2022
I’m a NYC-based photographer and Local Guide who was lucky enough to be invited to share my expertise with attendees on a panel during Connect Live 2018.
Last week, I posted about my top takeaways from the event. Now, I want to share some of my best mobile photography tips with all of you who I didn’t get a chance to attend. I hope they’ll inspire you to get creative and take some amazing shots.
1. Stand in front of interesting subjects
National Geographic’s Jim Richardson said it best: “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” Some shots are all about location, location, location. Do your research ahead of time so you know where you want to go and how to get there. I follow inspirational accounts on Instagram and conduct Google image searches before going to a new place. Then, I make a list of spots I want to go to.
Your gridlines will help you compose a great, symmetrical shot. Turn them on in your camera settings. In a landscape shot in particular, the rule of thirds often comes into play with the horizon. Generally speaking, the shot will look the best if you do not place the horizon line right in the middle of a shot, but rather at the bottom third of the frame. Turn on your camera’s grid lines (3x3) and you will be able to see exactly where that is. As an added benefit, the grid lines will help you keep the horizon line straight.
3. Zoom with your feet
Your mobile phone has a zoom feature. Don’t use it. What you’re doing when you zoom is reducing the size of the sensor. The camera then fills in the missing information by approximating, but it reduces image quality. If you want the subject to look closer, get closer to your subject.
4. Edit
When I say edit, I don’t mean to increase the saturation to unrealistic colors or over-HDR a photo. Think of editing as a way of correcting or lightly enhancing a photo to show your actual perception of the scene. Editing is an important part of any photo, but in particular for low-light photos. You can selectively draw out highlights or change tones with apps like Snapseed, right on your phone.
Before
I used my gridlines to line up this shot of the Connect Live venue, but it still needs a little straightening and brightening.
After
This is a more realistic representation of what I saw, plus now people can see the room better.
5. Take photos at unphotographed locations
For one, it’s very helpful for people if you add photos to a location that doesn’t have any. For another, it’s a great way to rack up loads of impressions because you’re not competing with any other pictures. Some places we have found that are notoriously under-photographed are places like parking garages and dry cleaners.
6. Just keep shooting
At a restaurant for example, don’t just take a photo of your food. Snap a pic of the ambiance, of the storefront, the view, even of the surrounding businesses. Take different perspectives to give people a good idea of what the location looks like and cool vantages for photos. (They are not beautiful, but we also like to throw in a photo of hours or menus, because people find that super helpful.) The more shots you take, the more you will have to choose from. We don’t always take an amazing shot the first time. But we increase our chances of having a good shot by giving ourselves options.
Photos of details may be overlooked, but can give a great sense of the vibe of a place, like these decorated rocks from Connect Live.
What’s the best photo you’ve taken recently? Share it in the comments below!
Very useful tips @crissibeth
Thanks for sharing. It also should be mentioned to prevent from uploading nearly same photos (from nearly same angle) that we've taken and only use best one
Nice tips @crissibeth !! The flash is also a good tool up close but be careful as it may make things lose their warmth. So you may have to adjust the white balance. My results from our new indoor grill..
Very much helpful, indeed I should check all the available options in Mobile camera app
