In the era where aesthetics plays a big role in establishing a brand’s identity, everybody wants to become a skilled mobile photographer. However, when the search engine shows the result for “How to take the best pictures with a smartphone,” only provides disappointing results.
All you need is some tips and good practice to master the art that’s now an in-demand skill and career. You don’t need to worry, as we have brought four of the tried and tested tips to make your smartphone the only device you need to get Instagram-worthy pictures.
Plan Your Shot
Whether a personal photograph for your cohesive feed or a product photograph for your website, you must always plan your shot. Have a vision in mind and draw it out on a piece of paper if possible.
Think about where you want to position your subject, the setting, including items in the surroundings and the background, and the mood you want to convey with your shot. It would be best if you also kept the color scheme according to the mood and not deter from it.
Once you have envisioned your shot, grab the supplies you’d need and try layering them differently to add depth to the picture. Try changing backgrounds and adding and subtracting pieces that make the photo look cluttered. The key is patience and trial and error until you nail the look you’re going for
Adjust Your Lighting
Are you going for a moody vibe for your self-portrait? Try placing soft light on the sides of your face. If you’re snapping a flat-lay for your website, you would want the entire picture equally lit, with some extra light on your hero product.
What should you do if you’re capturing an outdoor scene and can’t carry light domes or soft boxes? Well, make use of the natural sunlight. For a warm look, you can go for the golden hour magic after dawn or before sunset. Portraits are the best shot at that time. For a cooler tone, blue hour is preferable, the time after the sun has gone down or before the sun is about to peak.
Even if you don’t have expensive lighting gear at home, you can place your subject near a huge window where there’s enough sunlight to light your subject. The rest can be adjusted in post-editing.
Frame Your Shot
When framing your shot, the focus should be on your subject. Numerous smartphone cameras comewith portrait features that add depth to your image and separate the subject fromthe background,making it stand out.
Another thing to consider while framing your shot is the negative space. Ensure that there’s a good amount of negative space around your subject. The space around your subject should not be too busy or cramped; the attention from the subject would be stolen otherwise. Make sure that when the subject is looking right, the negative space isn’t behind but rather in front of them. Apart from that, ensure there are plenty of headspaces and that the photo isn’t starting right where a person’s head is.
You can also turn on the grid option, which gives you a 9 x 9 box to help you frame your shot perfectly. Your subject can be placed across the middle three boxes, or you can place them upon the middle four corners.
Master Post Photography Editing Magic
You can either use your phone’s simple photo adjustment settings or install a photo editor app to adjust the picture composition. Crop editing is the most beneficial feature, allowing you to frame your subject post-photography. You can also turn up the vibrancy and saturation for a more vivid picture.You can dial up the exposure for some magic with the brightness, but don’t go overboard, as anoverexposed picture can erase details instead of beautifully exposing them. Adding a blur and a vignette can make your subject stand out, especially if you don’t have the portrait photography option on your phone.
Wrap Up
There was your crash course on how to take good pictures with a smartphone. You don’t need expensive gear to take top-notch pictures. It’s the attention to detail that makes all the difference. Keep trying these tips and tricks, and you’ll be a pro in no time.