A lot of people believe you need a pricey camera, quality lenses, or a tripod for awesome results. But honestly, many of the best shots nowadays are taken with a phone. The reason why one photo looks like garbage and another looks awesome is not because the first one was taken with the first, and the second with the second, but because of how they have used it.
If you use it right, your phone can do more than just take pictures. With just a few basic techniques, your phone can be much more than a camera.
Light Before Camera
Light plays the biggest role in a photo. Before you start applying filters, edit them in your photo editor, or anything, check the lighting. Natural light will always be your best source, especially when the sun is not too low or too high in the sky.
Avoid overhead light or a flash unless it’s intentional. Find another light source, whether it’s sunlight, another room, or a window. Try to stay as even as possible with lighting, and if not, then make sure the light is more balanced.
Keep It Simple
One of the worst mistakes with mobile photography is overdoing the shot. The best photos have a simple background that supports, not distracts the photo. Think of a composition with just one thing in focus and everything else being blurry or just empty space. If everything is equally interesting, you are not going to know what to look at.
Turn It Into A Creative Tool, Not Just A Camera
Your phone has many features that people rarely know how to use. Don’t just set to full auto mode all the time and go. Use the focus option, or the exposure option, or the composition tool on the side.
For example, tapping the screen to focus or adjusting the exposure slider are two of the most common and effective techniques. The whole point isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about learning when it is better to just let the camera take a picture and when you need to step in and help it out.
Be Creative
A boring shot usually isn’t about the subject itself, but the angle. There are people out there taking the exact same shots of a building or tree as you are, just from a slightly better distance.
Instead of the normal “take a selfie” method or a regular snap, try shooting it from a lower perspective or from a bird’s eye view or from way closer than normal.
Edit Correctly And Intelligently
When editing, you don’t need a lot of filters and edits. Brightness, contrast, and color balance are probably all the edits you need.
Just be sure to not overedit it, and you should be okay. If people notice the edit more than the photo, then you need to tone it down.
Conclusion
You can easily take great shots if you have the basic equipment and the knowledge of using them. You don’t need a fancy camera to do this. What you do need is a little perspective, some creativity, and a phone. If you can master these skills, then you too will be able to take the same shots.