In today’s camera bag: a mind-full of delicious information
Welcome to my new blog, aimed specifically at the mobile photographer who uses an Android device. iPhone users may benefit from my strokes of genius as well. Those of you using Windows Mobile phones, well, you are entirely insignificant and I’m not even really sure any of you still exist. And Blackberries? I like them in my fruit parfait.
My posts will focus on Android applications (in-depth reviews and tips) and pointers for getting the best results from your phone’s camera. I’ll start with the basics today—those things you need to know before we get a little crazy. There is a lot to cover, so I’ve broken it into sections if you’re not able or interested in reading it all in one sitting. Future posts won’t be this long at all, don’t worry.
Knowing the Capabilities and Disabilities of Your Phone’s Camera
While phone cameras have come a long way since the Sanyo 5300, there are still a number of limitations you must keep in mind when taking photos. Knowing these limitations will greatly improve your results.
Max out your settings. Set your resolution as high as possible. Remember, you can always resize your photo in the post-editing process. Your camera may also have settings for Economy, Fine and Superfine; Superfine is the highest setting, so you’ll want to select this as well.
Tidy up that lens. Make sure your lens is clear of smudges, dust particles and any other foreign buggers. Since a lot of us keep our phones in our pockets or purses, the lens gets a little messy. I keep a small microfiber cloth in my purse for on-the-go cleaning, but I also regularly take a cotton swab and window cleaner to the ol’ girl. It makes a world of a difference.
In the beginning, there was light. Natural light is always the best as it lessens the chance of throwing off your white balance, and when you’re shooting outdoors, never shoot directly at the sun; you’ll end up with nothing but silhouettes. If you’re shooting indoors, be mindful of where your light source is coming from to avoid shadows on your subject(s). You will also want to take into account the kind of light (incandescent, fluorescent, etc.), as this can largely affect your white balance. You may need to adjust the balance in your settings. Using your flash can help and it can also hurt. I almost always take a no-flash shot after any flash shot, just to have it as backup.
No matter how fun it sounds, never use zoom. Ever. If your subject is too far away and you’re getting the itch to zoom, don’t. Just don’t. Digital zoom works by enlarging pixels. In essence it crops that portion of the picture and enlarges it to size; it literally does not zoom at all. You are much better off taking the picture without zoom and enlarging the subject in the post-editing process. However, if your camera has optical zoom (not many camera phones do, though), have at it.
Do it often, and with variety. If you have the opportunity, take multiple shots. It never hurts to have a few different candidates. Also, try taking shots from all different angles: down low, up high, from the hip (I’ll cover this popular method in a post down the road), etc. Perspective is a wonderful thing.
Be still my heart. While blurred images can sometimes have an abstract kind of allure to them, please try to stand still and keep your hands steady. Also, notice I said hands, not hand. Always hold your phone with both hands and not one. Control is key.
Shoot first, edit later. It is recommended that you explore the settings available in your camera but use them only when necessary. In other words, don’t go messing around with white balance to achieve certain hues, or shoot images in black & white. Do your best to take natural photos. You can always edit them later with a variety of applications. I know there are a lot of camera apps out there that let you take neat photos with live effects, and we’ll explore a number of them down the road. But it’s my personal opinion that you’re better off leaving the effects to the post-editing process.
Arming Yourself With Snapshots o’ Knowledge
Now that you understand what you basically can and cannot (or should and shouldn’t) do with your phone’s camera, there are some tips you should know for photography as a whole. These are just the most basic ones. I’ll cover more in the future.
The rule of thirds. This is, by far, the most popular rule of photography. While it can sometimes be broken, it’s definitely one every photographer should learn and execute. The rule of thirds breaks the image into horizontal and vertical thirds, creating nine equal parts on the canvas area of your photo (see below).
The practice behind the Rule of Thirds is to place your point(s) of interest at intersecting points or along one of the lines. As in the photo above, I placed the stigma of the dandelion at the top right intersecting point, making it the focal point of the picture. Studies have actually shown that the human eye tends to focus more naturally in a Rule of Thirds type manner, so by arranging your shots with this in mind, you are creating a more naturally engaging photograph for your viewers. It is also useful to place horizons along one of the lines in the grid. Check your camera settings, as you may have an option to show a grid to assist with your shots. If you don’t have this option, it might take some practice to make it a habit or it may come naturally. Either way, just do your best to align your photos with the Rule of Thirds in mind and, if needed, refine the alignment in the post-editing process.
Frame of mind. Framing your shot can enhance your point of interest (this is an instance where breaking the Rule of Thirds can work) and even make an otherwise boring shot extremely interesting… Or make an already-interesting shot more amazing. You can use almost anything as your frame. A window, a doorway, a shot through tree branches or flowers, even people. A frame doesn’t have to cover all of the edges of your photo; it can just be a couple corners or edges.
The eternal landscape. We take a lot of pictures of landscapes, and there are some general rules to consider when doing so. This is a useful time to follow the Rule of Thirds if you feel it will add a dramatic touch to your photograph. Also, if you have a line of trees, a bridge, a river, or something to that effect, creating a diagonal line out of those elements really adds a nice touch that will make your landscape photo stand above the rest. A more difficult thing to try that will create balance in your photo is the Geometric Shapes concept. This is achieved by filling the landscape with three objects (one on each side and one in the center).
Fill ‘er up. A technique that is often extremely useful with a phone’s camera is fill flash. This method fills your subject with light in what is seemingly an already well-lit area. A phone’s camera is more sensitive to direct light than regular digital cameras. Let’s say you’re outside and have an opportunity for an amazing photo, but you’re shooting into the sun. Or maybe you’re inside and shooting directly towards a window on a sunny day. Chances are your subject matter will be nothing but a dark silhouette. Turning on your flash just might alleviate the problem and fill your subject with light. Think of it as a sunny assistant. It won’t always work, but it can’t hurt to try.
In The End…
Now that you’ve been armed with an admittedly lengthy swarm of information, we can get started on the more in-depth application reviews and nifty tips. But not today.
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