Most of us have mobile phones these days with a camera feature. And, most of us don't know how to use them to take the best possible photos despite their limitations. People either take lots of really bad photos that are often blurry and the subjects indistinct, or, never take the opportunity to use them.
We always have our phones with us but seldom carry a camera all the time. We lose many opportunities for shooting and the camera phone allows us to redeem the situation. That old adage "a Kodak moment" happens all the time but where's the Kodak camera? Let's take a look at a few tips that will encourage you to shoot more often with your camera phone.
1. Shoot lots of photos
This should be obvious. A camera phone is with us all the time but we don't take the opportunities. Shooting lots of photos increases your chances of capturing a great shot. Okay, so there are limitations on how good the shot will be because of the limitations of a phone camera. But, many will be really acceptable and printable. Taking lots of photos helps you practise and practise makes perfect.
2. Get in close
As with any camera be it compact, film or digital SLR the closer you get to your subject the better the image. Fill your frame with the subject and exclude all unnecessary clutter. With camera phones your zooming feature is digital and the more you zoom the more the image degrades. So move those feet and get closer. Not too close though as you'll find the image starting to distort and find that blurring will start to occur.
3. Shoot at eye level
By getting down to the eye level of your subject you immediately change the whole image and make it far more engaging for the viewer. Eyes are said to be the window to the soul and by focusing on them will draw you into the photo. Just make sure that they are in focus. Out of focus eyes spoil the image even if the rest of the subject is sharp.
4. Change your angle.
Doing this will immediately make your images more interesting. Everyone shoots photos with the subject in the middle of the image. Get up higher, lie down on your back and shoot up or change your viewpoint. All of these angles will make for a far more interesting photo. Don't be afraid to try new angles and even make a fool of yourself doing it. When you see how good the photo looks you'll be happy you did.
5. Don't move around
Change your viewpoint, yes. But, don't move your camera once you have your viewpoint. Keep very still as camera phones don't have the best shutter speeds and you need to remain very still. Remain still for a second or two after pressing the button to make sure you get a great shot. Hearing the shutter doesn't mean the camera has finished taking the image.
Learning to take great camera phone photos is just part of your photography journey. What you'll probably find is that it will encourage you to learn more about photography. Camera phones have their limitations and your successes will be limited. But, by using them to their fullest will probably encourage you to use your digital camera more often or even buy one.
Make sure that above all you keep shooting photos no matter what camera you have. Practise is key to becoming a better photographer and no matter what camera one uses, we all want to take great images. So use your camera phone photo experience to help you become a better photographer.
Author RSS Views:
Print this article
Ask about this article