Before the days of smartphones — if y'all can think such a fourth dimension — taking a nifty photo was a labor-intensive process. You'd have to buy a fancy camera and editing software for your desktop computer, and invest some serious time and energy into learning how to use them.

But, thanks to our mobile devices and the editing apps that come with them, we tin at present have high-quality photos and edit them without too many bells and whistles — all from the same device that we use to brand calls. Download Now: The Marketer's Guide to Photoshop

Brands are catching on, as well — these kinds of visuals remain important to marketing. Only brand no mistake: Taking a great photo on your smartphone is not as simple every bit pointing and shooting. In that location are plenty of bad smartphone photos out there — I'm sure you've seen at to the lowest degree a few.

What's the secret to taking not bad pictures with your smartphone, then? As information technology turns out, there are a few of them. Check out these tips below to ameliorate your smartphone photography game. (And in one case you have the photo-taking part downwards, check out some of the best photo editing apps for mobile.)

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

one. Use gridlines to balance your shot.

One of the easiest and best means to amend your mobile photos is to turn on the camera'due south gridlines. That superimposes a serial of lines on the screen of your smartphone'south camera that are based on the "dominion of thirds" — a photographic composition principle that says an paradigm should be broken downward into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, so you accept 9 parts in full.

According to this theory, if yous identify points of interest in these intersections or along the lines, your photo volition exist more balanced, level, and permit viewers to collaborate with information technology more naturally.

rule-of-thirds.jpg

Source: Digital Photography School

To switch the grid on ...

  • iPhone: Get to "Settings," choose "Photos & Camera," and switch "Filigree" on.
  • Samsung Galaxy: Launch the camera app, go to "Settings," scroll downward and switch the "grid lines" selection to "on."

gridlines.jpg

Source: Lynda.com

2. Gear up 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 field. To arrange where y'all want your camera lens to focus, open your camera app and tap the screen where you lot desire to sharpen the view.

If you're taking a photo of something in motion, for example, it can be hard 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 picture to ensure the moving subject has as much focus as possible. A square or round icon should then appear on your photographic camera screen, shifting the focus of your shot to all of the content within that icon.

iii. Focus on one subject.

Many of the all-time photos include simply one, interesting subject. So when taking a pic of one, spend some actress time setting up the shot. Some professional photographers say that the subject shouldn't fill the entire frame, and that 2-thirds of the photo should exist negative space — that helps the subject stand out even more than.

Simply be sure you tap the screen of your smartphone to focus the camera on your subject — that'll assistance to ensure that it's focused and the lighting is optimized.

Pro Tip: Once you've taken your photo, you tin employ filters and apps to brand the subject area fifty-fifty more vivid, or to crop information technology to frame the subject correctly. The brightness, contrast, and saturation of the photo can besides 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. Cover negative space.

"Negative space" simply refers to the areas around and between the subjects of an image — and it can accept a photo from "expert" to "peachy."

When you include a lot of empty space in a photograph, your subject will stand out more and evoke a stronger reaction from your viewer. And what does negative space looks like? Information technology'south frequently a large surface area of open up heaven, an empty field, a large wall, or water, as in the example below.

eric christian in front of an ocean on instagram

Source: Eric Christian

5. Find different perspectives.

Taking photos from a unique, unexpected angle can make them more memorable — it tends to create an illusion of depth or elevation with the subjects. It too makes the image stand out, since most mobile photos are taken either straight -on or from a bird's center view.

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

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

bookshelf-perspective.png

Source: iPhone Photography School; Paul Octavious

6. Play with reflections.

There'southward something so idyllic about seeing the sky reflected in a body of h2o. There's a reason why we love seeing that — our eyes are drawn to reflections. And so look for opportunities to play with them in photos.

In that location are plenty of out-of-the-box places to discover 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's a line that draws the viewer's eye toward a certain role of the frame. Those are called leading lines. They can be straight or circulinear — call up staircases, building facades, railroad train tracks, roads, or even a path through the wood.

Leading lines are peachy for creating a sense of depth in an prototype, and can make your photo wait purposefully designed — even if y'all just happened to come upon a really absurd shape by accident.

leading-lines-path.png

Source: Carlos Copertone

8. Look for symmetry.

Symmetry can be divers as "a vague sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance." And pictures that contain symmetry can be incredibly pleasing to the eye — information technology's also ane of the simplest and most compelling ways to compose a photo.

In photography, symmetry usually means creating an epitome that tin can be divided into two equal parts that are mirror images of each other. That's a chip different than reflections — symmetry tin can be found "in the wild," equally per the staircase picture, or you lot tin can prepare up your photo accordingly, like photographer Eric Christian did in the first photo below.

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

symmetry.png

Source: Eric Christian

9. Go along an eye out for repetitive patterns.

Repetitive patterns are very pleasing to the centre — they announced whenever strong graphic elements are repeated over and again, like lines, geometric shapes, forms, and colors. These patterns can brand a stiff visual impact, and photographing something like a beautiful, tiled floor can be enough to create a hit paradigm. Other times, information technology'due south more fun to keep an eye out for where they appear naturally or unintentionally, like with the congruent fire 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 yes, indeed, in that location are apps for that. One of our favorites is Touch Colour — an app that automatically converts a moving picture to grayscale and lets you fill up in the parts you desire to colorize.

Colour blocking can help to highlight the elements of a photo that y'all want to stand out, like a constitute or something else with a bold hue. It achieves a like goal every bit negative infinite, in that it can help a unmarried subject stand out — but with color blocking, the photo's other elements remain intact for a cohesive image.

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 yous take a photo from a distance, it'south tempting to zoom in on something specific yous're trying to capture. Only information technology'south actually improve not to zoom in — doing and so can make the photograph appear grainy, blurry, or pixelated.

Instead, try to go closer to your subject — unless it's a wild creature, in which case we would advise keeping your distance — or have the photograph from a default distance, and ingather it later on. That way, you won't compromise quality, and it'south easier to play around or optimize a larger image.

crop-photo-1.jpg

Source: Obama Pacman

12. Capture small-scale details.

You may have heard the phrase, "It's the piddling things." Sometimes, that also applies to photos. Shut-up images that capture small-scale, intricate, and delicate details can make for really compelling visual content. Keep 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 also download the Camera+ app and use its Clarity filter, which is what The Wall Street Journal'southward Kevin Sintumuang calls the app'southward "hush-hush sauce — it adds pro-photographic camera crispness to virtually any shot."

tile-patterns.png

Source: Eric Christian

thirteen. Utilize natural light.

It's hard to discover a great smartphone photo that was taken with a flash. Most of the fourth dimension, they make a photograph look overexposed, negatively altering colors and making man subjects look washed out. In fact, fifty-fifty the iPhone vii's flash is rumored to have some flaws.

Take reward of the sources of natural light you lot can find, even after dark. This gives yous a chance to play with shadows, like in the second paradigm below, or create a silhouette with other ambience sources of low-cal, similar traffic and surrounding buildings.

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

no-flash-flower.png

Source: Paul Octavious

fourteen. If you use flash, only exercise and then during the day.

Sometimes, using your camera's flash can improve a photograph — but rarely does it exercise so at night. Because dark shots reveal a much sharper contrast against your phone's wink, it can brand any wink wait wait invasive and uneven

In already well-lit spaces, notwithstanding, a flash can aid to soften some dark shadows behind or below your main subject.

When framing your next shot, wait on the ground or confronting vertical surfaces for whatsoever dark shadows you might want to remove. If you meet any, flip on the flash manually in your camera app. Setting your phone'due south camera flash to "auto" won't guarantee that your telephone will find the shadows you want to become rid of. Only call back to turn the flash off again when you're done.

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

15. Consider ownership a mobile tripod.

Although mobile devices make it like shooting fish in a barrel to snap any photo on the go, at that place'due south never been an like shooting fish in a barrel way to ensure the shot stays level and counterbalanced when yous shoot — especially if you want to be in the picture and not just have a typical selfie with your extended arm.

Mobile tripods give you the freedom to mountain your smartphone for quick hands-free shots without lugging any heavy equipment with you. Virtually mobile tripods are barely bigger than your mobile device, and can bend to any angle. Cheque out ane of them from Joby, in a higher place, and learn how these miniature tripods tin aid enhance your mobile video experience below.

16. Set your camera app'south exposure manually.

Another mobile camera feature you'll want to ready manually is your exposure. Tapping your screen when your telephone's camera is on doesn't just refocus the lens on a new subject area — it too automatically adjusts how much calorie-free the camera lets in. This, likewise, won't ever look just right. Information technology'south best to adjust information technology past hand.

To change your mobile photographic camera'southward exposure past paw, open up your camera app and tap the screen. When y'all run across the lens refocus, you'll run into a very small sun icon and a vertical scale. Slowly swipe your finger up and down this scale to accommodate the light level.

17. Create abstracts.

Abstract photos are meant to capture the essence of an object, or a serial 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 past cropping an abstract portion of an otherwise normal photo, or by taking close-upward shots of objects that go out the viewer wondering — in admiration, of form — what the subject might be. And subjects with patterns or repetition are smashing candidates for abstract photography, like in the photo of sliced figs beneath.

abstract-architecture.jpg

Source: iPhone Photography Schoolhouse

18. Take candids.

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

That'south considering candid photos are meliorate 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 take as many photos as possible. You'll have more to choose from, and the best photos frequently happen when the "stars align," so to speak, in a single moment — everyone's eyes are open, one person is tilting their caput just then, and you finally got a shot of your chronically airtight-lip friend smiling with his teeth.

eating-candid.png

Source: Patrick Janelle

19. Be non-conventional.

Composition is a huge part of what makes a photograph neat, but so is the photograph'due south subject field. Some of the most delightful and remarkable photos come up out of cool, unique ideas. Images are more effective than text at evoking emotion from your viewers — that frequently means getting your photos to say something.

Try 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 express mirth.

Speaking of evoking emotion, sometimes the most memorable photos are the ones that brand us giggle. The prototype below of an older woman wearing a brightly-colored shirt stating "Hi hater" is funny considering it'south unexpected — and there's a part of united states of america that admires her, too. The second paradigm of the domestic dog toy on a dinner plate pokes fun at classic Instagram nutrient shots, simply it's from a domestic dog's perspective. If you tin make your audition laugh, 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 deport around than a full-fledged photojournalist'due south camera, but information technology comes at the cost of protection.

Your phone is usually in your pocket or your handbag when you're out of the house. All the while, the device's camera lens is collecting all kinds of dust and lint. Exist sure to clean this lens with a soft handkerchief before taking a photo. You lot might non be able to tell just how dingy the lens was until you outset editing your moving picture, and making sure the lens is crystal clear before taking a shot tin keep you from starting from scratch.

22. Attach an external lens.

Want to get really fancy? External lenses are for you. There are actually several out there that tin can be attached to the top of your smartphone'south native camera lens — from fish-eye to wide-angle lenses, these add-ons can bring an entirely new quality and perspective to your photos.

Co-ordinate to Wirecutter, the best camera lenses for iPhone photography are fabricated by Moment, a manufacturer of mobile lenses. Start there, or exercise some inquiry 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 afraid to edit.

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

For the commencement, InStyle magazine 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 besides apps like Pho.to, which tin can automatically retouch facial photos without a lot of piece of work. And when it comes to those photos of your daily meals? 1 of the latest apps available is Foodie, which comes with its own set of filters optimized for different types of food.

But in that location are many other great photo and video editing apps out there for mobile devices — check out this postal service to come across some of the all-time ones out at that place.

51b3f40f.png

Source: LINE Corp.

Want more tips on creating visual content? Bank check out these examples of explainer videos.

Editor'southward note: This post 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 7:00:00 AM, updated October 26 2020