Mobile photography has become a tool for photographers today despite the fact that there are many debates over whether the photographs is taken from a mobile or a camera.
Mobile Photography has come to stay not only because it is probably the camera that you use the most photographers of all levels, but because the cameras are getting better and better. Your versatility, portability and immediacy we got caught and is going to continue being so for at least a long season.
This is why we wanted to dedicate mobile photography with our format mega guide, compiling and expanding on absolutely all the information you need to improve your photographs taken with mobile. Inspiration, tricks, tips, composition or technique. Everything you have here.
Important before you follow I recommend you to save this article in your favorites to be able to recover whenever you have a doubt, need inspiration, or you just want to check it out again. Settle in, that there I go.
Table of Contents
What is the moving picture?
The moving picture is that photo taken with a mobile phone. Obvious . But it is much more than that. The moving picture is spontaneity, frames, daring, new points of view, immediacy, and composition. Photography mobile puts the scope of your gaze images with other type of camera hard you can achieve.
To take advantage, it is advisable to disassemble the typical myths that are associated with this type of photography: the moving picture itself has merit, it may be professional, yes it is creative, yes it has a technique, and yes, you need effort and knowledge. Anyone can push a button, but not just any image is to photograph as we understand photographers, right?
The best tips for moving picture
Sometimes, the tricks which seem the most simple are the ones that can make a big difference in the quality of your images. For this reason, we have prepared a few tricks very simple that you will learn quickly how to take better pictures with your phone.
- Keep the optics in perfect condition. We must not forget that our camera is also a telephone and a powerful computer , and that, often, we touch the lens without wanting to or conduct in any way in the pocket. So clean the lens before making any photo. This is a small detail that we don’t always have in the account but deducted a lot of sharpness to your photos.
- Subject the phone. The ideal thing is that holding on with both hands and squeeze the shutter button using the button of the screen. Generates less vibration than other options such as the side.
- Be aware of the size of the sensor of the camera of the mobile. Be aware of the limitations of the camera of the smartphone, allows you to financing and advancing to the problems. We know that the size of the sensor of the mobile phones is very small, that is why you have to try and put things easy. You’ll see that many of the tips are related to this fact.
- Light, lots of light. If you want your Smartphone to give in to the highest quality, you should look for environments with a good lighting, and to be able to be that this is uniform, without too much contrast between lights and shadows. Then I will tell you more about this.
- Never use the digital zoom. The best zoom lens is your feet .
- Turn off the flash. It is not one of the strong points of the smart phone, so you better find a place with more light before you use the flash.
- Turn off the HDR mode by default. Activate it only when you believe that your image needs.
- It is preferred that the night mode before the built-in flash. If your phone has this feature, it is a better option.
- Compose correctly, to not have to crop the image. Take care of the background and activates the grid to help you.
- Learn how to work with the manual settings of your mobile.
- Do not take pictures using a filter. Think that, usually, there is no going back. It is preferable that you add after.
- Check out the worst mistakes that we commit in photography mobile
- Edition. You can enhance your picture with small adjustments for editing, lights, leftovers, contrast, or saturation, but remember that the more touch-ups the greater the loss of quality.
How you’ve been left wanting more? I mean face to face
Dominates the light in photography mobile
The light is always our obsession as a photographer. Mastering the light in photography mobile, has even more importance due to the size of the sensor in our Smartphones, much lower than that of a Dslr camera or a mirrorless.
However, all is not lost, nor much less, here are some tricks very simple to master light in your photographs with your mobile phone:
- The lights homogeneous are the ones that work best. Remember that the sensor of the phone is small and does not have a good dynamic range.
- Soft lights generate less shadows and are easier to process by the sensor.
- Play with the possibilities of the light lasts:
- The backlighting and silhouettes.
- The shadows are a visual resource, very powerful.
- Measures promptly in the area that you want to expose correctly to avoid to correct the exposure in the trial.
- Please note the directionality of light to play with textures.
- Experience in high-key and low (soon I’ll let you know the secret).
How to compose a photograph with a mobile phone
Many times you ask how to make beautiful photos with your phone. Before that question always reply, with agood composition. Composition in photography mobile phone is a very important aspect, because many times we lack other features such as depth of field or the lighting as narrative elements.
These are my tips in terms of composition with photography mobile to achieve images that are more attractive visually:
- Defines a center of interest. It is key to any type of photography.
- Try not to focus on. Uses rules as of thirds to place the protagonist in a strong point of the image where the eye is directed more naturally).
- Use the lines as a compositional element. Give a lot of play when composing your mobile phone.
- Enables the grid to help you compose and to keep the horizon straight.
- Less is more. The compositions are simple are easier to read and work better.
- Adds a human element to increase the interest of the image.
- Play with the scale.
- Using color as a compositional element more.
- Use frames natural for you to frame your image: doors, windows, bridges, arches…
How to make good portraits with a mobile phone?
One of the themes star photography mobile is, without a doubt, the portrait. Whether yours is to portray the other as rummaging around in the depths of your own soul (which is now called a selfie ), what is certain, is that a good portion of your photographs contain a portrait.
Let’s look at how to make a good picture with your mobile phone:
- Approach: take advantage of the mobile phone is not a camera that imposes too much to the people portrayed, and get the images and expressions that another camera would not be so easy to get.
- Take care of the background, nothing of unwanted elements in the frame.
- If the eyes reflect any kind of light, the fill out of life and always remember to have a look at that are well targeted.
- Always try to have enough light so that your image does not exit moved or underexposed.
- Test closer to a window indoors.
- Experiment with the shadows in the face, as I mentioned before, which are a resource of writing very interesting.
- Play with different planes in the image.
- Test also with the vertical format. For portraits is very much appreciated.
How to make good pictures for Instagram?
If there is one social network that has helped the rise of the mobile phone, that is, without a doubt, Instagram. The immediacy of the publications, the stories , and now also the format in video, have positioned itself as the social network most used by photographers of all kinds.
To take good photos for Instagram with your mobile phone:
- Learn how to compose in square format.
- The images minimalists tend to work best.
- Cares a lot the background.
- Do not abuse the filters.
- Try to have a line of sight consistent.
- Looking for framing original points of view only.
- Upload photos of you to feel proud of, without going into a loop perfectionist ;).
- Get inspired by photographers who will abound authenticity, as these indispensable photographers portrait, most of which you can follow on Instagram.
Street photography with a mobile phone
If there is a star in the photo with mobile is street photography, or whatever you want to call it.
The size, the discretion, the portability and speed of a mobile phone makes it one of the best choices for the lovers of this discipline. Sure you expect impatient some tips for street photography mobile phone:
- The human element is vital, try to include it directly or indirectly in your compositions.
- Take advantage of all of the moments of the day. Each light and each time tell different stories in street photography.
- Like rainy days, fog or wind. To bad weather, good photos .
- Always carry an extra battery to charge your mobile.
- Make sure you have enough space on your device before you get to photograph.
- Locate places where preveas that can happen interesting situations (outputs of the subway, crowded places…).
- Working the lines, shape, form and geometry.
- Uses the architectural elements as possible natural settings.
- Be discreet and respectful.
- Keep the mobile always at hand and ready to photograph.
- The black-and-white is a great ally for this type of photography. Don’t miss our complete guide to black and white photography if you’re passionate about the topic.
- Tell a story, make your picture talk.
Do not let take a look at our article with 15 tips to improve your photographs street with the mobile to extend this information.
Night photography with mobile phone
A few years ago would have seemed impossible to do night photography with a mobile phone, but today, not only is it possible, but that we can also achieve amazing results. My tips:
- Use a tripod to help stabilize the shot. Later, in the attachments, I recommend one ideal.
- Take advantage of the available light. Get closer to the sources of light whenever you can.
- Forget about the zoom, the sensor is a good friend of the dark, and even less if you add Zoom.
- If you have RAW, use it, otherwise, it uses an application for your mobile phone that has this format.
- If you have a night mode built-in your mobile phone, activate it.
Macro photography with a mobile phone
Bridging the gap with the macro shots taken with a specific lens or other systems for Dslr cameras or mirrorless, you can also practice macro photography with your mobile phone. These are my recommendations for shooting macro with mobile:
- Fits your expectations.
- Check that the lens is perfectly clean.
- You have at your disposal a macro lens for mobile, but also apps that provide this feature.
- Get close enough.
- Focuses manually.
- Controls the exposure.
- Stabilizes the phone.
Photographic techniques with mobile phone
When the technique is at the service of emotion, the result can be brutal. Learn different photography techniques give wings to your creativity in the long term, along with a general knowledge of composition, light and will make all the difference in your photos.
Here I leave you with a few ideas are very simple for you to practice different photographic techniques with your smartphone:
Photography mobile high-key and low
Each of these techniques have associated emotions very marked. The high key is purity, joy and happiness; the low key, on the contrary, it is a mystery, elegance, and drama.
Long exposure with mobile phone
There are techniques that seem to be reserved for another type of camera, but if you have a tripod and an application that allows you to work in manual, this type of photos are also at your fingertips.
I recommend that you take a look at apps like Slow Shutter Cam or Pro Camera to achieve stunning photographs of long exposure, lights, movement, and an explosion of sensations just playing with the speed of exposure.
Clone with a mobile phone
Like what you hear, no Photoshop nor magic, nor probes or nothing more than a mobile phone with option pan and a good samaritan who pose for you. It is everything that you need to clone someone with your mobile phone.
Do a Time Lapse photography mobile
With a simple tripod, your camera, and an external battery, you’ll be able to make a video Time Lapse. Yes, those videos that speed up slow processes such as the growth of a flower or the movement of the stars. In this video you have some examples:
Accessories photography mobile
The accessories for photography mobile phone are many and varied and, what is better, they tend to be very affordable, so they will allow you to increase even more the creative possibilities that it offers a smartphone without just investment.
These are the accessories most interesting to extend the range of photographic possibilities with your mobile phone:
- Objectives for smartphone: they are very economical, so do not expect the same results as with a lens of 800 Euros . Despite the fact that their quality is not impressive, are not bad and allow you to experiment with different focal points and thus obtain different images.
- Tripod for mobile: another must-have accessory with which you don’t have to spend too much to get good results and that will allow you to use techniques such as long exposure, obtain angles or cutting edge.
- External battery: ‘s nothing worse than running out of battery life on full photo session, of whatever kind. And, furthermore, if you lose your mobile phone, your connection with the world”, because it’s even worse . Always carry an extra battery on the top is a winning option.
- Waterproof cover: multiplies also the creative possibilities of your mobile phone with this accessory. To take pictures at the beach or the pool and even under water. Caution! Always check its effectiveness by following the instructions for use before going into the pool.
- Light box folding: to achieve the product photos more professional.
Printers for photography mobile
Following the line of the immediacy that provides the photo with a mobile, to have a printer at home tends to be a very interesting option for giving physical life to all those photos taken with your smart phone.
The best apps for photography mobile
Many times, could not be understood by the moving picture without the applications that are behind. These complement the ever best, cameras, and offer a lot of creative resources.
In the blog we have several articles dedicated to these applications for photography mobile. We recommend especially:
Editing tips in photography mobile
Moving picture and editing are two concepts that are difficult to separate. In the previous section you will find applications which you can get great results in editing.
To edit your photographs mobile, bear in mind the following tips:
- Any adjustment reduces the quality of the image. For this reason, it is highly recommended to get a result as close to perfect as possible at the time of taking the image.
- Cropped to the minimum possible.
- Adjusted slightly with the lights and the shadows, the brightness or the contrast according to the image and the result that you want.
- Conceal spots or areas that need to improve.
- Play with the dominant color, it can give very interesting results and help you with the basics: excitement!
- Adjusts the white balance to your liking.
- Always store the settings as a backup and never on top of the original image.
- Choose an editor that works for you and investigate all their possibilities.
The free app that I recommend as an editor of photos with mobile is Snapseed. To convince you of how great it is you can see a basic tutorial on how it works.
What mobile phone has better camera?
There is No single answer to this question because it depends on your needs and tastes. What I can do is help with the job search and develop a list of the most interesting options. Let me for a moment… you Already have it ready! Dive in our article 17 Phones With The Best Camera in 2021.
How to make professional photos with your phone?
Whether you want to profesionalizarte, as if you just want to make good pictures with your mobile phone, the way it is perseverance, but these tips will help you on the road:
- Get yourself a mobile phone with a very good camera. In the previous point we have left a few options.
- If your thing is the product, get yourself a light box.
- Don’t skimp on the quality of the accessories you purchase.
- Get inspired constantly to keep abreast of new developments and trends.
- Learn how to use the manual mode to 100%.
- Do not commit errors of composition.
- Stabilizes the mobile to get the highest sharpness possible in your photographs.
- Do not upload pictures to social networks that do not have good quality, are your cover letter.
- Apply the filters and, in general, the issue head-on. The images revealed very far-fetched, but today you can see well soon pass out of fashion, and they look very professional.
- Be aware of the limitations of the camera that you use, and works within them.
- The best picture is obtained in the camera, not the processed.
Books on photography mobile
I always like to recommend a good book that can accompany you in your learning, a guide to where to go a little beyond, to fall back on when you have doubts or you want to delve into a topic, or to turn pages while enjoying a good cup of coffee.
Inspiration for your photographs mobile phone
Sometimes, it is easy to become blurred in the technical part of the images forgetting that the inspiration is … the place where everything starts, friend.
And you know that in the Blog of the Photographer, we give utmost importance to find inspiration when you can not find, and browse through millions of images to help you find it.
We are almost finished, I just want to tell you that this mega-guide about photography mobile has no meaning if not in practice. You know, right? Your mobile phone is waiting for you to exprimas to the fullest. Is the camera you always carry it up, give it use. But do not use any. I want you to take this job as seriously as when you have the Reflex between the hands, or the camera that is complement to your smartphone. Yes?
