— Advertisement —
Phone cameras have improved significantly over the past few years, thanks to improved sensors and smart image processing. The multi-camera revolution also brought improved zoom capabilities and depth of field that had hitherto only been found in DSLR cameras.
However, having a good camera is only part of the road to success. The rest depends on the photographer, so we are publishing these few tips on how to take beautiful photos on your phone, which you may not have known about.
- Shoot a lot...
- Try burst mode or 4K recording
- Find out everything about the camera in a smartphone...
- Install a third-party camera app
- Still using flash?
- Know when and how to properly shoot in the sun
- Turn on the grid and use the rule of thirds
- Use HDR more often...
- Explore manual mode
- Buy a tripod for long exposures
- Clean the lens before shooting
- Use the auto-correct feature in Google Photos
- Install a different photo editor
Shoot a lot...
Once I was engaged in professional photography and came to the conclusion that the difference between a good and a bad photographer comes down to the number of pictures taken. Do you agree that if you take 100 photographs, there will definitely be a few photos that everyone will like?
So next time you take a photo, don't be lazy and click the shutter again, it should become a habit. Thanks to the excellent backup function of Google Photos, the pictures you take will not fill up your device's memory. A slight change in position, focal point or angle when shooting and there will be plenty to choose from in the future.
Face Swap
QR Code
Face Swap
Developer: Wombatica Software
Price: Free
This application was created strictly for selfie lovers. With this program you can apply a variety of effects to your face. The most common special effect is known to everyone - these are the ears of a dog with a very long tongue. But the list of available pictures is not limited to this option. Face Swap contains parts of the heads of other animals - for example, a raccoon and a cat. Also, using this application, you can put a full-fledged mask on your face, thanks to which no one will recognize you.
Why should you use Face Swap? After all, it would seem easier to apply dog ears in a photo editor - it can be done there with much better quality. However, the essence of this program is video shooting. The same ears are located strictly on the head, no matter in what part of the frame it is located. Moreover, the ears, nose, tongue, mustache - all this is animated, which decorates the video even more.
By the way, Face Swap contains a built-in photo editor. In this section, all sorts of filters, stickers, frames and other elements are available that can decorate any image.
The application is distributed free of charge, but some stickers and effects are offered for money.
Advantages:
- Free distribution.
- Easy to learn interface.
- A rich number of effects for video shooting.
- Built-in photo editor with stickers and other bonuses.
Flaws:
- Some effects are distributed for money.
- There is advertising.
Try burst mode or 4K recording
Burst mode is very convenient to use when shooting children, group shots (there will always be someone who asks to retake), athletes or home devices. Play with the shutter speed, a short shutter speed (about 1/1000) will literally freeze time, and a long shutter speed of 1/15 will allow you to get artistic blur.
I also recommend trying to shoot 4K video and then choosing a frame to take as a photo. The easiest way to do this is to press the camera's shutter button while filming. There are several pre-installed video players (for example, Samsung) that allow you to frame while playing a clip.
If your phone doesn't have this feature, try a third-party app like AndroVid.
Find out everything about the camera in a smartphone...
This is one of the most valuable tips. Whether your phone is old or new, take the time to learn all the features of the camera app. After all, you can’t seriously talk about taking beautiful photos from your phone if you shoot everything in auto mode.
Take the cameras in Huawei phones for example, tap to focus the camera on the subject, and then drag your finger out of the focus area to exposure. Any brand of phone has such hidden functions, Nokia and Samsung they are available after clicking on the “plus” icon in the camera mode menu.
YOUCAM PERFECT
QR Code
YouCam Perfect selfie editor
Developer: Perfect Mobile Corp.
Price: Free
The YouCam Perfect application is perfect for those who cannot live without beautiful, bright selfies and like to decorate photos with filters, stickers and other effects.
Here you can apply filters in real time, as well as post-process finished photographs, improving their quality. YouCam Perfect contains smart face retouching tools that will “correct” the oval of the face, the size and shape of the nose, cheekbones, lips and eyes, and also get rid of wrinkles and acne.
To fully enjoy all the benefits of the program, you will have to purchase the Premium version. A paid subscription will give you even more opportunities to improve your photos, and also get rid of ads and watermarks.
Advantages:
- Real-time retouching tools and filters are available.
- A large set of animated effects, stickers, fonts, backgrounds and frames.
- You can publish photos on Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte and other social networks.
- All work can be saved in a cloud service.
Flaws:
- The free version of the application contains annoying advertising and some functions are blocked.
Install a third-party camera app
The default camera app isn't always perfect and may not have many features. In the Google Play store, there are a huge number of decent camera apps from third-party developers.
These applications will provide more advanced settings, which will give you more space for creativity. If you want a camera with manual controls and a histogram, try Footej Camera. Do you need a camera with a built-in editor? I recommend Candy Camera. Even if you don't need the features available in third-party apps, they can still take beautiful photos with ease.
Regular readers should be aware of Google's unofficial HDR+ camera app. You won't find it on Google Play, but it's a fantastic app (if your phone has support). Another app worth checking out is Open Camera.
SWEET SNAP
QR Code
Sweet Snap face masks
Developer: Sweet Snap Studio
Price: Free
Sweet Snap has everything you need to edit your photos. Here you will find a large number of photo filters, funny stickers and even beauty effects. The program also has a selfie camera with useful options, for example, it will help eliminate any skin problems and add a radiant complexion for the perfect portrait photo.
In Sweet Snap you can also create your own Emoji GIF packages and boomerang videos with overlay of music, stickers and filters. They are played in a loop for popular social networks - Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and others.
Advantages:
- Convenient, pleasant interface.
- Large library of filters and cute stickers.
- Ability to create video in GIF and boomerang format.
- There is a selfie camera.
- Good photo editor.
Flaws:
- A lot of advertising.
- Some effects are paid.
Still using flash?
Smartphones have made great strides in shooting in low light conditions, so in principle, you can practically not use the flash. Very often, flash ruins what could be a really cool photo.
In fact, most flagship smartphones can shoot without flash most of the time. So, the next time you shoot at dusk or indoors with poor lighting, try taking a few pictures with flash and a few without.
Of course, there are times when you can’t do without a flash, but again, this doesn’t stop you from experimenting. Just remember that many professional photographers specifically shoot darker photos because they can be more dramatic. Dark images can also be more memorable than lit ones.
Know when and how to properly shoot in the sun
A rule of thumb is to try not to photograph people in the sun. Of course, there are exceptions, for example if you want to create silhouettes or just experiment. However, try to let the sun illuminate your subjects rather than directly hitting the camera.
Speaking of the sun, I recommend trying to photograph during the so-called golden hours (just after sunrise or before sunset). Give it a try and you'll likely end up with great colors in your photos. Everyone knows that the sunset itself looks great in pictures, and I'm sure you'll get some great pictures. Also try focusing on the horizon and sky to get really gorgeous colors.
Rule #10. Expand your possibilities with lenses
Sometimes you may need a wide angle to shoot or be able to focus on an object that is very close. For such cases, it is necessary to purchase special lenses, since standard camera settings are not capable of producing sufficient focus quality. Macro lenses
They are inexpensive, but they significantly expand the standard capabilities of the camera.
A macro lens for your smartphone will help you take incredible, detailed shots
Turn on the grid and use the rule of thirds
One of the main techniques in photography is to use the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds involves dividing the camera's viewfinder into nine sections. All phones have a camera grid, find it in the settings and turn it on.
This rule is based on the fact that key objects should be ideally located at the points of intersection of lines. Choose which objects are the most important and try to place them along the intersection lines.
Obviously, following this rule will take you a step higher as a photographer. But you shouldn’t get too hung up on this, in some cases you won’t be able to use them, for example, if you plan to use your photos on Instagram.
Rule #8. Experiment with time lapse and slow-mo
Most smartphones will do a great job of creating these effects. Open the camera app and go to settings or advanced modes. Most often they are designated as slow motion or fast motion.
. Timelapse can be used to record sunsets or sunrises, for the process of creating a drawing. For fast shooting, the camera needs stabilization: use a tripod or place your smartphone in a safe place.
Slow motion allows you to make a fragment more expressive, convey an idea to the viewer, and draw attention to movements. If your smartphone does not support slow-mo, then set the camera settings to 60 frames per second. You can then manually slow down such a video during post-processing and editing.
Look for different shooting modes in your camera settings and use them to experiment
Use HDR more often...
Nowadays, almost every phone has an HDR mode, which combines the best parts of three frames taken at different exposures. Using this mode will give your photo more detail in the shadows and highlights of the scene. Some phones have an automatic HDR mode, while others need to enable it manually (for example, Huawei).
HDR is best used with landscapes and city scenes, where the combination of bright skies and dark shadows can ruin the photo. If you don't use HDR, you may not be able to see what's in the shadows in the photo.
The processing speed of HDR images has increased significantly over the past few years, but with the advent of AI cameras, this mode has become less relevant. Since it is not always possible to see the difference between HDR and a standard photo taken with an AI camera. But it is still relevant in most budget phones. When shooting HDR, keep your phone still a little longer than when shooting normally, otherwise the photo may turn out blurry.
Google's Pixel phones show that HDR photography (or rather HDR+ mode) is very useful when shooting night scenes. So this mode is not limited to daytime scenes only.
Post-processing
If the photo turns out blurry or out of focus, then no amount of processing will help. But if the problem is only poor exposure or incorrect color temperature, then there is a way out. There are many photo editors on Android and iOS; we are interested in those that have functions for working with color. The most suitable solution is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Most of the features are available for free. The most important sections for us are light and color.
It's best to adjust the sliders sequentially, from exposure to highlights and shadows. It is better not to use a curve; it has too much range, so even the slightest change can ruin the photo. But you can safely change all other parameters, especially since you can return the previous value with one gesture.
In the color section you can set the color temperature, the eyedropper can help with this, just select it and select the area with the white color. Change the remaining parameters at your discretion. But do not forget that you are processing a photo on a smartphone; it will look different on a TV or computer screen.
Explore manual mode
Manual or Professional mode may seem like one of the most difficult features for beginners. But other than reading articles about it, one of the easiest ways to learn everything about manual mode is to take the time to learn it yourself.
Here are some quick tips for using manual mode.
- Long exposures should be used in the dark, but the camera should be held still during this time.
- ISO is light sensitivity. The lower setting should be used during the day, and the high setting in the dark. If the level is too high, the picture will be noisy, i.e. very grainy.
- Aperture - how large the gap in the shutter is; the amount of light entering the matrix depends on its size.
Just remember that when using long exposures, the phone must be as still as possible otherwise the frame will be blurry. When shooting, try to fix your hand as much as possible or lean on something and hold your breath, then the blur will be minimal. Place your phone on a stationary surface and use a timer to eliminate any camera shake. Or you can try the following tip...
Change angles
The same object can convey different meanings - it all depends on which side you look at it from. To take a high-quality photograph, you don’t need to limit yourself to one angle. Try to take a photo from non-standard positions: change the angle of the camera, climb to a height, or lower your smartphone to the ground to photograph the object from the bottom up.
When we take photographs “from the ground”, i.e. the phone is at the bottom, the main object is brought to the foreground. This will help you look at the subject of the photo from different angles. There is a possibility that one of the photographs taken from different angles will be a small masterpiece.
Buy a tripod for long exposures
Long exposure photographs in most cases turn out gorgeous and show more detail. The point is that the shutter opens for a long time and if the camera is not fixed, this will lead to inevitable blur. Some phones, such as the Huawei P20 Pro, use AI stabilization, allowing you to take photos with shutter speeds of up to 4 seconds.
One of the best solutions is to buy a tripod for your mobile phone; it can be used to shoot with long shutter speeds and absolute stabilization. You can buy a good tripod on AliExpress, for example, a Xiaomi selfie stick, it costs about 1,200 rubles. Even if you don't plan to use a tripod, a selfie stick is always useful.
Rule #6. The need for good sound
If you do not plan to delete the original sound recording and add music, then you should take care of the audio quality in advance. Noises and crackles will ruin any video. Unfortunately, the built-in microphone in most smartphones does not provide good quality and is poorly placed. It records wind and unnecessary environmental noise.
Professionals record audio using a separate device suitable for the job. So, for exceptional quality video with superb audio, you need to invest in a lavalier or shotgun microphone
, which will work with your smartphone. You can also create a sound recording and voice-over afterwards on a computer.
If using external equipment is not possible or practical, then it is recommended that you film the video in a quiet location, preferably indoors. Stay as close to the sound source as possible. Also try this little trick: cover your phone's microphone with your hand (but don't cover it completely). Thus, unwanted noise can be slightly reduced.
Only external recording devices will be able to capture sound without distortion
Clean the lens before shooting
The lens glass often plays second fiddle to other phone features such as aperture, sensor resolution, and a second camera. But this is also one of the important factors when it comes to quality photographs, since low-quality and dirty lenses ruin the picture.
Therefore, make it a rule to wipe the lens before you start shooting. Of course, a sleeve is not the best option and it is better to carry a microfiber cloth with you. Once you get into the habit of wiping your lens before shooting, you will notice that you will take more good pictures.
Rule #12. Don't forget the power bank at home
You can charge your phone to a full charge, but it won't last long if you're shooting for long periods of time. Always take an external battery
. It will allow you not to worry about a dead battery and continue shooting at any time. The stores offer a large selection of batteries, and you can choose the one that suits your purposes. Also, don’t forget to charge it in advance and take the necessary cables with you.
When filming with your phone, always have chargers handy
Use the auto-correct feature in Google Photos
Google Photos is more than just a photo backup service, as it has a variety of photo editing tools. These tools let you adjust everything from lighting and color to applying filters and changing orientation.
However, despite all these options, I recommend just using the “auto” option (click on the “Change” button, then click “auto”). Once applied, the photo will look aesthetically more pleasing than the original photo.
SWEET CAMERA
QR Code
Sweet Cam sweet selfie camera
Developer: Selfie Camera & Photo Editor & Beauty Snap
Price: Free
The Sweet Camera application will become a real highlight of your mobile device. With it, you can create videos and selfies in real time with numerous classic, funny and cute filters, as well as stickers and other effects.
In addition, there is a large selection of stickers, collages, makeup tools and other photo decorations.
Sweet Camera works perfectly with social networks, and you can instantly upload selfies to Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other popular instant messengers.
Advantages:
- The ability to create fun, beautiful selfies in real time.
- Nice, simple interface.
- A good set of universal photo editing tools.
- An impressive selection of stickers, decals and collages.
Flaws:
- There are advertisements.
- There is paid content.
Install a different photo editor
Google Photos has many photo editing options, but you can install another photo editing app. For example, I am a big fan of the Snapseed photo editor from Google.
The editor has a large number of tools, ranging from RAW editing and S-curve support, to changing head tilt and white balance. It also has filters, cropping and auto-correction capabilities.
Want some more good photo editors? I advise you to look at the list of the top best photo editors for Android.
MEITU
QR Code
MeituAll in One Photo Editor
Developer: Meitu (China) Limited
Price: Free
In Meitu, you can edit photos not only after shooting, but also during it. This versatile mobile app comes with a large library of filters, collages, backgrounds, and fonts. In this case, photo processing will not take much time.
Here you can get flawless skin, a snow-white smile, sparkling eyes, a neater nose and other facial and body transformations. The program also allows you to use makeup effects by experimenting with shades of lipstick, eye shadow or blush.
It is worth praising the presence of a video editor, because with it you can easily decorate your video with filters, animated stickers and pleasant music.
Meitu contains advertising, and if you wish, you can get rid of it by signing up for a paid subscription. Of course, the absence of intrusive advertising is not all the privileges of Meitu Vip, since with a subscription a huge amount of exclusive materials will become available.
Advantages:
- There is a video editor.
- A large set of stickers, stickers, frames, filters and backgrounds.
- The ability to compare your work with the original photo before saving it.
- Ability to apply filters, stickers and other effects in real time.
- Good quality of pictures.
- You can share photos on social networks.
Flaws:
- Does not support Russian language.
- The free version has ads.
- There is paid content.
Remember you can always trim
Back when I first started shooting with my phone, I had an aversion to cropping photos. I think this was due to the fact that earlier phones had cameras with a small resolution and after cropping the photos looked terribly noisy. However, one of the most obvious tips is to simply crop out what you don't need in your photo.
Nowadays phones shoot in high resolution and after cropping the image quality does not deteriorate. Therefore, do not be afraid that you will capture unnecessary things in the frame; you can always cut them out. If you didn't think about the rule of thirds while shooting, you can implement it after shooting by cropping the photo.
YOUCAM FUN
QR Code
YouCam Fun take selfies with live filters
Developer: Perfect Corp.
Price: Free
With the YouCam Fun mobile application, your selfies and videos will become bright and positive. Here you can create colorful, cute selfies with various filters and effects.
You can also use the camera for perfect beauty looks, giving your face a glow, your eyes a sparkle, and your cheeks a rosy glow.
YouCam Fun is the perfect way to cheer up yourself and those around you. You can record a funny video, complete it with funny stickers and text with best wishes, and instantly send your creation to friends and family.
Advantages:
- It lifts your spirits.
- Large set of filters and stickers.
- Good quality of pictures.
- Clear, convenient interface.
Flaws:
- Not suitable for weak smartphones.
