Mobile photography: creativity in your pocket

Photography on the phone has long gone beyond selfies and shots from parties and vacations. Today mobile photography is a separate genre of creativity, in which you can develop and achieve success.

The technical side of shooting on a cell phone

Very often the automatic camera setting becomes the only tool that the owner of the phone uses. But a modern gadget is a complex and smart device. If mobile photography is a way of creative self-expression, you need to master at least some theoretical basics.

• Retouching is a must

It is necessary to process photos taken on a cell phone to give them the right atmosphere, remove imperfections, adjust the composition, etc. In addition, in the photo editor, you can add interesting details to your image, for example, put glasses on your picture online. If the image in the frame looks blurry, add sharpness, and adjust the contrast will make the photo lively, saturated, and dynamic.

• Exposure is a key tool

The amount of light that hits the camera sensor through the “eye” of the lens is called exposure. This indicator is regulated by the degree of opening of the aperture, which can expand and contract like a human pupil. Usually, this parameter is determined automatically: the AI inside the program knows how to process the flow of light in different conditions. However, the user can adjust the exposure manually. Specialists advise to prefer a slightly darkened mode, in it, halftones and shadows look more volumetric, and light elements begin to glow.

• Use HDR

This model is an indispensable tool for those who want to get the perfect photo. The camera takes three pictures at once, then selects the best parts of each one and reassembles them into a single image. HDR is suitable for portrait, landscape, and subject photography. Its weakness is its inability to capture subjects in motion.

• The most important thing is light

Light is the brush and paint of a photographer, so you need to learn how to handle it. Basic rules on which a mobile photographer should rely:

you can not shoot during the day under direct sunlight, the “golden hour” ( after dawn and before sunset) is the best time;

don’t be afraid of backlight behind the subject, with the right camera settings it will make the image deeper;

try not to use the built-in flash unless you need to;

work with a tripod in the dark – static is important for a cell phone camera.

Shoot shadows, highlights, reflections, silhouettes – light opens up great creative possibilities for the photographer.

• Zoom is bad for a good shot

Even on the most modern smartphones with excellent cameras, zooming in on the subject reduces the quality of the finished frame, blurs it, and makes it grainy. It’s always better to get closer than to use a zoom.

• A shot starts with the composition

The easiest way to arrange objects in the geometry of the shot is the rule of thirds. You can do this by plugging in a grid in the camera settings. The image will be divided into 9 equal rectangles, along their lines or them you will need to arrange the main objects. So you will get a winning and attractive composition for the viewer.

A more complex variant of frame construction – the golden section, is used less often.

The creative eye of a mobile photographer

It is not enough to use the technique correctly to get interesting, lively, non-banal, and beautiful shots. The idea of the frame and the author’s view are important.

In search of inspiration, you can turn to the works of famous photographers. Look for interesting pages on Instagram, and subscribe to different style profiles. There you will be able to see a lot of ideas, which you will then interpret in your way. Visual experience is very important for an experienced photographer, especially for a beginner.

Take pictures even if you doubt whether they will turn out well. By taking pictures on your cell phone, you are not limited to the number of frames on the film. You’ll be able to choose a few of the best shots from the many, and you’ll be sure you didn’t miss any interesting moments.

Be sure to try different genres: reportage, portraiture, art photography, subject photography, landscape, and street photography. Going outside the box and finding yourself is what true creativity is all about.