12 phone photography tips
The debate as to whether phone photography is real photography is over. It is definitely real photography. Stop worrying about what people will think and have some fun; try the 12 phone photography prompts listed below and bear in mind the accompanying tips
I (Emma) took all the photos in this post with my iPhone.
I am a member of the Lightroom mobile Discovery community and I’ve included links to the edits I’ve made to some of the images below so you can see the adjustments I made from the straight-out-of-phone shot.
Check no overlap: https://ayearwithmycamera.com/blog/12-phone-photography-tips
Learn to use your big camera
If you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera sitting in a cupboard somewhere, unused because you can never remember what all the controls do: join A Year With My Camera here. In six weeks you’ll be off auto and having as much fun with your big camera as you do with your phone:
1. Tap to focus
If the phone won’t focus on the thing that’s close just tap the screen to force the focus where you want it.
2. Blur the background
Use either a portrait mode or the get-extremely-close-and-tap-to-focus technique above.
3. Night-time
Phones are perfect for night-time photography; there are no settings to worry about – just point and shoot.
4. Panorama
Try your phone’s built-in panorama mode: move the camera slowly and steadily for best results. If you don’t have one use the camera in portrait (upright) mode and take a series of overlapping shots to combine later in editing.
5. Take notes
Do you want to remember a gallery visit, a recipe or a phone number? Take a photo.
6. Selfie
Phone cameras are exactly what you need to get yourself in the frame. You don’t need to share but if you’re not used to being in the photo this is an easy way to get over the discomfort.
7. Interesting shadows
Strong shadows come from strong light: make the most of bright sunny midday light to find some striking graphic shapes on the ground.
8. Use the timer
If a shot is particularly awkward to get to (over a fence in this case) try using the built-in self-timer on your phone’s camera to save you having to struggle with the shutter release.
9. Travel journal
Having your phone always at hand means you can catch those fleeting moments on a trip that would be missed if you had to get your big camera out of your bag.
10. Rephotography
Is there a place you visit regularly? Use your phone camera to explore the practice of rephotography.
11. Flatlay
A “flatlay” photograph is one that is taken from directly above your subject, looking downwards. They are usually neatly arranged without any distractions. Take a look at the #flatlay hashtag on Instagram for more ideas.
12. Collaging
Try a collaging app. I made this collage using photos I took at Gottorf Castle in Schleswig using the Pinterest Shuffles app (currently invitation only but apply to go on the waiting list – it doesn’t take long).