Smartphone Photography: 10 Tips for Taking Great Shots

[Scorpus]

A couple of months ago we took a look at the hardware that makes up your smartphone camera. While it can be interesting to know what constitues a digital camera module, that knowledge isn't going to help you all that much when it comes to actually taking a photo on your smartphone.

This is where this particular guide might come in handy. We've laid out ten tips for taking better smartphone photos. Read on and you'll be well on your way to producing awesome shots from a fairly limited camera platform.

Read the complete article.

 

[Guest]

The never zoom one is one people really need to learn. Although technically not related to photos, when filming video hold the phone landscape not portrait...

 

[Guest]

Tip number one is get a WP Nokia 1020, otherwise the rest of the tips wont quite work as well...

 

[EEatGDL]

I only use up to the 3x optical zoom of my Z2, never enter the digital zoom territory.

 

[Pinkie Pie]

Honestly if you want to take good pictures then buy a real camera.

 

[p51d007]

For web sharing "snapshots" most camera phones do an adequate job, but if you really want to do it right, nothing beats a superzoom, or go all out with a dSLR. I've been taking photos almost 45 years since I was a kid with a "120" camera, migrated to film SLR in the early 80's and digital SLR in the early 2000's. I shoot around 2500 frames per year. Never in jpeg, always in camera raw mode. Give me the ability to process the photo as I want to, not how the camera software wants to do it.
The dynamic range of good glass and a LARGE sensor (compared to the pinhole sensors in phones) is like comparing apples & oranges. My dSLR is "only" a 12megapixel, but, it will blow the best smartphone camera out of the water. cellphone cameras are "pretty good" but no where near what a real lens & sensor can do.

 

[Capaill]

Can't believe I never realised the camera app on the phone could be replaced.
To the google store....!

 

[Flynn Mccoy]

Many of our smartphones today have advanced features, including HD cameras that can take good photos just like any ordinary point-and-shoot. So, you can now take pictures like a pro.

 

[Mark Alchem]

To be honest, everyone is a photographer, it's just that they don't know how to use their smartphones. I've been doing smartphone photography for sometime and get some cool/good shoots. But I really wanna have a smartphone that has manual access to aperture, shutter press and exposure. I am hoping I can have a glimpse or touch with the Lumia 930.

 

[Railman]

Many of our smartphones today have advanced features, including HD cameras that can take good photos just like any ordinary point-and-shoot. So, you can now take pictures like a pro.

I would agree that smart-phones do take far better than a few years ago but a half decent camera is miles better than a smart-phone. My ancient 4MP camera takes far better pictures than my 8MP smart-phone.

At the end of the day the Achilles heel with a smart-phone is the lens. It has to be small and optical zoom is only available on a handful of smart-phones. In the right situations you can take good photos with a smart-phone but in many situations a smart-phone is hopeless. For example fast moving objects or subjects in the distance.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Really nice guide. I never noticed how much better HDR photos look compared to non-HDR ones! @Tim Schiesser do HDR photos take up more disk space?

 

[Arris]

To be honest, everyone is a photographer, it's just that they don't know how to use their smartphones. I've been doing smartphone photography for sometime and get some cool/good shoots. But I really wanna have a smartphone that has manual access to aperture, shutter press and exposure. I am hoping I can have a glimpse or touch with the Lumia 930.

There is an expensive panasonic smartphone camera that has aperture control.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...id-phone-with-an-1-inch-camera-sensor-1265614

 

[approveme]

The camera in the Smartphone you hold today contains everything you need to be a great photographer. Don’t get intimidated by the various functions that pop up when you open the mobile camera function on your phone. Your phone is designed to do the hard stuff for you; all you need to do is focus on the basics: light, composition, and focus.