Before the days of smartphones — if you can call back such a time — taking a great photo was a labor-intensive process. You'd take to buy a fancy camera and editing software for your desktop computer, and invest some serious time and energy into learning how to apply them.

Just, cheers to our mobile devices and the editing apps that come with them, we can now accept loftier-quality photos and edit them without too many bells and whistles — all from the same device that we use to make calls. Download Now: The Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

Brands are catching on, too — these kinds of visuals remain important to marketing. Only brand no mistake: Taking a neat photograph on your smartphone is not as simple as pointing and shooting. There are plenty of bad smartphone photos out there — I'm sure you've seen at least a few.

What's the cloak-and-dagger to taking corking pictures with your smartphone, and then? As it turns out, there are a few of them. Cheque out these tips beneath to amend your smartphone photography game. (And once yous have the photo-taking part down, cheque out some of the all-time photo editing apps for mobile.)

How to Take Practiced Photos With Your Phone: 25 Tips & Tricks

1. Utilise gridlines to residuum your shot.

One of the easiest and best ways to improve your mobile photos is to plow on the camera's gridlines. That superimposes a series of lines on the screen of your smartphone'south photographic camera that are based on the "rule of thirds" — a photographic composition principle that says an prototype should be broken downwards into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and so you lot have nine parts in total.

According to this theory, if you lot place points of interest in these intersections or along the lines, your photo volition be more counterbalanced, level, and permit viewers to interact with information technology more than naturally.

rule-of-thirds.jpg

Source: Digital Photography School

To switch the grid on ...

  • iPhone: Go to "Settings," choose "Photos & Camera," and switch "Grid" on.
  • Samsung Galaxy: Launch the camera app, go to "Settings," coil down and switch the "grid lines" selection to "on."

gridlines.jpg

Source: Lynda.com

2. Set your camera'due south focus.

Today'south phone cameras automatically focus on the foreground of your frame, but not every picture you take on your phone has an obvious subject. To conform where you lot want your photographic camera lens to focus, open your camera app and tap the screen where you want to sharpen the view.

If you're taking a photo of something in motion, for case, it can be difficult for your camera to follow this subject and refocus as needed. Tap the screen to right your phone camera'due south focus just before snapping the picture to ensure the moving subject has equally much focus as possible. A square or circular icon should then appear on your camera screen, shifting the focus of your shot to all of the content inside that icon.

3. Focus on one subject.

Many of the best photos include just one, interesting subject. So when taking a moving picture of one, spend some extra fourth dimension setting up the shot. Some professional photographers say that the subject shouldn't fill up the entire frame, and that two-thirds of the photo should exist negative space — that helps the subject area stand out even more than.

But be sure you tap the screen of your smartphone to focus the camera on your field of study — that'll help to ensure that information technology's focused and the lighting is optimized.

Pro Tip: Once you've taken your photo, you can use filters and apps to brand the subject even more vivid, or to crop it to frame the subject field correctly. The brightness, contrast, and saturation of the photo can also be adapted accordingly — all from your phone.

@aguynamedpatrick instagram picture of himself in mirror holding a phone taking a picture of himself

Source: Patrick Janelle

4. Embrace negative space.

"Negative space" just refers to the areas around and between the subjects of an paradigm — and it can have a photo from "good" to "great."

When you include a lot of empty space in a photo, your bailiwick will stand out more and evoke a stronger reaction from your viewer. And what does negative space looks similar? It's ofttimes a large surface area of open sky, an empty field, a large wall, or h2o, as in the instance below.

eric christian in front of an ocean on instagram

Source: Eric Christian

five. Observe different perspectives.

Taking photos from a unique, unexpected angle can make them more memorable — information technology tends to create an illusion of depth or height with the subjects. It likewise makes the image stand out, since well-nigh mobile photos are taken either straight -on or from a bird'due south eye view.

Effort taking a photograph direct upward and playing with the sky as negative space, like in the first photo below. Or, yous can try taking information technology at a slight downward angle.

Pro Tip: If you lot accept a photo and find the perspective is a little askew or tilted, employ the SKRWT photo editing app to make the lines await clean and foursquare.

bookshelf-perspective.png

Source: iPhone Photography School; Paul Octavious

6. Play with reflections.

At that place's something so idyllic about seeing the heaven reflected in a body of water. There's a reason why we love seeing that — our eyes are drawn to reflections. Then look for opportunities to play with them in photos.

There are plenty of out-of-the-box places to notice reflections — puddles, larger bodies of water, mirrors, sunglasses, drinking glasses, and metal surfaces are just a few.

capture-reflections.png

Source: Joshua Lott

7. Use leading lines.

In some photos, there'south a line that draws the viewer's heart toward a certain office of the frame. Those are called leading lines. They can be straight or circulinear — recollect staircases, building facades, railroad train tracks, roads, or even a path through the woods.

Leading lines are swell for creating a sense of depth in an image, and tin can make your photograph expect purposefully designed — even if you merely happened to come upon a actually cool shape past accident.

leading-lines-path.png

Source: Carlos Copertone

eight. Wait for symmetry.

Symmetry tin be defined as "a vague sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance." And pictures that contain symmetry can exist incredibly pleasing to the eye — it'due south also i of the simplest and most compelling ways to compose a photo.

In photography, symmetry usually means creating an image that can be divided into 2 equal parts that are mirror images of each other. That'south a chip different than reflections — symmetry can be institute "in the wild," as per the staircase pic, or you lot can ready upwardly your photo accordingly, similar photographer Eric Christian did in the beginning photograph beneath.

And remember — use those gridlines from tip #1 to line everything up perfectly.

symmetry.png

Source: Eric Christian

ix. Keep an eye out for repetitive patterns.

Repetitive patterns are very pleasing to the eye — they appear whenever strong graphic elements are repeated over and over again, similar lines, geometric shapes, forms, and colors. These patterns tin brand a strong visual touch, and photographing something like a beautiful, tiled flooring tin can be plenty to create a striking image. Other times, it's more fun to keep an eye out for where they appear naturally or unintentionally, similar with the congruent fire escapes on the left.

soup-pattern.png

Source: Patrick Janelle

ten. Play around with color blocking.

Isn't it absurd when an entire photo is black and white, except for a unmarried object? It turns out that yes, indeed, in that location are apps for that. Ane of our favorites is Touch Colour — an app that automatically converts a picture to grayscale and lets you fill in the parts you want to colorize.

Color blocking can help to highlight the elements of a photograph that you lot want to stand out, like a plant or something else with a bold hue. Information technology achieves a similar goal as negative infinite, in that it can help a single subject stand out — but with color blocking, the photograph'due south other elements remain intact for a cohesive epitome.

Grayscaled photo taken on mobile camera with color blocking to reveal purple flower in woman's hand

Source: Coloring Pages

11. Avoid zooming in.

When you take a photo from a distance, it's tempting to zoom in on something specific you're trying to capture. But information technology's actually ameliorate not to zoom in — doing and then can make the photo appear grainy, blurry, or pixelated.

Instead, endeavor to get closer to your subject — unless information technology's a wild animate being, in which instance we would advise keeping your distance — or take the photograph from a default distance, and crop it afterwards on. That mode, you won't compromise quality, and information technology's easier to play around or optimize a larger image.

crop-photo-1.jpg

Source: Obama Pacman

12. Capture pocket-sized details.

Yous may take heard the phrase, "Information technology'south the little things." Sometimes, that also applies to photos. Shut-up images that capture small, intricate, and delicate details can brand for really compelling visual content. Continue an centre out for textures and patterns like peeling pigment, a gravel route, or a tile tabletop.

Pro Tip: Utilise the "sharpen" tool in your favorite photo editing app to (conservatively) acuminate the details of your photograph. You might besides download the Photographic camera+ app and employ its Clarity filter, which is what The Wall Street Journal'south Kevin Sintumuang calls the app's "hugger-mugger sauce — it adds pro-camera crispness to almost any shot."

tile-patterns.png

Source: Eric Christian

13. Use natural light.

It'south hard to discover a great smartphone photo that was taken with a wink. Virtually of the fourth dimension, they brand a photo await overexposed, negatively altering colors and making human subjects look washed out. In fact, even the iPhone seven's flash is rumored to have some flaws.

Take advantage of the sources of natural calorie-free y'all tin find, even after night. This gives you a chance to play with shadows, like in the second image below, or create a silhouette with other ambient sources of lite, like traffic and surrounding buildings.

Once you've taken the photograph, play with the "Exposure" tool in your favorite photo editing app to run into if you can make the image slightly brighter, without making it too grainy.

no-flash-flower.png

Source: Paul Octavious

xiv. If you utilize flash, only exercise so during the day.

Sometimes, using your photographic camera'southward flash tin can amend a photo — but rarely does it practise so at night. Considering dark shots reveal a much sharper contrast against your phone's flash, information technology can make any flash look await invasive and uneven

In already well-lit spaces, however, a flash can assist to soften some dark shadows behind or beneath your main subject.

When framing your next shot, look on the ground or against vertical surfaces for any dark shadows you might desire to remove. If y'all see any, flip on the wink manually in your photographic camera app. Setting your phone's camera wink to "auto" won't guarantee that your phone volition notice the shadows you desire to become rid of. Just remember to turn the flash off once more when you lot're done.

Consider the importance of flash for enhancing or hiding sure lines and features the side by side time you're shooting product photography.

fifteen. Consider ownership a mobile tripod.

Although mobile devices make it easy to snap any photo on the go, there's never been an easy manner to ensure the shot stays level and counterbalanced when you shoot — peculiarly if you want to be in the flick and not but take a typical selfie with your extended arm.

Mobile tripods give you the liberty to mountain your smartphone for quick hands-gratuitous shots without lugging any heavy equipment with you. Virtually mobile tripods are barely bigger than your mobile device, and can bend to any angle. Check out one of them from Joby, above, and learn how these miniature tripods can help raise your mobile video experience below.

16. Set your photographic camera app's exposure manually.

Another mobile camera feature yous'll want to set manually is your exposure. Tapping your screen when your telephone'southward photographic camera is on doesn't just refocus the lens on a new subject — it also automatically adjusts how much lite the camera lets in. This, too, won't ever look just correct. It'southward all-time to adapt information technology past hand.

To change your mobile photographic camera's exposure by hand, open up your camera app and tap the screen. When you see the lens refocus, you'll see a very small dominicus icon and a vertical scale. Slowly swipe your finger upwardly and down this scale to adjust the low-cal level.

17. Create abstracts.

Abstract photos are meant to capture the essence of an object, or a series of them, without revealing the entire landscape every bit a whole. In other words, they serve the purpose of creating unique, surprising images from ordinary subjects.

This look can be accomplished by cropping an abstruse portion of an otherwise normal photo, or by taking close-up shots of objects that get out the viewer wondering — in admiration, of course — what the subject might exist. And subjects with patterns or repetition are groovy candidates for abstract photography, like in the photo of sliced figs below.

abstract-architecture.jpg

Source: iPhone Photography School

18. Have candids.

Posed photos tin can be cracking for the sake of memories — happy moments with friends, family, or the occasional run-in with a glory. But sometimes, candid shots of people doing things, or people with people, can exist far more interesting.

That'southward because aboveboard photos are ameliorate able to effectively capture the emotion and essence of a moment. One of the best ways to capture this kind of shot is to just have as many photos as possible. Y'all'll have more to choose from, and the best photos often happen when the "stars align," so to speak, in a unmarried moment — everyone's optics are open, 1 person is tilting their head but and so, and y'all finally got a shot of your chronically closed-lip friend grin with his teeth.

eating-candid.png

Source: Patrick Janelle

xix. Exist non-conventional.

Composition is a huge function of what makes a photo great, but so is the photo's discipline. Some of the virtually delightful and remarkable photos come up out of absurd, unique ideas. Images are more effective than text at evoking emotion from your viewers — that often means getting your photos to say something.

Attempt thinking outside of the box when information technology comes to what you're capturing — your viewers could exist pleasantly surprised by a cool or unexpected subject.

leaf-dog-constellation.png

Source: Paul Octavious

20. Brand 'em laugh.

Speaking of evoking emotion, sometimes the most memorable photos are the ones that brand us giggle. The image beneath of an older adult female wearing a brightly-colored shirt stating "Hello hater" is funny considering it's unexpected — and there'due south a role of usa that admires her, too. The 2nd image of the domestic dog toy on a dinner plate pokes fun at classic Instagram food shots, simply it'due south from a dog'due south perspective. If you can make your audience express mirth, they're likely to relish your photo.

pug-eating-toy.png

Source: Jeremy Veach

21. Clean your phone's lens.

A smartphone camera might be more user-friendly to carry effectually than a full-fledged photojournalist'south camera, but it comes at the price of protection.

Your phone is usually in your pocket or your bag when you're out of the business firm. All the while, the device's camera lens is collecting all kinds of dust and lint. Exist sure to make clean this lens with a soft handkerchief earlier taking a photo. You might not exist able to tell but how muddy the lens was until y'all start editing your picture show, and making sure the lens is crystal clear before taking a shot can keep yous from starting from scratch.

22. Attach an external lens.

Want to get really fancy? External lenses are for yous. There are really several out at that place that can exist fastened to the top of your smartphone'southward native photographic camera lens — from fish-center to wide-angle lenses, these add-ons can bring an entirely new quality and perspective to your photos.

According to Wirecutter, the all-time camera lenses for iPhone photography are made past Moment, a manufacturer of mobile lenses. Start there, or do some enquiry to find the lens add-ons that fit your smartphone photography needs.

Horses looking into fisheye external lens attached to phone camera

Source: MobileFun.co.united kingdom

23. Don't exist afraid to edit.

Composing and taking your smartphone photo is just the outset step to making it visually compelling. Editing your photos is the next step — and a very critical 1, at that. Filters can be a valuable photographic tool, particularly when it comes to 2 goals: 1) Removing blemishes from a picture, and 2) making food look even more succulent.

For the commencement, InStyle mag compiled a fun listing of "The Best Instagram Filters for Every Beauty Complaint" — and now, the iPhone photos app offers many similar filters. There are likewise apps like Pho.to, which can automatically retouch facial photos without a lot of work. And when it comes to those photos of your daily meals? One of the latest apps available is Foodie, which comes with its own ready of filters optimized for different types of food.

But there are many other bang-up photo and video editing apps out there for mobile devices — bank check out this post to come across some of the best ones out there.

51b3f40f.png

Source: LINE Corp.

Want more than tips on creating visual content? Check out these examples of explainer videos.

Editor'southward note: This postal service was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

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Originally published Oct 19, 2020 vii:00:00 AM, updated Oct 26 2020