PHOTOGRAPHY

 8 Easy Tips: How to Take Professional Photos with your phone  

  Wondering what makes so many Instagram photos look amazingly cool? Are you looking for a way to take good photos with your mobile-only? You have come to the right place!! This guide will show you exactly how to become a professional photographer using just your phone. Whether you want to take pictures to share on Instagram or want to photograph products for sale or otherwise, these tips will help you a lot.

  We are fortunate that the capabilities of the camera in mobile are getting better with each new release, making mobile photography skills more advanced than ever.

  We've rounded up eight key steps to follow that will take your photos from lousy to amazing.

The 8 easy tips

   1. Clean your phone lens before shooting

  Your phone spends a lot of time in your hands and in your purse or pocket. As a result, camera lenses can be covered with dirt, dust, and fingerprints. A dirty lens will leave smudges, blurring, or dust spots on your photos. This will not look good!

  Our first tip for mobile photography is to clean your phone lenses! Use a soft cloth (or even your shirt) to gently wipe the lens. If you want clear and sharp images.

  If you are shooting on the beach, blow on the lens first before wiping it. This will remove any sand or dust that may scratch the lens when wiping.

  Cleaning phone lenses may seem necessary, but most people don't remember doing it. So get into the habit of cleaning your phone's lens. It will make a huge difference in the clarity of your photos.

   2- Hold your phone well to avoid blurry photos

  What I hear the most is "my photos are blurry". And the easiest way to correct this's to change the way you hold your phone to eliminate as much vibration as possible.

  Most people take pictures by raising their arms, holding the phone with four fingers, then pressing the shutter with a fifth, or perhaps using the volume button. There are many problems with this approach. First, the further away your phone is from your body, the more it will be affected by the slightest movement in your arms, even just breathing. So bring your phone closer to your body to reduce vibration.

   3. Use gridlines to balance your photos

  One of the easiest and best ways to improve your mobile photos is to run Gridlines. Meaning a series of lines on your smartphone’s camera screen that is based on the “rule of thirds” – the principle of photographic composition which states that an image should be divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, so that you have nine parts in total.

  The rule of thirds states that the most important elements of a scene should be placed along grid lines or at intersections where lines meet. This makes the main subject off-center both vertically and horizontally

  According to this theory, if you place points of interest at these intersections or along lines, your image will be more balanced and allow viewers to interact with it more naturally. In the following paragraphs, we will see examples for illustration.

  How can I turn on the network on my iPhone or Android phones?

• iPhone: Open Camera > Grid and click/drag to turn it on.

• Samsung Android: Open the Camera app > Settings > Grid.

  Using gridlines for landscape photography

  If you're shooting landscapes, the rule of thirds is the first thing you should think about when composing your portrait.

  In general, landscapes don't look good if the horizon is placed directly across the center of the image.   The central placement of the horizon tends to cut the image in half and is not very pleasing to the eye.   The horizon is the line separating the earth and sky as shown in the image below.

  For example, in this image, the horizon does not cut the image in half.

  For a more naturally balanced composition, it's best to place the horizon on or near one of the horizontal third lines. Whether you place it on the top or bottom grid line will depend on what you want to focus on in the scene.

  If the sky is more interesting than the foreground, such as the beautiful sunset in the image below, it makes sense to place the horizon on the lower third line.

  

  This allows you to fill the remaining two-thirds of the frame with the sky, drawing the viewer's attention to that part of the scene.

  However, if your scene has an interesting introduction, you should consider aligning the horizon along the upper third line.

  In this stunning image, the lines, textures, and reflections in the foreground add plenty of visual interest to the scene.

  So in this case, a great option is to place the horizon along the lines of the upper third, so that the foreground occupies a larger part of the image.

  While the horizon doesn't have to line up perfectly with the horizontal grid lines, placing it off-center near the top or bottom of the frame will usually produce a more pleasing composition than the central horizon.

  A quick tip: When shooting landscapes, keep your phone horizontal as shown in the image below.

  Using Gridlines for Portrait Photography

  If you're taking pictures of people or animals, use the rule of thirds to help you position their faces and eyes within the scene.

  The eyes are where the viewer's gaze will be directed first, so placing them off-center according to the rule of thirds will usually create the strongest composition.

  If the person you want to photograph is looking directly at the camera, place the eyes along the upper grid line as shown in the image below.

Whereas if the subject is sideways, place the eye closest to the camera at the point of intersection where two lines meet.

  Use arrowheads to balance the subject with negative space

  Negative space refers to an empty space in a scene, and it can strongly impact your image. The blank space allows you to create a clean and simple composition, placing great emphasis on your subject because nothing else is vying for attention.

  Using the rule of thirds will allow you to quickly and easily create a good composition as the subject balances the empty space.

  so when You're shooting a scene with a lot of negative space, consider aligning your main subject on one of the grid lines, or where two lines intersect.

   4. Never use Zoom

  Sometimes, you can't get close enough to your subject when taking a photo. The mistake many people make in this case is to use the zoom feature in the camera app to zoom in on the scene in the viewfinder.

  But the digital zoom feature on mobile will reduce the quality of your photo, so it's usually best to shoot without zooming, and then cut out unwanted edges in post-processing.

   5. Set Focus to make sure your subject is always clear

  To set where you want the viewfinder to focus, open the Camera app and tap the screen where you want your subject to be visible.

  For example, if you want to apply the rule of thirds and make your subject at the point where the two lines intersect, you must tap the screen at the point where the two lines intersect.

  If you are taking a picture of a moving object, it may be difficult for the camera to follow the subject and refocus as needed. Tap the screen to correct the focus of your phone's camera just before taking the photo to make sure the moving subject has as much focus as possible. A square or circle icon should appear on the camera screen where you tap, shifting the focus of the shot to the content within that icon.

  Many of the best images include one interesting topic. So when taking a photo of one subject, spend some extra time preparing the shot. Some professional photographers say that the subject should not fill the entire frame, and that two-thirds of the image should be negative space - this helps the subject stand out more.

  But be sure to tap your smartphone screen to focus the camera on your subject – this will help ensure it's focused and improve the lighting.

  Pro tip: Once you've taken your photo, you can use filters and apps to make the subject more visible, or to crop it to frame the subject properly. Image brightness, contrast, and saturation can also be adjusted accordingly – all from your phone. We'll see all this later.

   6. Adjust Exposure to get ideal brightness levels

  Do your photos often appear too bright (overexposed) or too dark (low light)?

  It doesn't have to be this way! So, how can you make sure that your photos have the perfect brightness level?

  You can simply adjust the exposure (brightness) before taking a photo. By clicking on the subject you want to photograph to adjust focus first, a small sun sign will appear on the side.

  Swipe up to make the image brighter. Or swipe down to make it darker.

  Try to make sure that the most important parts of the scene are displayed correctly. Of course, sometimes you may want to intentionally show or overexpose your image.

  For example, you will need to reduce the exposure to create a silhouette where your subject appears completely black.

  Or you may want to increase the exposure to create an image with bright, clean whites.

   7. Take photos with a blurry background

  You've always seen a lot of beautiful photos with a blurry background (also called shallow depth of field) when you're browsing Instagram.

  Did you think that creating professional blur effects is something photographers can only achieve with expensive DSLRs? You made a mistake my friend!! Smartphone owners can also do this.

  Now our phones have evolved and can achieve this effect. Here's an example: I just took this picture with my humble $200 phone!

  By using a blurred background in your photos you can get a more professional look for your photos. It also helps draw the viewer's attention to the important part of the image.

  You will be able to add a professional-looking blurry background effect by using at least one of the following tips, no matter what kind of phone you use:

  Take photos using the “Portrait” mode of your phone camera to create amazing blurry backgrounds

  Portrait mode makes the subject of your photo really stand out. Because the background is blurry, your eyes are naturally drawn to the non-blurred portion of the image. It can be a powerful technique when used correctly.

  In general, most phones with two or more cameras can have Portrait mode.

  But some phones with only one camera can produce the effect of background blur (Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 3 are the most prominent examples), while some phones with two cameras do not have “Portrait” mode (like the LG V30). However, if the new phone has two cameras on the back, it's a safe bet that it has this mode.

  How to use “Portrait” mode on iPhone

• Open the camera and then search for “Portrait” at the bottom.

• Follow the tips that appear on your screen. Steer clear of your topic if the app suggests it. When the Depth Effect box turns yellow, take the photo.

  Sometimes, you may take a picture with a blurry background but in the end, you didn't like it!! This's not a problem!

  You can easily remove the opacity and go back to the normal version of the image. Simply open the photo in the Photos app, then tap Edit.

  Tap the yellow Portrait option at the top of the screen to remove the blur effect from your photo. You can turn the blur back on at any time by clicking on Portrait again.

  If you have an iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, or XR, Portrait mode also has a feature called Control the amount of blur.

  Depth control allows you to adjust the strength of the background blur... after the photo has been taken.

  To adjust the background opacity, open your photo in the Photos app, then tap Edit.

  If you have an iPhone 11 model, tap the f  icon at the top left of the screen. (On older iPhones, you don't need to do this.)

  You will see the depth slider for your photo. Drag the slider left or right to make the blur stronger or weaker.

  When you're done editing your photo, click Done to save your changes.

  How to use Portrait mode on Android

  Here are the different ways you can use blur background in different Android phones:

  Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and S9:

• Launch the Camera app.

• Select Live Focus on the screen.

• Adjust the level of blur using the slider near the bottom of the screen.

• Take a picture using the shutter or volume buttons.

  To adjust the blur after taking the photo, select the photo in your gallery and select the option to adjust the background blur.

  Samsung Galaxy S9

• Open the Camera app.

• Switch to the front camera. You can do this by swiping up or down, or by using the camera switch.

• Select Selfie Focus.

• take a picture.

  Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

  Even though these phones don't have a dual camera, they can create a background blur effect with just one camera on the back.

• Open the Camera app.

• Select Menu at the top left of the application.

• Select “Portrait.”

• Take pictures of yourself.

• Click on the thumbnail in the bottom left and select the image you want.

• Google will automatically add a blur to the background of the image.

  Some Huawei phones

• open the camera

• Press More and select Aperture.

• Touch where you want to focus on the screen.

• Adjust the level of blur using the slider near the bottom of the screen to switch between different values ​​of aperture. A smaller aperture value like f/1.8 or otherwise will create a blurry background. And vice versa, if you want a clear foreground and background, choose a large value.

  The aperture of the lens is responsible for the effect of background blur, which is called depth of field. Where there are two types of the latter; Shallow depth of field i.e. background blurring, and deep depth of field i.e. all image elements are clear. For more information on the depth of field and aperture in photography, here is the link.

  Portrait mode on other Android devices

  While we mentioned some of the most popular Android devices with Portrait mode, a variety of other brands offer similar effects in their camera apps. These tend to appear on premium devices.

  For example, there is a “Live Bokeh” mode on the Nokia 8 and Nokia 9. The Xiaomi A1 — part of Android One software — is equipped with a dual-camera and automatically applies a “Depth Effect” when it focuses on the subject in the foreground.

  The process for accessing these different modes on related Android devices is usually the same as the methods we mentioned above. Check your phone I'm sure you'll find it.

  This isn't the only way to get background blur in your photos, read on to learn more.

  Use the camera in the Instagram app to get the background blur (even if you don't intend to post on Instagram)

  Did you know that you can use Instagram to create blurry background photos and videos without posting them to Instagram? Yes, yes you can by using a mode called “focus”

  This includes most iPhones and some Android devices, so be sure to test it on your phone. And of course, you'll need to have Instagram on your phone.

  To use Focus mode on Instagram:

• Open the Instagram app

• Click on the camera icon in the upper left corner of your screen. Once inside you will see several shooting modes at the bottom of the screen.

• Find Focus and tap on it. Once you point the camera at your subject, you'll instantly see a blur in the background.

• Choose the Save icon at the top of the screen (the arrow pointing down) and it will save the photo to your camera roll.

  For shooting a video with a blurry background, just press and hold “Focus” and the video will take the effect of blurred background. They add a cool effect to your Instagram Stories videos...or save the video for later use.

  Focus mode is part of Instagram Stories. But you can always save your personal photos to your phone if you want. You can then post it to other social media platforms, or upload it to your Instagram account.

  Note: It's a bit tricky to use without a face but it can be done - you just have to play with the focus and the distance between you and the subject you want to photograph.

  The third and final way to make the background blurry is to download an app that does the job.

  Download an app on your phone to get the blurred background

  If you don't use Instagram and you don't have one of the smartphones that come with portrait mode ready to go, there is another option. Use an app that does all the dull work for you!

  There are many apps you can try to add blur background effects to photos. Here are some:

  AfterFocus App

  Using this app is like you've got a DSLR camera on your phone! I feel like I'm exaggerating a bit but believe me this app is awesome.

  If you want to blur backgrounds in your photo to look professional, this's the app for you.

  Its use may seem a little complicated, but it's very easy.

  Now let's go to the second application.

  Blur Image Background App

  The elegantly designed interface of the app, along with the abundance of options that let you add blur to your photos, make Blur Image Background one of the best apps out there on Google Play. Android users can easily blur the backgrounds of their photos to achieve a professional photo look, and they can also have complete control over the amount of blur they apply to their photos.

  If you don't like the edit you made at any step of the process, you can easily undo the action or you can reset and go back to the original state of the image. Blur Image Background makes sharing your photos on social media easy, which means you can show your blurred photos to your friends with this amazing app.

  Tadaa SLR App

  Tadaa SLR is an app that I used before for background blur and bokeh effects. I got good results using it available on IOS.

  These applications are generally suitable for blurring the background and adding some effects to photos, but some applications are suitable for everything related to photo editing. Now we'll talk about the last stage of the rules for getting great photos using only your phone.

   8. Don't be afraid to edit photos!

  Creating and taking a picture of your smartphone is just the first step to making it visually appealing. While editing your photos is the next step - a very important step.

  Here are the best photo editing apps:

  Picsart app

  Picsart is a very popular Android app that does many things, including the ability to blur the background of an image. It's a comprehensive editor that allows you to choose more than one blur effect (including smart, kinetic, or normal blur).

  You can also do many other editing effects with Picsart including Crop, adding filters, etc. It also has fun features like the CutOut tool that lets you create custom stickers. Available on Android. How to use it you will find in this article.

  Snapseed app

Snapseed means you don't need Lightroom or Photoshop to get the job done. Alternatively, you can enhance photos, fix problems, and generally improve the appearance of photos with this free app.

   Conclusion

  The key to photography, like any art, is to keep learning and practicing.

  Good images are essential to your content strategy. While DSLRs and other "real" cameras take great professional photos, they aren't always affordable. It's up to you to take great pictures with the equipment you have - your phone.