Better photographs with your mobile phone

Six Tips for taking better photographs with your mobile phone

Anthony Farrimond is a professional portrait and headshot photographer and has turned his passion for taking better pictures into a creative business.

Mobile phones today have great cameras, most better than the 1st digital camera I bought some 15+ years ago but sometimes those photos you take to capture precious memories just don’t turn out the way you hoped. However, there are ways you can save a blurry or dark photo. Grab whatever camera you have, then read on to learn how to make the most of every photo opportunity.

1. Find the best light As long as there’s daylight, you can get beautiful photos with natural light. Find a patch of sun outside or in front of a window or glass door, then place your subject to one side or facing it.

2. Get in the right position Find a good background (especially if you’re taking a picture of a person), and get down to the same level as your subject for a much more flattering shot. If you are shooting from a standing position stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, elbows into your body and for even greater control, use the volume button to snap your shot, this will all help to minimise camera shake.

3. Use the ‘grid’ feature Most phones will have this in their settings. Simply line up the subject with one of the intersections where the gridlines meet or to keep your horizon level to create some wonderful compositions.

4. Use the focus Focus on a mobile phone camera mimics the behaviour of an actual camera lens. Before you take your shot, tap on the screen over your chosen subject, to focus and make them sharp against your background, your phone will likely improve the exposure, or brightness of your photo before you take the shot too.

5. Use Burst mode when photographing kids or pets You’ve got great light, focused in on your subject but they just won’t keep still! Burst mode will take multiple photos as long as you have your finger on the capture button. Once you’re done your phone should show all the images you’ve taken, allowing you to save the one perfect photo and delete the rest. 6. Find the detail Get closer to your subject to capture something of interest, this might not be ideal for large sweeping vistas but there are plenty of cases when changing the position on the camera can create a completely different result.