- Before You Start
- Rule of Thirds: Setting the Grid Feature on Your iPhone
- Adjusting Manual Exposure on Your iPhone
- More iPhone Photo & Video Capture Resources
- Android Camera Advanced Camera Settings & Photo Resources
- More Gadgets and Gear for Mobile Phone & Tablet Photography
1. Before You Start
- Clean your lens with a lens cloth. Make sure lens is not cracked.
- Experiment with the camera control options available when you open your photo app. Adjust controls manually, rather than relying on automatic settings. Manual adjustment will often result in a better photograph.
- Go to the SETTINGS menu on your phone. You can change the resolution of your photos as well as enable other camera features. Make sure your camera is set to the highest resolution.
- Remember to hold the camera still when you take a photo.
- Read up on Focus, Composition, and Lighting.
- Find resources about composing mobile photos here: http://blog.curalate.com/2015/08/03/how-to-master-the-composition-of-mobile-photos
2. Rule of Thirds: Setting the Grid Feature on Your iPhone
- Open the SETTINGS menu on your iPhone. Choose Camera & Video. Enable the grid to help you practice the rule of thirds.
Remember, there are many different apps out there that you can download and use for your photo and video capturing. Many of the apps have a free version.
3. Adjusting Manual Exposure
- When you tap the screen to focus on your subject, your camera may also set the exposure automatically. This can lead to your photo being over exposed. You can adjust your picture’s exposure manually by tapping on the three overlapping circles on the top right of the screen).
- Read more about iPhone manual camera controls here: http://www.imore.com/camera-api-ios-8-explained
- Read more about taking low light photos on your mobile phone here: http://thenextweb.com/creativity/2015/07/04/13-tips-for-shooting-low-light-photos-on-your-phone-like-a-pro/
4. More iPhone Photo & Video Capture Resources
- Capture PHOTOS on iPhone and iPad: Visit the link below to learn how to use your iPhone or iPad to capture everyday photos and how to use it as a camera for the aspiring photographer. http://www.imore.com/how-to-take-photos-camera-iphone-ipad
- Capture VIDEOS on iPhone and iPad: Learn how to capture video and get additional photography tips here: http://www.imore.com/camera-ultimate-guide
5. Android Camera Advanced Camera Settings & Photo Resources
Visit the links below to learn how to use many of the advanced camera settings. Most people never use these, but they are essential for great mobile photography. These sites include image examples of exposure value, ISO, white balance, aspect ratio, geotagging, and saving to SD cards.
- Android Camera Settings: http://www.androidcentral.com/beginners-guide-android-photography-settings
- Android Photography Tricks: http://www.androidpit.com/tips-tricks-smartphone-photography
6. More Gadgets and Gear for Mobile Phone & Tablet Photography
- Here is an example of a tripod compatible with the iPhone.
- Here is a mount that you attach to a tripod that you already have (compatible with iPhone and Android).
- Here is a list of more photo gear for mobile phone photography including wide angle lenses.
- Here is a list of more photo gear for iPads.