If you resemble me, you continually take photographs with your mobile phone. However, have you at any point asked why your cell phone photographs don't exactly have that "Goodness" factor you see on Instagram? In this article, I'll give you a few hints that apply to photography all in all and cell cameras, specifically, to help you on your excursion to better cell phone photography.
What you can and cannot do with your SMARTPHONE?
We should begin this conversation by going over a couple of qualities and shortcomings of the camera you convey in your pocket. So let's begin...
Pros
1) Handy or Portable:- When was the last time you remember you forgot your Smartphone in your home. Think think...I know you don't remember because you haven't.
2) Better than most POINT SHOOT and some Entry-level DSLR's.
3) Big Viewfinder:- This means, you will be able to see the exact image or photo while capturing which you will get after clicking the picture. A bigger screen or big viewfinder allows you to adjust your brightness, exposure, focus, white balance, and correct frame composition.
4) Multiple Lens options:- The best part of the phone is that you can access wide, telephoto, and macro lens options in one device(Smartphone) itself. Like DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you do not need to carry BIG bulky lenses with you to take a perfect shot. However, you won't be able to take as good photo as DSLR or Mirrorless camera after attaching a lens as of now but maybe in future.
5) Battery life:- If you compare the battery life of a Smartphone with a Mirrorless or DSLR then you can easily tell the difference. With DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you need to carry an extra battery whereas with the smartphone you do not need any extra battery but in case your battery is low then you just need to attach your powerbank and start shooting.
6) Stabilization:- This is a massive improvement for those who like to shoot videos from their smartphone. You might remember, 5-6 years back when smartphone cameras were in the initial stage of improvement and at that time if you had recorded a video then you might remember the " SHAKY" video which you used to get from your expensive phones but now everything has been changed. Now many mid-range and flagship phones offer optical image stabilization(OIS) along with electronic stabilization(EIS). Both do a similar job but OIS is better than EIS because EIS stabilizes the video by "Cropping" which in turn reduces the "Quality" of video whereas OIS has a dedicated special motor or kind of mechanism in the camera which stabilizes the video without reducing the "Quality" of video.
Cons:-
1) Zoom capabilities:- So many smartphone brands are offering 100x, 120x, 50x and so on but the reality is that all these numbers are for customer attention. You do not get "Optical Zoom" instead they are offering " Digital Zoom" which is why you do not get as good clarity as you get with Zoom lens attached to a camera or "Optical Zoom" from a phone camera which is usually up to 10x.
2) Night performance:- Smartphone camera performance is improving but still Night performance is not as good as it should. The reason behind the poor performance of a Smartphone camera during the night is due to the " Lens Aperture" bigger the lens aperture, the more light will enter through the lens and a brighter and sharper will be processed image. However, there are some recent smartphones like Mi 11 ultra which has the biggest lens aperture of all time in the smartphone market which is 1/1.2 inch and during its launch, the company compared the phone camera capabilities with Sony RX100 Mirrorless camera. The results were shocking!!!
Presently we should get to certain ways you can improve your cell phone photography. Here are 7 hints to help you take it up an indent.
Tip #1:- Lock Focus and Exposure
You don't need to give control over to the camera all the time in any event, shooting with your smartphone.
On the off chance that you need to change the splendor of the photographs you are taking, the cycle is quite straightforward. Tap the screen in the space you need to be in concentration and set the openness for that space.
For Iphone, this will raise a yellow box around the space you tapped and a slider. You can move the slider up to light up the scene or down to obscure. Whereas for Android phone it varies from phone to phone, But in most cases, you will need to long-press on the subject which you want to focus or adjust exposure. Once you long press then you will be able to adjust exposure or lock focus.
Underexposed:-
Tip #2:- Use HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode
High dynamic range (HDR) is a term that may require a touch of clarification.
For each scene, there is a region with the best splendor and furthermore one that is the haziest. At the point when you bring your smartphone out to snap a photo the camera endeavors to uncover the scene so you can see detail from the most brilliant to haziest regions. Consider this openness to some degree a normal.
Be that as it may, the sensor in the camera has a cutoff while catching the distinction between the two limits. This is the reason portions of the scene may be totally dark or white. The sensor is simply not ready to catch all the data in one picture.
So, How HDR (High Dynamic Range) works?
HDR was introduced as a way to capture the details in a scene that has a large difference (dynamic range) between the brightest and darkest areas. When you select the HDR setting for your mobile phone camera, you are telling it to take a series of photos then combine them together to create the final image.
The phone will first take an exposure reading for the scene like normal. Then it will take one or two photos that are darker than the average, the average exposure, and one or two photos brighter than the average. Finally, the photos will be merged together to produce the final result.
HDR is best used in the morning and evening light to capture elements of the light and dark areas you are photographing. When you are photographing in mid-day light, your skies are likely to look artificial because there is a limit to the phone's capability.
The problem is that the amount of light from the midday sun is considerably more than the light hitting any dark shadows in the scene.
Tip #3:- Proper Composition
One of the simplest and most significant things you can do to take your smartphone photography to a higher level is to improve your composition. Here are a couple of tips to help you.
As you find in this model above, I have my scene isolated into a three-by-three framework. This lattice is utilized by both novice and expert picture takers to help in the piece interaction.
As a rule, you will make a satisfying piece on the off chance that you place the subject of your photograph at the convergence of two of the lines (one flat and one vertical) on the framework.
In this specific picture, I had set up my principal camera to catch a scene of the removed scene. At that point, I recalled that I was intending to compose this article, so I pulled out the trusty LG G8X for a fast shot of the arrangement. My point was to have you center around the stone art, while as yet seeing the background.
I set the emphasis on the camera since it is the subject. Yet, I likewise needed you to see the foundation since it gives the photograph some unique circumstance.
So think about the subject position inside your casing, and work on putting the subject askew. Fundamentally, the least complex thing to recollect is to get it out of the focal point of the shot and your picture will in a split second be better.
Leading Lines
Leading lines are any elements in a photograph that draw your eyes in a certain direction. They can be straight, like in a road heading to some distant point. Or, they can be meandering, like the stream in the photo below.
Use leading lines to direct the viewer's attention to the subject. Leading lines without a subject at the end just take the eye out of the frame. So be aware of and avoid that situation in our images. Ask yourself, “Where do my leading lines point?” and make sure there is an answer.
Looks stunning, right?
You will be shocked to know that, it's a click from a phone(LG G8X). Stay tuned to learn about this kind of photography.
Look from a different perspective
A propensity that numerous photographic artists get into is continually shooting from a standing situation, with the camera held at eye level. For a huge vista, that may not be a joking matter. Nonetheless, there are a lot of situations while changing the situation of the camera comparative with the subject can make a totally unique outcome.
Get close to your "Subject"
If you want to express something about your subject then the best thing is to get close to your subject because your viewer's focus will be on the subject rather than other background distractions. When you get close to your subject then you will realize that your foreground will separate from the background and you will see amazing "Background blur or Bokeh" which is very soothing to our eyes.
Tip #4:- Burst Mode or Action Shot
Burst mode is an incredible component included with most current mobile phones that permits you to shoot numerous photographs in quick progression. Simply hold down the shutter button (either on the screen or the volume button on your smartphone), and the camera clicks away until you let go.
Burst mode is an adaptable instrument for some circumstances. From static representations to freezing movement, burst mode can be your companion.
Here are a couple of ideas for how to take advantage of your Smartphone's burst or action mode.
Start clicking photos before the moment arrives
Tip #5:- Do Not Forget to Edit(Most Important)*
This is the place where you will put those last address photographs. There are a lot of alternatives and applications for altering your photographs, my idea is to discover one that works for you.
Based on my experience, Adobe Lightroom mobile is the best app for "Most" cases but there are some situations where you will need other apps too. You can click here to check the best app based on your requirements.
Tip #6:- Do not forget to clean your camera lens
You might think that it's a small thing but trust me, you won't get desired results if your lens is not clear. So, it's very important to wipe your lens before capturing any moment.
Tip #7:- Keep your Phone's battery full
You might have seen that your phone's battery drains a lot faster while using the phone's camera compared to other things. So, it's better to have a full battery in order to capture the best moments.
Tip #8:- Always shoot video in maximum resolution possible
If you want to get the best results for video then you should always use maximum resolution. Nowadays, 4k resolution is most popular. However, phones like Samsung S20 ultra are offering 8k resolution as well. The downside of using high resolution is that it occupies lots of memory and battery too.
Tip #9:- Never ever zoom if you have "Digital Zoom"
You should never zoom if you do not have optical zoom. If you will zoom digitally then your output will have visible pixels which represents bad clarity of photo. If you know that, you will need to zoom then you can click photo without zooming in and later on Crop the photo as per your requirement. Cropping a photo is better than Digital zoom.
Tip #10:- Zoom in while Capturing Portrait shots IF your phone supports "Optical Zoom"
You will get really good results if you zoom in while capturing portrait shot(Person's photo). If you zoom in and capture the photo then you will get that soothing "Background Blur" or "Bokeh".
Tip #11:- Try to use tripod or stabalize the phone
You will blurry shots if your phone is not stable. You can use Tripod in order to capture non blurry photos. If you want to do landscape photography then tripod is must have thing. Even if you do not want to do landscape photography then also you should invest in a decent tripod or gorilla pod. Click here to purchase a good tripod.
Tip #12:- Attach external lens to your phone
If your phone has zoom, macro or wide lens then you should not invest in external lens however, if your phone does not have these lens or any one of them then you should consider buying a lens. I would recommend you to buy good quality lens like moment offers but you will need to spent good amount considering the lens however you will be satisfied using their lens. You can check their lens by clicking here.
Tip #13:- Try to invest in Gimbals
If you are really into videography then you should consider buying a good gimbal. You should consider only 3-axis gimbal only. Inbuilt OIS and EIS more than enough for causual videographers but for enthusiast, gimbal is must need tool. Click here to buy a good gimbal.
These were some tips which you should consider if you want to do photography or videography. I hope these tips and products will help to improve your photography and videography skills. Sharing is caring, please share this post to photography and videography enthusiasts.
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Tips and Tricks