How to take better pictures with your smartphone Android

In today’s smartphone-centric world, everybody and their mom (quite literally) has a camera in their pockets at all times, and the end result is millions of pics splashed all over the web. Of course, anyone can snap a photo and share it with the world, but taking a good pic is another story.

We all think we can take nice pictures nowadays, but keep in mind photography is no easy skill to master. There’s a plethora of factors that go into shooting a good photograph, and the same general rules apply to any camera (if you want to excel, that is).

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Things are a little different with smartphones when compared to a traditional camera, though. This is why we are giving you a comprehensive tutorial for making the best out of your smartphone camera. Let’s get started, shall we?

Composition, composition, composition!

Composition is the #1 priority for taking a good shot. There is no way around it. I don’t care if your picture is perfect in every other way; bad framing will ruin your photograph. Sadly, there are way too many rules of composition to compile them in a post like this one. I mean, people go to college for years to learn this, but we will give you some general tips that will take you a long way.

Rule of thirds

If you take any photography class, this is more than likely the first rule of composition you will be taught. It’s really quite simple. Just imagine the frame is divided in 9 equal rectangles, with two vertical lines and two horizontal dividing the frame.

The idea is that your subject (by the way, always have a clear subject) should be mainly located towards one of the corners of the rectangle in the middle. Here’s an example:

By the way, most smartphones have the option to show a grid you can base your photographs on. The thirds are sure to be included in there, if yours has the option.

Oh, and one common mistake people make is that they leave a lot of dead space in order to keep their subjects in one of these corners. Remember, if there is nothing interesting in the rest of the photograph, the rule of thirds won’t help much. In those cases it’s better to close in on your subject.

Use lines

There are lines everywhere. Use them to your advantage. These can help lead to your subject. A cliche example is railroads, as well as bridges or roads, but really, there are lines everywhere.

Point of view

Anyone can stand in front of an object and take a shot, but quite frankly, that is boring. You have to find the right angle, and sometimes the right angle is not in the most conventional place. See a rock? Maybe you can climb it and see how things look from there. Or maybe you can get on the ground and shoot facing up. Anything, just make the effort to find the angle that most people won’t think of capturing.

Background

The background is just as important as your subject. Make sure it looks good; if not, at least keep it clean. Ensure there is no trash or obvious discrepancies. Watch out for points of escape (distractions) that will lead your viewers away from your subject. This would include bright lights or colors, as well as striking objects.

Lighting

Professional photographers are lighting experts. Really, that is all photography is about – working with light and trying to capture it with the sensor (or film). Be smart about the way you use lighting. Turn to a direction in which the light is hitting your subject better. In the case of a selfie, for example, face the light.

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The issue with smartphone cameras is that they tend to have very small sensors. Technology is at a point where you can still take great photos… in daylight. But the sad truth is that having a small sensor will always mean lesser performance when the lights go off. Your smartphone camera needs as much help as possible. Turn on the lights, get a lamp close to you, or something.

Stop using flash

Flash photography is very tricky. People spend years trying to perfect it, so for most casual users it does more harm than good to use the flash. Especially if you are going to be using a single-direction, low-quality flash like the ones you find in smartphones. They will usually mess up your highlights, blow up the shadows and create a very unnatural look.

I would just never use the flash unless you are in a very dark place with no artificial lighting to help.