The mobile phone and street photography are great allies. Mainly due to its size, immediacy and ease of use, the mobile phone has been climbing among the many photographers who have seen its benefits as great photographic opportunities.
And for that mobile phone cameras are getting better and better, and it doesn’t look like that these eager to innovate on the part of the big mobile phone companies go to die.
There is no better camera than the one that you have always, it let us not deceive ourselves, never left the house without our Smartphone.
Keep on reading to learn how to make best street photographs using your mobile with these tricks and tips
Table of Contents
Mobile phone and street photography: The advantages
I’ve already announced in the introduction of this article, some of these benefits, let’s look at them extended:
- Small size: Its discretion is a very powerful weapon in street photography. Go unnoticed will offer many more (and more interesting) photographic opportunities.
- Weight: none of go loaded with a heavy Dslr, this camera fits in your pocket and don’t benching in the back ;), so that it does not affect your want to photograph.
- Ease of use: it means to be rapid and, therefore, not to miss even a picture to go tinkering with settings.
- Cameras:best Smartphones with 3 and 5 cameras are a reality today.
The disadvantages
- The sensor of small size. This is his greatest weakness, with the following consequences:
- Worst results in scenes with a high dynamic range when compared to the camera’s mirrorless, Dslr or Bridge.
- Loss of quality in the dark areas.
- Trim the image is synonymous with a loss of quality.
- The optical zoom is not usually at height.
- In some brands, you have to go to external applications in order to have some control over the settings.
- Price: it Is true that when you purchase a mobile phone that actually purchases is a small computer, but if we focus on the camera, what is certain is that as the camera, there are mirrorless cameras much better for half the price.
Composition in street photography mobile phone
As with a mobile phone we lack certain features such as the aperture, the greater part of the interest is focused in a composition attractive. Therefore, this becomes one of the most important elements. Let’s look at the following tips for street photography mobile phone:
- Establishing a center of interest or a protagonist clear.
- It is important to choose between vertical or horizontal frame, as the result of the picture changes completely.
- The human element always attracts the viewer’s attention while also adding scale to the image.
- Try not to focus, it is best to use the rule of thirds.
- Less is more: images with too much information can make us lose sight of the center of interest and causing an image is chaotic and difficult to read.
- The lines are fundamental: empower them with different points of view or perspectives, it is easy to achieve with a mobile phone. Manageability allows us to be very creative in this sense.
- The natural settings such as arches, windows, bridges and other architectural elements are widely used in street photography, and allow you to focus on what lies within them, as if the frame of a box it were. It is a very effective in street photography.
- Shadows: you have to know take advantage of the limitations of the sensor of our mobile and squeeze the maximum of their possibilities. Choose between lights and shadows will be a constant, since, as I said above, the dynamic range of sensors so small is very limited. That said, knowing how to play with the projections of the shadows as evocative compositional elements, always is a resource that is visually interesting and attractive.
- The patterns, play with the rhythm or break it is another resource that you can use on your photos, and street.
The black-and-white street photography mobile phone
The black-and-white is a classic street photography and, although the color has become a hollow and is gaining ground as it progresses through the years, it is certain that the black-and-white and street photography are great companions and will continue to be. If you want to know more about photography, black and white, here you will find our reference guide.
Remember the importance of the way when we strip the color image. They charge so much more important elements such as the geometry, the lines and the contrast.
If your mobile has a RAW format, set up, if not, always works in color and then getting your image to black-and-white edition. It is the way for you to get a better image quality. And that, in a moving picture is always important, but we can’t afford to go losing image quality here and there ;).
Tricks to get photographs of street with mobile sharp
- A good grip is essential to get sharp images with your mobile phone. The best way to do this is with both hands and squeezing the shutter of the screen and not the side.
- The scenes of high contrast are the worst enemy of the sensor of a mobile phone. If you are looking for sharpness, you’ll have to avoid them to the extent possible.
- Make sure you have enough light, it is when the sensor suffers less and offers better image quality.
- The light also helps that the shutter will open and close more quickly, so that it is easier to freeze movement , and this equates to greater sharpness.
- Compose correctly, to not have to reframe never processed.
- Do not use the optical zoom in no time. The best zoom lens is your feet.
- And don’t forget to clean the lens before you take photos.
Tricks creative for your photos street with mobile
Beyond the composition, there are some tricks that work very well for trying to get out of the “typical” photographs of street.
- The reflections are a creative element with a lot of possibilities in photo of street with mobile phone. The puddles, but also for shop windows, mirrors, etc
- Play with different planes to add depth to the image, and to look three-dimensional impression.
- Human element itself, but not always , The traces we leave human beings is, in turn, a form of which appear indirectly in our images. A shoe forgotten, a doll in the trash…
- Take advantage of the versatility of your mobile phone and your discretion to get different angles.
- The silhouettes are a great way to suggest no show, putting the shape over the detail, and can help you a lot to create visual interest with your image.
- To bad weather, good photos. The light of a cloudy day, with rain or snow, it has nothing to do with the on a sunny day. The “bad weather” provides us with unique images that I recommend that you take advantage of.
- It plays with the contrast between light and shadow, becomes the limitations of your camera in creative opportunities.
Tell a story with your photos
Don’t lose sight of why you’re kicking around the streets in search of your perfect image. The objective is to tell you the story of the street through your images.
- To begin with, locate interesting places that passes as small as possible: The metro, at the exit of a theatre, tourist areas, etc
- Choose interesting subjects. As Jim says Richardson, “If you want to be a better photographer, please get in front of more interesting stuff” ;).
- Looking for a theme that will attract and keep your photos to have a common thread.
- The importance of body language: pay attention to gestures, faces, arms, postures… over time it will help you to predict certain situations, and help you anticipate your photo.
- The color is not only a compositional element if not, who has the ability to convey all sorts of emotions. From the vibrant red, that attracts attention and is associated with danger and passion, even the cold blue, elegant, sometimes sad and distant… Keep this in mind to use it in the narrative of your photos.
- Thrilled and excited with what you do.
And remember, you have a powerful camera to the couple that’s almost invisible, so try to squeeze her to the max and go where ever you dare with a normal camera (without risk, of course ). The street photography with a mobile phone is, without a doubt, a duo that is as close to perfection.
