Mobile photography has made huge strides in a short time. We have
this great powerful device in our hands or pockets now with all the
extra tools and software needed to capture, edit and distribute our
images in an extremely efficient and flexible manner. These devices
can now output high enough quality images for a great print.
The keys to taking better mobile photos are the same fundamentals
that apply to taking a picture with a pro SLR or any other camera.
Photography is Photography: the tools may be different but the factors
that make an image great are the same regardless of the box that
captured it.
Here are some tips for taking better mobile
photographs.
1. Know Your Gear
Understand how your mobile phone camera works and get familiar with
its limitations. Yes, it has limitations. Typically these cameras have a
limited shutter-speed range and a fixed aperture, so major in-camera
exposure adjustments are made by adapting the ISO. The good news is that
there are apps to help get around or hack your mobile camera's
limitations.
2. Know Your Apps
The right apps can help you overcome the limitations of your device.
Camera+™ and Camera Awesome™ (Apple® iOS only) have grid tools,
levels, image editing and great controls for exposure and focus. They
give you robust filters and interfaces for quickly uploading and sharing
your images to social media sites.
Editing apps like Adobe® Photoshop® Express, Photoforge, and NIK®
Software's SnapSeed (iOS / Android) give great control and effects.
Slow Shutter can create dreamy long-exposure effects like flowing
streams and evening hour light trails, while keeping the high ISO noise
to a minimum.
Always save your images at the highest possible resolution and make
copies before you apply any filters. Some apps won't let you go back.
Don't lose good shots to impulsive filter decisions.
3. Get the Exposure Right
Your final image will always be better if you get the exposure right
in-camera: this is just as true with a mobile camera as a DSLR. Even
with all the great editing apps and filters available, exposure
fundamentals remain the same. Get it right in-camera then play with it
afterwards.
Small sensor cameras need light! Use the sun, get in the shade, use a
piece of paper to bounce light, wait for the right light, use a
flashlight or another mobile phone screen as a light source — make use
of your existing knowledge to get the best light. Be patient.
Use your mobile phone camera flash as a last resort — it's as bad if not worse as the one on your old Nikon Coolpix.
4. Composition is (Still) King
Again, use the knowledge and skills you already have. Mobile
photographs are well-composed for the same reasons as any other
photographs:
- Get level — keep those horizons and verticals in check. (Many camera apps have horizon levels and grids.)
- The rule of thirds — is still the rule. Don't always centre your subject.
- Use curves and converging lines.
- Use positive and negative space.
- Know your color! Make use of complimentary colors. Use color patterns and shapes to add compositional interest.
- Watch your backgrounds. Poles growing out of people's heads or
lines cutting through them ruin mobile shots just like they ruin any
other shots.
- Direct — Don't wait around for the perfect composition to
happen (or settle for what you've got). Move things and people. Arrange
your frame so that is makes you happy.
- Break the rules! But know why and when to break them.
5. Frame your Shots
Use objects in the foreground to frame the main subject and give
depth to your shots. Shoot through windows, mirrors, other objects —
framing provides context and adds interest.
6. Change your Perspective
Look for different angles and viewpoints to add interest to your
composition. Don't be afraid to get down on the ground or climb a ledge
for a bird's eye view. Your camera is way smaller now — take it places.
Get close and focus on the small details, or go wide and give more context and sense of place.
Play with Apps: tilt-shift effects, distortion, and selective focus/blur can add cool variety.
7. Black & White
Black & White compositions work in mobile for all the same reasons they do in other photography:
- Removing color can add impact by distilling the image down to its essence.
- Eliminate competing colors.
- Take advantage of backlighting and silhouette.
- Use B&W to save a noisy or poorly-exposed image.
Always save the full-color original and re-import a copy for your black & white version.
8. Crop It
Sometimes things happen quickly and you need to react instantly to
get the shot — without getting quite enough time to compose. So shoot
wider than you need and crop. The resolution of phone cameras gets
higher and higher with each generation. There are a lot of pixels, so
focus on getting the shot using a full-frame app like Camera+, then edit
later.
When you have the time for careful composition, the right crop can change or enhance the context of an image.
Try cropping to a square (like Hipstamatic / Instagram) to add focus to the main subject.
9. Accessorize
If you are a gear-head, there are more than enough gadgets out there to make you happy:
- Get a little mobile tripod with clips for that steady shot.
- There are all kinds of clip-on and magnetic lenses out there: fisheyes, macros, telephotos. Avoid the digital zoom if you can.
- Save money with a little ingenuity and what you have on hand.
Shoot through the lens or viewfinder of your SLR or pocket camera — or
even a pair of reading glasses.
10. Keep an Open Mind
A lot of people get excited about the possibilities offered by mobile
technology. As with any new tech though, there are skeptics. Some of
you may have prepared the following rant:
I'm a professional with professional gear that cost a lot of money
and I invested a lot of time into mastering it and now you're telling
me to go play with toys why the h*ck would I waste my time I mean this
is real business serious stuff not Angry Birds what are you trying to
tell me anyway?!?
Yes, the expensive professional gear you spent time mastering is a
valuable asset to you as a professional photographer. In many cases your
5dMKII is the right tool for the job.
But it is your eye, mind, and skill that make you a professional, not
your gear. What we're saying is: your mobile device can be a tool for
stock production. It isn't necessarily going to replace any of your
other tools, but it is an option.
What we're saying is: play, experiment, and see what kinds of images
these tools lend themselves to. Take advantage of the intimacy and
spontaneity of your mobile device.
Most important > > Have FUN taking pictures!
