Few tips to take great photos with a smartphone

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Hi everybody! Nowadays, we carry our smartphones in every place we go. Moreover, they have a numerous range of features which are totally useful. One of them is the camera. It has become so sophisticated that we wouldn't believe it possible at the beginning of the century. Some people think that in order to do photography, you have to own a really complicated and heavy camera. Well, it's a matter of fact that professional cameras are way more efficient than smartphones, but I would like to show you that it is possible to do really good shots with a simple smartphone. I use an iPhone 6s but most of the features I will talk about are most likely to be integrated into every high-tech smartphone.

The camera lens

Lots of people forget it but the first thing you have to do before taking a picture is to clean your camera lens! During the day, phones are in our pocket, our bag or in contact with a table, ... Therefore, the camera lens is always scrubbing against something. Be careful though! Use a microfiber cloth instead of something else to prevent any scratches on the lens.

Choose your mode

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Depending on the photo format you want, you have to choose between different options: portrait, landscape format as examples. In iPhones and also in Samsung phones (I know it because I had a Samsung S4 before), there is an option which enhances the colors making them brighter and more pronounced. It's called "HDR" mode and I can assure that it makes a difference with and without it.

The framing

It seems obvious but to take good photos, you will have to pay attention to the framing, meaning the elements in the photo should remain straight. By looking into your photo's app settings, you might find an option which provides a grid pattern to help you taking straight photos.

The focus

Most smartphones have a focus mode which allows us to take specific things in detail, or simply to erase the blur. You just have to touch the part of the photo you want the focus to be on. It is simple as that.

The exposition

Again, it's obvious, but avoid backlighting, taking photos with the sun in front of you and also avoid environments with heavy contrasts such as a dark room and a window with a very bright light for example. Smartphones' cameras tend to hate contrasts. You can settle the exposition directly when you are taking a picture but also after. This leads me to my next point:

The editing part

Once you have taken your shot, you can edit it with your photo application. A range of features which include editing the brightness of the photo (the exposition, highlights, shadows, luminosity, contrast, dark spots) and with the colors (the saturation, contrast and the dominant). I advise you to play with all these features, change them until you like the outcome. If you have made good use of the editing option, your colors' picture should pop better.

Demonstration of my tips

Here are some pictures that I took with my phone using all the tips provided below. As I said earlier I am using an iPhone 6s. This is not an advertisement for Apple. However, I have to admit that the camera of their phones is really efficient!

As you might have noticed, I really enjoy capturing nature and landscapes! Now that you have all of these tips, it's your turn to make great shots! Don't forget to comment if you need any help or want to give me some tips of yours! And of course, I would be delighted to see your photos if you have any to show!