Table of Contents
Capturing the perfect photo was quite a tedious and time-consuming process before the invention of smartphones. People had to invest in a high-quality camera and learn at least the basic photo editing skills to produce great photos. Today, we have our smartphones that can be used to capture brilliant shots.
Sure, smartphones have made it easy for even amateurs to take photos anywhere anytime. However, not everyone knows the secrets of capturing the best shot, and some still insist that the only way to take a quality photo is with a great camera. Let’s take a look at some quick and easy tips for taking quality pictures on your smartphones.
Activate Gridlines
iPhone cameras come with a gridline option that divides your picture into nine equal parts. When you activate the gridlines on your smartphone, a few vertical and horizontal lines will appear. Now, the picture will be divided into three parts both horizontally and vertically.
This feature is used to capture a balanced and clear photograph. To activate, choose Photos & Cameras from Settings and activate the Grid option to display the series of horizontal and vertical lines on the camera.
Put Your Camera’s Focus on One Subject
You can adjust the focus of your camera to your desired subject. It is as simple as starting your camera and tapping the person or object you want to capture. You don’t need to confuse matters by trying to capture multiple subjects in one shot.
Professional photographers never cover the entire frame with the subject: generally, two-thirds of the image should be negative space. This is done to make the subject stand out in the photo, but remember that your camera’s focus must be on the subject only.
Tip: You can use photo editing software and mobile apps to adjust the lighting, saturation, and contrast on your subject. These apps come handy when you need to crop the photo or add some filters to make your subject clear.
Use Negative Space
The easiest way to turn a dull photo into an eye-catching picture is by embracing negative space, that is, the area around the subject. You could also call it empty space. Negative space can be the open sky, river, a plain wall, ceiling, or a simple background.
The main purpose of adding a lot of negative space to your picture is to improve the quality of the shot and get your viewers to focus more on the subject. It makes the subject stand out. Furthermore, negative space fosters curiosity and encourages you to zoom in on the photograph to take a closer look.
Try Different Angles
Most people take a photo from the same view every time. A simple tip for turning your “good” picture into an “excellent” shot is trying different angles. You’ll be surprised to see how shots clicked from different angles can add more depth to the photo. It’s a great way to make the subject stand out.
For example, you can capture the photo at an upward angle. You can use the open sky as your negative space and focus the camera on the subject. Alternatively, you can try the downward angle, using the plain road, floor or wall as the negative space.
Photographs look stunning when they are captured from different angles. If you want to get a little creative with your smartphone photography, then always experiment with different angles. You will almost certainly get that amazing shot.
Use Reflections
People love to see a reflection in photos. We all know that the reflection of the sky on water looks beautiful. You have so many options when it comes to reflections: you could use mirrors, sunglasses, puddles, rivers, glass surfaces, and other such objects. This photography technique isn’t new, but it still looks stunning.
Capture Leading Lines
Have you ever seen a photo that draws your attention to a simple line that doesn’t seem to end? That’s known as the leading line. These lines are used to add a sense of height and depth to a picture. Viewers tend to focus more on such photos. They like to know where the line ends and what’s beyond that line.
A leading line can be in a straight or circular pattern. It can be your circular staircase, the road, railway track, façade, etc. It is a great way to add a lot of depth to the photo. In such photographs, the focus on the viewer isn’t on the person walking on the road or an object falling down the stairs. They rather focus on the leading line.
Bottom Line
You don’t need additional equipment or photography knowledge to capture the best shot. However, it isn’t as simple as targeting the object and hitting the “capture” button. First of all, however, you will need a smartphone with a decent camera. Check the latest iPhone contracts and to find a great smartphone for photography. If you are still struggling, remember that photo editing apps are your best friend!
