10 great tips for taking beautiful photos with your phone

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Apart from professionals and a few diehard aficionados, digital single-lens reflex cameras are finding increasingly fewer takers. These days, most people just take pictures with their cellphones. But how can you make the most of it? How can you take photos like a pro? Here are some tips to improve the quality of your photos.

1. Enable HDR settings

HDR (High Dynamic Range) allows your device to take multiple photos at high speed. An integrated algorithm then selects the best image based on optimal exposure. iPhone users can enable the Auto HRD feature under Camera, in the device’s settings menu. On Android devices, launch the Photo app and make sure the HDR icon is enabled.

2. Clean your lenses

Of course, you need to keep your lenses clear to ensure all your photos look sharp. We’re looking at you, people who regularly toss their phones deep into their pockets or bags, alongside used tissues and other dubious items. A quick wipe down with a soft, dry cloth will do the trick.

3. Stabilize your device

If your device doesn’t feature optical stabilization, hold your phone with both hands and lean on a stable surface. You could also take it to the next level with a stabilizer or tripod.

4. Control light sources

Play with shadows and exposure zones, orient yourself differently based on the sun’s position, and have fun taking photos in weaker light. While the flash is a great tool, there are other ways to optimize lighting. For example, use a floor lamp as an auxiliary light source. Get more tips to take great photos at night with a cell phone.

5. Fine-tune composition

Take the time to observe what’s in front of you and position yourself to keep only what you need in the frame, even if that means removing some background items. Look for the best angle by moving around your subject. The famous rule of thirds can also be of great help. For your convenience, most devices have a grid setting you can enable. Simply align interesting elements with the intersections of this imaginary grid.

6. Seek inspiration

Sometimes, you can find inspiration where you least expect it. A child with a face full of ice cream, footprints in the sand or snow, a bag magically floating on the wind. Always have your device on hand so you’ll never miss these moments. That said, make sure there’s enough room on your memory card.

7. Capture action

If you’re keen on immortalizing sports games or family gatherings where action abounds, don’t miss out on the live photo and sequence photo features. The former lets you record what happens 1.5 seconds before the photo is taken, to make sure you don’t miss that winning goal. The latter takes about 20 photos of the same scene in rapid succession, so you can then choose the perfect one.

 

8. Feel free to tweak

Tweaking isn’t cheating . . . even professional photographers retouch their photos. To get the best result, download photo-editing or touch-up apps. Lots of phones have an editing feature already built in, giving you the choice between multiple levels of contrast or sharpness. You even have the option to optimize all aspects of your shot at once. It’s as easy as 1-2-3—perfect for budding photographers.

9. Avoid digital zoom

The big drawback of the digital zoom feature on mobile devices is that it reduces image quality. In fact, most of them simply reframe the original image and then enlarge it, resulting in a significant loss of sharpness. So it’s best to just get physically closer to your subject.

10. Be creative

Lastly, don’t be afraid to take bad photos or find interest in seemingly trivial things. Try different or even absurd angles, get way too close to capture only part of an object, compose portraits by blending colours and textures . . . go off the beaten path!

If you’ve recently caught the photo bug and are looking for a new cell phone with a quality camera, we suggest the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone16 Pro or Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. These three top-tier mobile devices take amazing photos that won’t disappoint.

Read also:

• How to take great photos at night with a cellphone
• Can I watch a solar eclipse through a cellphone?
• Your mobile outdoors: 10 tips to protect your phone from the cold

Last update: October 9, 2024