Smartphones are very capable. But to maximize potential, you need to familiarize yourself with it. Lots of people capture photos with the native IOS Camera app. It is the quickest camera app, because it’s right on the lock screen. This allows you to capture precious, short-lived moments before anyone can even turn on their fancy camera.
A few tricks:
- Panorama lets you capture wide vast scenery and landscape
- Burst mode allows for photographing action continuously and quickly. To do this, start holding down the shutter button a little before the action takes place.
- Tap and hold on the screen to lock focus and exposure, then slide your finger on the screen to further set exposure to achieve your desired brightness.
- Use the volume button on the side of the phone (Or on the headset) as a shutter release to minimize shaking and avoid blurry photos.
- Turn on flash when photographing people in daylight – so their faces don’t look too dark.
- Play with the lines, the curves, the perspectives; you will have crazy pictures with it.
- Don’t be afraid to use third party apps. Most professionals tweak their photos to make a good shot great. There are several apps out there, but two favorites are PS Express and Snapseed.
- Focus on focus. Touch your screen to focus your subject. The closer you are to your subject, the more depth of field you will get when focusing. This creates a blurry background while your focus point remains sharp.
- Lighting is key. Whenever possible shoot during early morning or evening as the light is softer. It can also be an opportunity to create silhouettes.
- Frame your subject using objects such as leaves or branches.
- Play with the elements of nature. Clouds, birds, and sun rays are good elements to play with. Take pictures of reflections in the water.
- Timing is everything. For the most dramatic scenery, try snapping when the sun is low.
- Respect the rule of thirds. Your phone a grid to help you.
- Be aware of what’s in your frame.. When shooting landscapes, try to show depth by including something in the shot that helps show scale.
- Clean the lens. Your pictures will be sharper.
- Take the photo horizontally. Crop it in square format directly on Instagram.
Travel and Leisure
By Lindsey Campbell September 1, 2015