How to Improve Camera Phone Photography

Also, being a part of high-end phones, they have so many features that allow you to take even better photos. Assuming half of you guys haven't even explored these features, are you thinking of how to improve camera phone photography?

Well, worry not my ignorant friends..! Listed ahead are some useful tips and some secret tips that will allow you to shoot brilliant photos using your camera phones.

Now, camera phones come with many features. However, the number of features in a camera phone depends on how good your phone is. If you have a basic phone, then it might have limited features, while high-end phones might offer better number of features. So, just check what are all the features in the camera phone.

If you don't understand the technical terms or settings, refer to the user manual. Let's look into some of these features.

• The 'reduce noise' feature decreases grains in the picture, improves clarity, so keep this always on.
• Various 'scene modes' help to quickly adjust settings with one click, change the scene modes according to the subject and time.

• 'Face detection' helps  detect the face while taking portraits, thus improving the focus on face. Always keep this on.
• 'Anti-shake or anti-blur' helps reduce blur caused by shaking of camera. So keep this feature active.
• There is a feature which allows you to choose the 'shutter sound', simply turn this off or at least let the sound be least disturbing.

• There is a 'flash' in-built in many camera phones, use it at discretion.
• 'ISO', is an important feature which allows you to control the amount of light and clarity of images. Higher the ISO, more exposed the subject is and lesser is the clarity, and vice versa.

• If you have an 'aperture' feature, it the size of the opening of lens. So, larger the aperture, more the light, and vice versa.
• 'Shutter speed' is the amount of time the shutter in the camera is left open. Higher the shutter speed, more the amount of light entering and vice versa.
• 'White balance' helps to bring out the colors properly in a shot.

Now, don't be shy! Go around playing with the various camera phone settings and modes. Take loads of pictures and notice the change in settings and modes reflected in your photos. Do the exercises mentioned ahead whenever you get time to get a hang of the technical settings:

• Also, explore the filters like sepia and black and white.
• Another important feature you need to understand is white balance (WB). Choose an appropriate WB for different scenes. For instance: change the amount of WB when indoors, outdoors, during night, etc.

• If your phone has a feature that allows you to change aperture and shutter speed, then take pictures using different settings of these features. To check out the shutter speed, take a picture of tap water at various speeds. Experiment with small and large apertures by shooting a branch, to see how the focus and amount of light changes.

So, once you complete the exercises mentioned earlier, you will get the hang of all the features and settings. So, before composing a subject, check the necessary settings required.

For instance: if you are shooting a dog running, try the sport mode, and go for medium value of ISO. In case, you have to capture something quickly and don't have time to adjust any settings, then focus more on composing.

When you're trying to make something look big (like a building), shoot at a low angle. In case you want to shoot a document, shoot at the top angle, get really close in case you want to capture details on an object, e.g., texture of a tree bark.

Certain camera phones might display a warning if the shot is not well-lit. In case, your phone has it, turn it on and use it to shoot well-lit pictures. Also, use a flash in case there isn't enough light. However, be warned because, using flash can increase the amount of shadows on the subject.

Similarly to improve light, use the night mode, ISO, lower shutter speed and aperture. A very important thing to remember is to always get the light source behind you, this will give softer and well-lit pictures.

However, if you have digital zoom only in your camera phone, then avoid taking landscapes. But, if you have a camera that allows to take high-resolution pictures, consider using the rule of thirds. To understand this rule, imagine two equally spaced horizontal and two equally spaced vertically lines.

At the intersection of these lines, place your subject. This is because, the intersecting areas are where the eye first looks. Another important thing to remember while composing shots is to keep your fingers away from the lens.

You might also want to balance yourself properly before taking a shot. To do this, simply stand at shoulder-length distance between your feet. Also, hold the phone properly so that it won't shake while you press the button. Use the automatic timer in case your phone has one, to avoid blur.

Keep your camera lens always clean. Use a lint-free soft cloth and wipe your camera lens regularly. Avoid using your fingertips to clean the lens, and in case you don't have a soft cloth, use your t-shirt to wipe the lens.

This is important because, a clean lens helps to give clear and better pictures. To increase the life of your camera lens, put a transparent plastic guard on it.

Sometimes, you might wonder that your phone is not good enough and a better camera could have helped you take better pictures. However, this problem arises mostly when one is incapable of exploiting the complete potential of the camera phone. So, before you come to the conclusion that your camera phone is not good enough, exploit the camera phone completely.

To do this, use the these tips and keep experimenting with all the settings and features, and you will surely be rewarded with great pictures. For instance: a portrait in black and white filter can give a timeless picture.

Similarly, taking the camera phone really close to your pet dog's nose and shooting at a small aperture can give an unusual and interesting picture.