Smartphone Photograph Tips
Now that you have a smartphone in your hand - you can take photos or videos anytime you witness something amazing! While we are not all professional photographers, there are a few tips to keep in mind to get share-worthy shots!
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Focus on one subject. Don't clutter your screen with too much distraction. Turn on your grid to help you keep subjects at intersections or along the lines.
2. CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW. Think about which angle will help you tell the story. Shoot from the kid's level or from a dog's perspective. Shoot from the ground or from above.
3. FOCUS. Find the subject, then press your finger on the screen to focus on that spot. A circle will appear when in focus.
4. EXPOSURE. With you finger on the focus circle, drag the circle up or down to adjust exposure (lighter or darker).
5. BURST MODE. To use burst mode, hold down your finger on the shutter button. This will take consecutive shots. This works best for fast-moving action. Keep the best one!
6. LIMIT FLASH. Turn off the flash! Try to use natural light whenever possible. Or compensate with the exposure.
7. KEEP STEADY. Stay as steady as possible. Camera shake or blur never make a good picture. Support your hands with your own body or use a table, ledge, or tripod.
8. AVOID ZOOM. Move in rather than use zoom. Too much zoom will make the picture look grainy or pixelated.
9. MOVE BEYOND POSED. Shoot candids. And get into the picture - phone cameras have timers so give yourself time to jump in, too!
10. VIDEOS. Take them in landscape (horizontal) position! And keep them short - no more than 10 secs unless you're waiting for an action to finish.
If you want to take your photos another step further - try downloading a photo editor app like Photoshop Express, Lightroom, VSCO, Snapseed are all fun, reputable app.