You don’t have to be a photographer with a DSLR camera to produce stunning shots with your phone. Most people have a smartphone these days. They can be carried in your pocket or handbag ready to capture awesome shots anywhere you go. Learn a few photography basics, practice them and you will be amazed at what you can produce.
Basics for getting started
Get to know your camera. Start taking photos in the ‘Auto’ mode until you can see the improvement in your photo-taking technique.
Compose your picture. This is particularly important for smartphone photography as you don’t have the technical advantages that a DSLR camera has. Think about the following:
- Light – where is it coming from? If the light is coming from behind the subject of your photo it will cause a silhouette effect which is not desirable when photographing people.
- Lines – If you want the viewer to look at your subject place them at the end of a line e.g. a fence line. The subject may be a person or it may be another focal point such as a mountain, a tree or a lake.
- Space – Avoid placing the subject in the middle of the photo. If you want the subject to stand out surround it with empty space. Keep the shot simple and focus on the subject. Keep an eye on the background. Look for things like posts, branches or trees behind the subject that would detract from the simplicity of a good shot.
- Vertical and horizontal orientation. Vary the way you use your camera when taking photos. Use the camera in a vertical position to take shots of vertical lines (see image below) and in a horizontal position to emphasise horizontal lines (see image above).
- Watch your horizon. Check that you are holding the camera straight while shooting.
Other points to remember
• Get close to your subject.
• Don’t zoom – crop the photo afterwards instead. Zooming in when shooting can cause pixilation of your photo.
• Cropping later during the editing process gives a better result.
• Edit instead of using the filter option. This gives you more control over the finished picture.
• Use the editing app that comes with the camera. This is all you will need to start with.
• Try not to use the flash. If possible, instead position your subject so they are well lit. Sometime it’s better not to take the photo than to use flash, especially of people.
• Keep your lens clean.
Happy shooting!
Cherry Bewley, Age Hacker
Gordonz - 8 years ago
Hi Delilah,
My advice is to go into a Spark store and have a chat to one of the sales people. If you only want to be texted to pick up your daughter or have a phone for emergency only, there are plenty of budget phones available from as little as $20. You will need a plan, and I would suggest a pre-paid plan, all the service providers do this. A plan that suits could cost as little as $19 per month depending on the company you decide to use. Spark has such a plan that could suit you. Again my advice is to go into a Spark store – the Samsung Galaxy 4 at $99 is a super buy or the Alcatel One Touch 20.45 at $59 would suit you. Hope this helps.