Super Smartphone Shots

We may not always be prepared with our high-powered cameras, but rarely do we find ourselves without our smartphones. Today’s models boast impressive features, but combine those features with some simple strategies, and you have Instagram-ready images sure to impress your followers. Here are our top tips:

Get Closer Through Cropping: While today’s smartphones incorporate sophisticated algorithms that can zoom in, they aren’t always the best choice. Unlike cameras that utilize optical zoom, smartphones must interpolate the data – meaning, an educated guess – to generate enough data to zoom in. Instead, move closer to your subject if possible and then use the cropping tool. You’ll have a higher quality image from the start, allowing it to stand up better once cropped.

Quick Access Tools: Each smartphone model has tools that allow you to quickly access the camera function from a locked screen. It’s important to understand how these tools work so that you are ready when a perfect photo moment presents itself. You don’t want to be fiddling with access when the event happens. A few minutes of practice will save you the aggravation of missing countless shots down the road.

Stay Still: Smartphone cameras are particularly sensitive to movement and a shaky hand can result in a blurry image. Whenever possible, steady your hand by placing your elbow on a solid surface to provide extra stability. If nothing else, be extremely aware of any movement while taking each photo.

Timing Really is Everything: Do you know when your smartphone actually takes a photo? Is it when you touch the “shutter” button or when you release your finger from the button? Make sure you understand how your touch affects timing, and also how your smartphone adjusts to low light and movement, as these factors will also affect the final result. Play with these features to get a feel for how to make the most of your smartphone’s abilities.

Clean Your Lens Regularly: This seems like such an obvious statement but few of us actually do this on a regular basis. Your smartphone is rolling around in a handbag or pocket, being pulled in and out of a holster and being handled by kids wanting to borrow it for ‘just a minute.’ Using a cleaning cloth on the lens will greatly improve your images. Combat that foggy and smudged look by picking up a cleaning cloth or a complete kit here: Berger Bros cleaning kit