of the best choices. Now, because of its more practical, simple, lightweight and easy to carry anywhere, people prefer to capture the beautiful moments in their lives through their cellphone cameras.
Moreover, the features and specifications of cellphones and smartphones that exist today are increasingly sophisticated and some have the equivalent resolution or even more than a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Now, with the capabilities and specifications of such a cellphone, you can produce high quality cool photos via cellphone or smartphone.
You don’t have to buy and own a DSLR or mirrorless camera to be able to produce high-quality & professional pictures, especially with the increasingly sophisticated camera on the phone with higher and better resolution. In addition, buying DSLR and camera could be costly.
In this article we will share with you 21 powerful tricks to produce cool and professional pictures with your phone camera.
1. Get to Know The Capabilities of Your Phone’s Camera
Everything in this world has two sides, strengths and weaknesses, no exception to your cellphone.
- What is the brand and platform of your cellphone, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone?
- How about the camera spec?
- What is the resolution?
- Type of lens is used?
- What is the aperture or opening?
- How about the ISO?
- Is your cellphone better for taking photos during the day than at night?
All is the things that you should pay attention to and understand so that later you are able to produce cool and professional pictures via your phone camera.
Try to see and check the features, capabilities and specifications of your cell phone. Don’t forget to set the megapixel size to the highest resolution.
Camera resolution is one of the main factors producing sharp and clear photos. But remember, the large resolution available on a cellphone or cellphone does not guarantee to always be able to produce good picture quality.
A cellphone that has a big resolution can lose from a cellphone that lower camera resolution. For example, just look at the Samsung Galaxy S7 cellphone which only has a resolution of 12 MP but can produce better photos than the Samsung Galaxy S6 even though the resolution of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is higher which is 16 MP.
What is the secret? It turns out the secret lies in the type of lens used!
The advanced features carried on a cellphone camera lens are found to have great effect the quality of the photos produced.
2. Pay Attention to The Lighting
Another term for photography is painting with light. Use natural lighting, make sure there is enough lighting.
Don’t overdo it or even less. This is very important.
Given the limitations of the camera lens sensor on your cellphone whose size is certainly smaller than a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Because of its small size, the ability to capture light is also lesser.
Therefore, the trick is you must shoot in a bright environment. Remember, a cellphone camera is not as sensitive as our eyes that can see in the dark.
Make sure that the light that illuminates the object image is sufficient. So, don’t be surprised if outdoor photos tend to be better than indoor photos.
3. Keep Your Mobile Lens Clean
People tend to hold their cellphone while traveling anywhere. This makes the cellphone vulnerable to dust, oil, sweat and dirt around them.
Unlike digital camera lenses that are equipped with a lens cap or lens cover, the lens on your cellphone or smartphone is certainly not equipped with such a thing. Even though using a protective case, the lens glass must be left open.
Therefore, keep the camera lens of your cellphone clean. Make it a habit to clean the camera lens before shooting.
Remember, no matter how good we take pictures and no matter how good the object being photographed if our lens is dirty, the result must be bad.
Therefore, always clean your cellphone lens from oil, dirt, dust, sweat and fingerprints. Remember to clean it using a tissue or clean soft cloth.
Wipe gently, lest the glass lens be scratched. Also make sure that the lens stays dry and clean.
Buying cleaning packages that are widely sold in camera accessories stores is the right choice.
Avoid wiping the lens with a coarse textured cloth, this is so that your cellphone camera lens does not blister.
4. Pay Attention to The “White Balance” Setting (If Your Phone Supports This Feature)
The human eye usually adjusts its condition to light and lighting.
Cameras on mobile phones will usually see the colors of objects with accuracy that is not so precise.
For example, the color on a red object looks darker or lighter on your cellphone’s camera.
This even applies to phones that have high specifications.
Therefore, if your phone supports white balance features and settings, use this feature. If not, try to experiment with other settings.
5. Pay Attention to The “Exposure”
In the world of photography we often to hear the terms of exposure, under exposure and over exposure.
What exactly is the meaning of exposure? Exposure refers to how much light falls or enters the medium (film or image sensor) which will affect how bright or dark the photos produced by the camera.
Not only on sophisticated cameras such as DSLRs and mirrorless, you also have to pay attention to the exposure on your cellphone or smartphone camera.
The level of exposure will greatly affect the overall photo quality. Therefore, if you want to get pictures that is cool and professional, watch the exposure in your phone camera!
6. Focus on One Object & Select the Interesting Object
Even though you are already good at photographing, mastering a variety of complicated and complicated photography techniques and language aloft, but if the object being photographed is less attractive, it is will turn gross.
Therefore, way to make the photo look more attractive is by focusing on an object that looks interesting.
How do you determine it?
- Expand view and compare photos from other photographers.
- Frequently check out their work and then study the objects they usually take.
- After that find where is your passion and make it your main object.
Here are the example, if you interested in photographing flowers, find the most beautiful and interesting flowers that you can take.
To make the resulting object more interesting you can use the macro mode setting on your cellphone plus the focus effect (with blur background), so that the object being targeted can be more detailed, focused and interesting.
7. Try a Different Shooting Perspective
Experiment shooting from an unusual place and try a different perspective. Photos from an ordinary perspective and perspective will also have an ordinary result. Therefore, try shooting from a different angle or perspective.
For example, squat and shoot from a lower angle and perspective than the object of the photo. That way our photos will give a new impression that is not normally seen by people.
Taking photos with unique, different and unusual perspectives can create a deep impression on your photos. This will also make the photo more memorable.
With a different perspective, it will create optical illusions or optical effects on the eye so that the resulting photo object looks unique, unusual and different.
8. Give The Right Filter Effect
Giving filter effects such as black and white, sepia, negative photo effects, and others might turn into good or bad. This is relative and subjective.
However, if the photo has too many filters, the results actually turn bad. Edit it with the main aim to strengthen the impression of the photo, not to decorate it.
Because if too many filters, the impression you want highlighted from a photo will be reduced. The message to be conveyed will also be biased.
In fact, photos that are simple and not having too much filters can be better. Therefore, try to minimize excessive of filtering.
9. Use HDR Mode in a Light Contrast Situation
Have you ever used HDR mode when shooting? Do you know what the function is?
If not, understand what is the HDR mode functions so you can have better understanding on where and when the conditions and situations that require these features.
In general, the HDR feature can be used when shooting in conditions with high contrast.
For instance, taking pictures in the afternoon but the object is in a dark part either because of the shade of trees or indoors.
Read Also: Unlock Hidden Smartphone Features With These Android Secret Codes
10. Hold the Phone Stable and Firm
No one likes to see blurry or blurred photos. Taking a blurred pictures showing that your phone is not producing professional outcome.
Therefore, learn to maintain stability and calm when shooting. The more stable the camera that you hold when shooting, the better the photos you will get. Try to keep your hands calm when taking photos.
If you need to use a more stable object as a backrest, such as trees or walls so that helps the stability of the hand when shooting.
11. Aim For an Object That Not Moving
If you want to take a professional pictures from your phone camera, aim for an object that is not moving or stay still.
One of the main advantages of DSLR or mirrorless cameras in shooting is the ability to freeze objects at high speed (freeze).
This is certainly different from a cellphone camera that is not too capable of capturing moving objects.
Shooting moving objects is certainly much more difficult than a stationary object. Therefore, try to keep your object photos still and not moving. Because this will result in blurred images.
12. Use Burst Mode
Several types of cellphones come with features or burst mode or the option to take multiple pictures in a row and successive photos at the same time.
Even if you can say, almost all cellphones nowadays come with this feature. So that the moment that you take can be recorded perfectly, do not hesitate to use this mode.
Take advantage of this feature to get cool photos. Take as many photos as possible and then choose which one is the best.
13. Avoid Using “Flash”
Actually the use of flash is okay to use. But my recommendation is natural lighting is much better than the light coming out of the flash or flash.
Sometimes the light that comes out of the flash can reduce the effect and the impression that is trying to be highlighted from a photo.
Photos that are shot without a flash sometimes look more natural and natural than the presence of lighting via flash.
Use flash only when the object you want to aim at is in low light. While in really low or dark light, use flash is accompanied by increased exposure and ISO levels.
14. Never Use “zoom” to Get Close to a Photo Object
“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”, Robert Capa
A free translation of Robert Capa’s quote above is that if your photo is not good enough it means you are not close enough to the object. Do you agree?
There are many advantages that you can get if you get close to the object that you want to photograph.
First, the bokeh effect will be created in the background. Remember, one factor in the creation of the bokeh effect is the distance between the camera and the object you want to photograph.
Plus you can compose objects on all existing photo frames.
15. Pay Attention and Capture Small Details
Always pay attention to the big picture but remember the little details.
A photo will look more beautiful, lively and memorable if you are observant, careful and really take into account the details. No matter how small it is.
An interesting and good photo can be lacking in its effect or message or distorted through certain objects in the photo due to lack of attention to small details.
16. Watch The Composition of Your Photos
The composition on the photo is very important. Even one of the most important in learning photography.
This is because the composition will determine how good your photos are, whether your photos have meaning or just snap.
The composition itself is very complex to learn. In photography we know various terms related to composition such as rule of third, golden ratio, spiral, pattern and many more.
To make it easier for you, when you want to take a picture try to re-think whether the object and the background and the objects in the frame already look suitable and appropriate or not? Is there still a way to look better?
Either there is a blurred object that is moving or you have to move or by cleaning the existing place of visible garbage or other objects that interfere.
Remember, these simple things are very influential on the composition of your photos.
17. Angle is Everything
What makes a cellphone more powerful than a heavier DSLR camera? The answer is simple. Its small size, light weight, and light and easy to carry anywhere.
Take advantage of this advantage to shoot with unusual angles. Try extreme shooting angle and and take pictures from the ground without having to lay down.
You can also shoot from a narrow angle without difficulty in composing. You can try taking pictures from steep heights. Try to capture the fresh mountain water from the cool lake area, and many more.
In essence, you must dare to take pictures from an unusual or extreme angle or anti-mainstream. You should try to experiment with something that is not common, unique and a little eccentric.
18. Use Tripod
You can try using a tripod. This is not mandatory and not urgent. A tripod is very useful when you are shooting in low light conditions or want to make a slow speed light trail photo with your cellphone or smartphone.
Even so, to be able to produce photos like that you need a special application that can give users the ability to adjust the photography triangle, especially choosing the shutter speed or shutter speed.
19. Make Your Photos Tell Stories
One trick that makes your photo look cool and attractive and has a deep impression is to make the photo tell a story.
Every moment in life is special and irreplaceable.
Photos in this case can represent these memories. The portrait in the photo can tell or give an impression and message about it.
Well, anyone who later sees the results of your photos can understand and understand the meaning and meaning behind the making of the photo.
To help your audience understand the story easily, provide 2 or 3 photos that are related to each other.
The photos will be able to tell about events or events that occurred at that time. This trick is worth trying and very interesting, especially when you are traveling, touring or hiking.
20. Instantly Capture Every Moment
In every place and condition and in any situation you should always be alert and ready to capture every moment that is there.
In order for you to quickly grasp the moment, you must learn to pay attention to the situation around you.
Do not just fixate on the cellphone screen, laptop monitor or existing social media.
Open your eyes and pay attention to the conditions around you. If you are observant, you will get good and interesting photo objects to capture.
Watch for sunset when the day starts at dusk. Try to see the reflection of the tree when in the afternoon. After the rain stops, try taking a picture of the rainbow.
21. Use an Additional Lens (optional)
Who says a cellphone or smartphone can’t be fitted with an additional lens?
Currently there are already many additional external lenses or special smartphone lenses circulating that provide a separate effect for your photos.
Unfortunately, the quality of this additional lens is still inadequate.
Bottom Line
These are 21 tricks to take professional pictures with your phone camera. Let us know which tricks are your favorite and help you create better picture.
