Earlier the days of smartphones — if yous tin call back such a fourth dimension — taking a bang-up photo was a labor-intensive process. Y'all'd have to purchase a fancy camera and editing software for your desktop computer, and invest some serious time and free energy into learning how to use them.

Merely, thanks to our mobile devices and the editing apps that come with them, nosotros tin can now take high-quality photos and edit them without too many bells and whistles — all from the same device that nosotros 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. But brand no mistake: Taking a nifty photo on your smartphone is not equally elementary equally pointing and shooting. There are plenty of bad smartphone photos out there — I'grand certain y'all've seen at least a few.

What'southward the cloak-and-dagger to taking great pictures with your smartphone, so? As it turns out, there are a few of them. Cheque out these tips below to meliorate your smartphone photography game. (And once you lot take the photo-taking part down, check out some of the best photograph editing apps for mobile.)

How to Accept Skillful Photos With Your Phone: 25 Tips & Tricks

1. Use gridlines to balance your shot.

One of the easiest and best ways to improve your mobile photos is to turn on the camera's gridlines. That superimposes a serial of lines on the screen of your smartphone's photographic camera that are based on the "dominion of thirds" — a photographic composition principle that says an prototype should be broken down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, so you lot have 9 parts in total.

According to this theory, if you place points of involvement in these intersections or along the lines, your photograph will exist more than counterbalanced, level, and permit viewers to interact with it more than naturally.

rule-of-thirds.jpg

Source: Digital Photography School

To switch the grid on ...

  • iPhone: Become to "Settings," choose "Photos & Photographic camera," and switch "Grid" on.
  • Samsung Milky way: Launch the camera app, go to "Settings," scroll down and switch the "grid lines" option to "on."

gridlines.jpg

Source: Lynda.com

ii. Set your camera'due south focus.

Today'southward phone cameras automatically focus on the foreground of your frame, just not every picture you take on your phone has an obvious subject. To adjust where you want your camera lens to focus, open your photographic camera app and tap the screen where y'all desire to sharpen the view.

If y'all're taking a photo of something in motion, for case, it can be difficult for your photographic camera to follow this subject and refocus as needed. Tap the screen to correct your phone photographic camera'southward focus just earlier snapping the flick to ensure the moving bailiwick has as 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 ane subject.

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

But be sure you lot tap the screen of your smartphone to focus the photographic 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, y'all can use filters and apps to make the subject fifty-fifty more than vivid, or to crop it to frame the subject correctly. The brightness, contrast, and saturation of the photo tin can also be adjusted 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" simply refers to the areas effectually and between the subjects of an paradigm — and it can take a photo from "good" to "great."

When yous include a lot of empty space in a photo, your subject will stand out more than and evoke a stronger reaction from your viewer. And what does negative space looks like? It'southward often a large expanse of open sky, an empty field, a big wall, or water, as in the example beneath.

eric christian in front of an ocean on instagram

Source: Eric Christian

5. Find dissimilar perspectives.

Taking photos from a unique, unexpected angle tin can make them more than memorable — it tends to create an illusion of depth or height with the subjects. Information technology also makes the epitome stand up out, since near mobile photos are taken either straight -on or from a bird'due south eye view.

Try taking a photograph straight upward and playing with the sky equally negative space, similar in the first photo below. Or, you tin can try taking information technology at a slight downwards angle.

Pro Tip: If you take a photo and find the perspective is a little beveled or tilted, use the SKRWT photograph editing app to make the lines look clean and square.

bookshelf-perspective.png

Source: iPhone Photography School; Paul Octavious

6. Play with reflections.

At that place's something so idyllic nearly seeing the heaven reflected in a body of h2o. There'southward a reason why nosotros love seeing that — our eyes are drawn to reflections. So wait 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 metallic surfaces are just a few.

capture-reflections.png

Source: Joshua Lott

7. Utilise leading lines.

In some photos, there's a line that draws the viewer's eye toward a sure part of the frame. Those are called leading lines. They tin exist straight or circulinear — think staircases, building facades, train tracks, roads, or even a path through the wood.

Leading lines are great for creating a sense of depth in an paradigm, and can make your photo look purposefully designed — even if yous only happened to come up upon a actually absurd shape by accident.

leading-lines-path.png

Source: Carlos Copertone

eight. Expect for symmetry.

Symmetry tin be defined every bit "a vague sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance." And pictures that contain symmetry tin exist incredibly pleasing to the centre — it'due south also i of the simplest and almost compelling ways to compose a photograph.

In photography, symmetry normally means creating an image that tin can exist divided into two equal parts that are mirror images of each other. That'south a bit different than reflections — symmetry can be found "in the wild," as per the staircase picture, or you can set your photo accordingly, like photographer Eric Christian did in the first photograph below.

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

symmetry.png

Source: Eric Christian

9. Go along an heart out for repetitive patterns.

Repetitive patterns are very pleasing to the eye — they appear whenever strong graphic elements are repeated over and over again, like lines, geometric shapes, forms, and colors. These patterns can make a potent visual touch on, and photographing something like a beautiful, tiled floor can be enough to create a hit image. Other times, it's more fun to continue an centre out for where they announced naturally or unintentionally, similar with the congruent burn down escapes on the left.

soup-pattern.png

Source: Patrick Janelle

10. Play effectually with color blocking.

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

Color blocking tin help to highlight the elements of a photo that you lot want to stand out, similar a plant or something else with a bold hue. It achieves a like goal every bit negative space, in that it can help a single subject stand out — but with color blocking, the photo'south other elements remain intact for a cohesive paradigm.

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. Just it's actually better not to zoom in — doing then tin can make the photo appear grainy, blurry, or pixelated.

Instead, try to get closer to your subject — unless it's a wild animal, in which case we would advise keeping your distance — or take the photograph from a default distance, and ingather it later on. That mode, you won't compromise quality, and it's easier to play around or optimize a larger prototype.

crop-photo-1.jpg

Source: Obama Pacman

12. Capture small details.

You may have heard the phrase, "It's the little things." Sometimes, that also applies to photos. Close-up images that capture small, intricate, and delicate details tin can make for really compelling visual content. Go on an eye out for textures and patterns like peeling paint, a gravel road, or a tile tabletop.

Pro Tip: Use the "sharpen" tool in your favorite photo editing app to (conservatively) sharpen the details of your photo. You might as well download the Photographic camera+ app and utilise its Clarity filter, which is what The Wall Street Journal's Kevin Sintumuang calls the app's "clandestine sauce — it adds pro-camera crispness to near any shot."

tile-patterns.png

Source: Eric Christian

13. Use natural low-cal.

It's hard to observe a great smartphone photo that was taken with a flash. Most of the time, they brand a photo look overexposed, negatively altering colors and making human subjects look done out. In fact, even the iPhone seven'due south flash is rumored to take some flaws.

Take reward of the sources of natural calorie-free y'all can find, even later on night. This gives y'all a chance to play with shadows, like in the second image below, or create a silhouette with other ambient sources of light, like traffic and surrounding buildings.

In one case you've taken the photograph, play with the "Exposure" tool in your favorite photograph editing app to run across if you tin make the prototype slightly brighter, without making it besides grainy.

no-flash-flower.png

Source: Paul Octavious

14. If you lot use flash, merely exercise so during the solar day.

Sometimes, using your photographic camera'southward wink can meliorate a photo — just rarely does it do and then at nighttime. Considering nighttime shots reveal a much sharper contrast against your phone's flash, information technology tin make whatever flash look await invasive and uneven

In already well-lit spaces, however, a flash tin aid to soften some nighttime shadows backside or below your master discipline.

When framing your adjacent shot, expect on the footing or against vertical surfaces for any dark shadows you might want to remove. If y'all come across any, flip on the flash manually in your photographic camera app. Setting your phone'due south camera flash to "machine" won't guarantee that your telephone volition notice the shadows yous want to become rid of. Only remember to plow the flash off once more when you're done.

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

15. Consider buying a mobile tripod.

Although mobile devices make it easy to snap any photo on the go, in that location's never been an easy mode to ensure the shot stays level and balanced when you shoot — especially if yous desire to be in the motion picture and not but have a typical selfie with your extended arm.

Mobile tripods give y'all the freedom to mount your smartphone for quick hands-free shots without lugging whatever heavy equipment with you. Most mobile tripods are barely bigger than your mobile device, and can curve to any angle. Check out i of them from Joby, above, and learn how these miniature tripods tin can assist enhance your mobile video feel below.

xvi. Gear up your photographic camera app's exposure manually.

Another mobile camera characteristic you'll want to ready manually is your exposure. Borer your screen when your phone's camera is on doesn't simply refocus the lens on a new bailiwick — information technology also automatically adjusts how much light the camera lets in. This, besides, won't ever await merely right. It's best to adjust it by hand.

To change your mobile camera's exposure by mitt, open your camera app and tap the screen. When you lot come across the lens refocus, you'll see a very small sunday icon and a vertical scale. Slowly swipe your finger upwards and down this scale to adjust the light level.

17. Create abstracts.

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

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

abstract-architecture.jpg

Source: iPhone Photography School

eighteen. Take candids.

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

That's because aboveboard photos are better able to effectively capture the emotion and essence of a moment. One of the all-time ways to capture this kind of shot is to but accept every bit many photos as possible. Y'all'll accept more to choose from, and the all-time photos often happen when the "stars align," so to speak, in a single moment — anybody's eyes are open up, one person is tilting their head merely so, and you finally got a shot of your chronically closed-lip friend grin with his teeth.

eating-candid.png

Source: Patrick Janelle

19. Be non-conventional.

Limerick is a huge function of what makes a photograph keen, but so is the photograph's subject. Some of the about delightful and remarkable photos come up out of absurd, unique ideas. Images are more constructive than text at evoking emotion from your viewers — that often means getting your photos to say something.

Try thinking exterior of the box when it comes to what yous're capturing — your viewers could be pleasantly surprised by a absurd or unexpected subject.

leaf-dog-constellation.png

Source: Paul Octavious

20. Make 'em express joy.

Speaking of evoking emotion, sometimes the most memorable photos are the ones that brand u.s.a. giggle. The paradigm below of an older woman wearing a brightly-colored shirt stating "Hi hater" is funny considering information technology's unexpected — and at that place'south a function of us that admires her, likewise. The second paradigm of the canis familiaris toy on a dinner plate pokes fun at archetype Instagram nutrient shots, merely it'due south from a domestic dog'southward perspective. If yous tin can make your audition laugh, they're likely to enjoy your photo.

pug-eating-toy.png

Source: Jeremy Veach

21. Clean your telephone'southward lens.

A smartphone camera might be more convenient to carry effectually than a total-fledged photojournalist's camera, simply it comes at the cost 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. Be sure to clean this lens with a soft handkerchief earlier taking a photograph. You might not exist able to tell merely how dirty the lens was until you start editing your picture, and making certain the lens is crystal clear earlier taking a shot can keep you from starting from scratch.

22. Attach an external lens.

Want to get really fancy? External lenses are for you lot. At that place are actually several out there that tin be attached to the elevation of your smartphone'due south native photographic camera lens — from fish-centre to broad-angle lenses, these add-ons can bring an entirely new quality and perspective to your photos.

According to Wirecutter, the best photographic camera lenses for iPhone photography are made by Moment, a manufacturer of mobile lenses. Start in that location, or practise some research 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.uk

23. Don't be agape to edit.

Composing and taking your smartphone photograph is just the first step to making it visually compelling. Editing your photos is the next stride — and a very critical one, at that. Filters can exist a valuable photographic tool, particularly when information technology comes to two goals: 1) Removing blemishes from a picture, and 2) making food await even more delicious.

For the outset, InStyle mag compiled a fun list of "The All-time Instagram Filters for Every Beauty Complaint" — and now, the iPhone photos app offers many similar filters. There are likewise apps like Pho.to, which tin 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 fix of filters optimized for different types of food.

Merely there are many other not bad photo and video editing apps out there for mobile devices — bank check out this post to see some of the all-time ones out there.

51b3f40f.png

Source: LINE Corp.

Desire more tips on creating visual content? Cheque out these examples of explainer videos.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in Nov 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

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Originally published Oct 19, 2020 7:00:00 AM, updated October 26 2020