How to Get Better at Smartphone Photography? Follow these Tips and Tricks

Smartphone cameras are improving every day. Everyone is capable of taking good photographs by just using their smartphones. Aesthetic, portrait or nature, you name it and can click a good photo of that subject on your smartphone. However, there are some photos clicked on a smartphone that looks better than others, why does that happen? Even if the camera and the smartphone are the same, it is not implied that the photos taken will be the same as well. It's not always about skills, but can also be about the knowledge of taking photographs. There are a lot of things to be done with a 108-megapixel, 64 or even a 48-megapixel camera. The UI has also improved in default, as well as third-party camera apps. Here are some tips that will help you get better at smartphone photography.

Use Third-Party Camera Apps

The default camera apps on smartphones have improved significantly, but one should always try their hand at third-party camera apps. Google cam is a prime example of this. Most smartphones nowadays come with Google cam support. Try installing that for your smartphone and see the changes that it brings to your photos.

Experiment with the Exposure Slider

Not a lot of people try out the exposure slider on the screen while taking photos on their smartphones. You do not need to go to any option, just tap on the screen with your camera opened and you will see the exposure slider. This will help you toggle to the right exposure setting and get a close-to-real photo of the subject. You can reduce or increase the additional shadow or brightness of the photo and keep the authenticity of the image intact.

Auto HDR is the Key

If you are unable to hit the right spot with the exposure slider, you can always choose to go with the Auto HDR mode. However, if you are trying to take a photo of a moving subject with the help of Auto HDR then the images will be blurry. This mode needs a few seconds to correct the image and for that stability is important. HDR or the High Dynamic Range makes the darker aspects of the photo more visible and reduces the brightness of the over-exposed parts to bring an even colour tone to the image.

Learn About Histogram

This is a little technical, but can result in very good-looking photos. The histogram is a graphical mountain that should be in the centre of the screen to make sure that the photos taken are correct. However, if you want to take dark photos or light photos, then moving the histogram graph to the left or the right would really help with the image.

Click in the Raw Mode

Almost all the latest smartphones come with the option of shooting in the raw mode. Raw images give you the ease of editing and making changes without ruining the overall aesthetic of the image. If you edit these images later on apps like Snapseed then you will get to experience multiple colours and options to work with. There are times while editing when you might think the image has burned a little too much or is a little too bright, this can be controlled on raw images.

Take Burst Photos

Burst mode lets users take multiple photos in quick succession. This is a very good option for action photography. Using the burst mode will allow you not to miss any frame, and you will be able to get good photos from every frame. This mode is underutilized, as it is very good for taking candid portraits or even landscape photos. If you do a lot of wildlife or nature photography, this mode will help you with that.

Practise and Experiment

Following the above-mentioned tips will help you get good photos on your smartphone, but one thing that you should be aware of is that you need to practise with these modes. The functions and outcomes are different in every mode and therefore, you should experiment and practise as much as possible.