7 Mobile Photography Tips Every Photographer Should Know

Are you a budding photographer looking to develop your skills further?

In the following article, we will look at handy tips and tricks you can implement in your process to take your photography to the next level. 

Mobile photography can be daunting, but with the right knowledge and tools at your disposal, you’ll soon be on your way to taking photos you’ve only ever dreamed of.

If this sounds like what you're looking for, then read on! 

Clean Your Lenses

Although this may come as a shock to you, most amateur photographers often neglect this very crucial step in the process. Your mobile phone spends a lot of time in your hands and pockets, and as a result, your lens gets covered in dirt residue. Dirt on your lenses causes your photos to have smudges and blurred spots. 
Blurry photos are a photographer's nightmare. Taking clear photos on your mobile device also means less editing later on. It is definitely worthwhile cleaning your lens frequently to ensure clear images. 

Set Your Focus So That Your Subject is Always Sharp

This might seem like common sense, and often amateur photographers rely on the built-in focus of their mobile phones. However, this is an important skill to learn early on in your photography career.

To ensure that your subject is in focus, sometimes you have to set the focus manually. To put the focus on your subject, all you have to do is tap on the subject on your phone's screen, and a box should appear over the tapped area.

There isn't that much to it. Yes! You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to set the focus on your mobile device’s camera. 

A properly focused photograph should be sharp and detailed. The intent and of the photograph should be clear.  Learning to use the focus correctly is one of the fundamental skills in photography and remains important whether you take sports, lifestyle, or landscape photos.

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Adjust Your Camera's Exposure

So you have the perfect angle. You've cleaned your lenses, and you've set your focus just right, but you're still taking less than perfect photos, huh? Have you checked your exposure?

In layman's terms, exposure is your camera's level of brightness (or lack thereof). Sometimes, great photos are an epic fail simply because you did not correctly calibrate your exposure before taking the picture. 

Setting the exposure on your camera is a simple process. All you have to do is open the phone's camera app and go to settings; you will find the exposure setting there. 

Great exposure also reduces the level of editing needed on a photo. If you usually use a blemish remover app for slight touch-ups, implementing this hack together with the other tips in this article will drastically improve the quality of your photos pre-touch up. 

Shoot in Portrait Mode To Get Great Blurred Backgrounds

Are you in pursuit of taking professional-looking images with stunning blurred backgrounds? You do not need complicated or fancy editing programs to achieve this look in your photographs.

All you need to do is implement all of the previous steps we suggested. Then set your phone camera on portrait mode. This works best with newer model mobile phone cameras. 

Portrait mode uses depth-effect software to keep your foreground sharp and your background blurred. For the best results keep the subject 2-8 feet away from the camera when taking the shot.

Pull Back From The Picture

Although it may feel counterintuitive, pulling away from the subject can make a great photo. Doorways and windows make for great frames. There is something enchanting about peering into a scene from an outside perspective. 

The extra space incorporates extra detail into your image. Often, the things we keep tell a quiet story about who we are, as does the space we occupy. 

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Use The Elements To Capture Great Scenes

Being mindful of your surroundings is vital if you want to take great photos. A backlit building or tree can create beautiful lines that draw in the viewer. Reflections are also a great source of intrigue. 

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Set The Scene For Impactful Scales

Next time you're out and about busy with your photography, make sure to keep an eye out for great vantage points. The right angle from the perfect vantage point can put your subject into perspective and showcase the space's atmosphere. 

Final Words

You don't need an expensive camera to take great photos nowadays, devices we carry in our pockets are more than capable. If you implement these hacks and continually work on your photography skills, you will be taking gorgeous photographs on your mobile device in no time. 

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