Quick Links
Before taking photos with your smartphone, it’s worth learning about the basics. This comprehensive guide will outline essential settings, the most important technical aspects, and editing software recommendations to make your pictures really pop.
Essential Camera Settings for Smartphone Photography
Changing your camera settings will dramatically impact your smartphone photography results. As a starting point, I recommend altering these three aspects of your pictures.
1. Exposure
While smartphone cameras don’t have as many adjustment options as DSLR and mirrorless cameras, you’re able to (and should) change the exposure. The amount of light that you let into your camera will have a significant impact on your results, and you shouldn’t blindly trust your smartphone’s automatic settings.
In most cases, you can change the exposure via a slider on your screen. Depending on your device, you might also have the choice to lock your exposure. If you do, I recommend making the most of it.
If you’ve underexposed your pictures, don’t worry—it’s possible tofix underexposed images on iOS and Android.
2. Camera Filters
While you don’t need camera filters, smartphone photos often look flat. So, filters can automatically make your pictures stand out (without you needing to make further adjustments). The filters available will depend on your device.
If you have an iPhone, for example, you can access filters such as Vivid and Dramatic. These are some ofour favorite iPhone camera filters that you should try outwhen taking photos.
Adding filters later via editing software (more on that later) and Instagram is also possible. If you want to add Instagram filters, check out thesegreat filters for your Instagram posts.
3. Zoom Settings
I’ve spoken in the past about how I don’t like the way many smartphone pictures look when zoomed in, and I think you should try to avoid 2x or higher zoom where possible. I think that most smartphone pictures look at their best between 0.5x and 1x zoom, so this is the threshold I suggest staying within.
If this region doesn’t work best for you, you should move closer to your subject where possible. An alternative is to buy external lenses for your smartphone camera, but these can be expensive and you should do your research beforehand.
You can start by readingwhy you should consider clip-on lenses for your smartphone. And if you’ve decided that you want to get one, check out our list ofthe best smartphone camera lenses.
Important Technical Aspects of Smartphone Photography
Besides adjusting settings on your smartphone, you should also think about different technical aspects. These also apply to photography with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, so you can reduce your learning curve if you later decide to take your picture-taking to the next level with a camera.
1. Composition
Composition is one of the most crucial elements, and you need to think about your main subject. Once you know what the primary thing in your picture will be, you need to consider where you’ll place it. For example, many photographersuse the rule of thirds(though, admittedly, this is one ofthe photography rules I break when photographing on my smartphone).
You can alsouse leading lineswith features like rivers and trees to direct the viewer’s eye to where you want them to look. There are plenty of other ways toget great composition in your smartphone photography, such as enabling the on-camera grid (this is by far the easiest starting point).
2. Lighting
Besides changing the exposure in your smartphone photos, you also need to consider the lighting. Your photos will look different depending on the time of day you take them, and you’ll also need to think about whether you will use natural or artificial lighting.
I recommend taking smartphone photos (and most photos in general, for that matter) at times of the day with softer lighting. For example, I like going out first thing in the morning. If the time you may take pictures is limited, it’s better to take some photos than none. Nonetheless, it is worth thinking about using light to your advantage if you have flexibility.
As I mentioned earlier, I think that smartphone photos can be quite flat. For this reason, I believe it’s particularly important to think about the colors you use in your image.
You should focus on colors that look good and complement each other. To do this, you will need to experiment and see which combinations you like the most. You can also use color theory to understand how different colors work with each other.
Understanding Your Smartphone Camera’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Knowing what your smartphone camera is and isn’t good at will automatically help you take better photos. You should make more of an effort to maximize its strengths while limiting its weaknesses. For example, my smartphone camera is pretty good at capturing landscape photos and portraits. It also performs well in low-light conditions.
On the other hand, my smartphone camera is not very good atcapturing moving subjects. While I can use my phone for street photography, I would rather not if possible.
Your smartphone camera’s strengths and weaknesses will vary, so you should experiment to see what works best for you.
How to Edit Your Smartphone Photos
Once you’ve taken your pictures, I recommend editing them to add the finishing touches; there are evencircumstances where I prefer editing on my phone to my desktop. I normally use three apps, and I’ll briefly discuss each below.
VSCO has a decent selection of free filters, and I’ll even use some of them on JPEGs that I take with my mirrorless camera. You can also make basic adjustments to exposure and other aspects.
The app’s paid version includes additional editing tools, including a broader range of filters. But if you’re just starting out, I think that the free edition is more than good enough.
Download:VSCO foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
2. Apple Photos
Apple Photos is another great editing tool if you have an iPhone. I sometimes also AirDrop my pictures to an iPad so that I can edit them on a bigger screen using this app. If you didn’t add a filter when taking your photos, Apple Photos allows you to do precisely that.
You can also use Apple Photos to edit the contrast, brightness, saturation, and several other settings. The app is free and available via your Camera Roll, so no download is required.
3. Lightroom CC
Lightroom is my most frequently used photo editing app, and I like Lightroom CC for more comprehensive edits. I use Lightroom CC when editing sporting event pictures in particular, and it’s also good for editing photos from concerts and when I go out for food.
Screenshot and image by Ruby Helyer, author. No attribution required.
When using Lightroom CC, you’ll have access to basic sliders and more advanced tools like color grading. In fact, I think it’s one of thebest color grading apps for your smartphone. You also have a broad range of presets to choose from.
To use Lightroom CC, you’ll need a monthly subscription. Prices vary depending on your region.
Download:Lightroom foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchase available)
Smartphone photography might seem as simple as pointing and shooting, but knowing the technical aspects will instantly make your pictures look more interesting. It’s also a good idea to understand different settings to adjust, along with editing software. You should have all of this information now that you’ve read this guide.
