Focus: Good Smartphone Photos

Smart Phones have come a long way, and have now largely replaced the traditional camera as the best way to capture memories in day-to-day life… And retirement is a great opportunity to take the time to enjoy our surrounds and share our memories with others.

Despite the sophistication of these wonderful handheld devices, the quality of a photo is still largely determined by the skill of the person holding it. Fear not however, we’ve got you covered with the below tips to dial the quality of your photos up a notch!

  • Get closer: Instead of relying on the zoom feature of your camera, rather try to get closer to the subject. While the zoom is a handy invention, the more you zoom, the less quality you get.
  • Ensure your lens is clean: The best way to do this is with a lens cloth similar to how you clean your glasses. It’s a simple way to ensure no unwanted smudge marks in your photos!
  • Light from behind: Unless you’re intentionally trying to photograph a silhouette image, always ensure your light source (such as the sun or lights) are behind you, the photographer. If you take a photo of people or objects with the sun behind them, your subjects will look shadowy and dark.
  • Less flash: Similar to the zoom, the flash function is a great invention but should be used sparingly. Flash-lit photos tend to give an unusual and unnatural look to photos, and really only light up any objects / faces within 1 metre of where you’re standing (leaving everything else dark and shadowy). Instead of the flash, try to position yourself next to an alternative source of light such as a candle, a street lamp etc and you will create much softer looking night time photos. If you’re unsure, try with the flash too and see what gives you a better result.
  • Mix up the angles: When taking photos of objects, try snapping from different angles to see what creates a more interesting photo with less shadow. How does it look from above, from below, straight on, angled down, off centre etc.
  • Hold still: Ensure your fingers are well out of the way of the camera lens, and that your hands are steady. To keep your hands / camera steady you can always lean your body or the camera against something; a table, a wall etc.
  • Focus: Tap your finger on the focal point (such as a person’s face or the centre of an object) and the technology will do the work and ensure the focus of your photograph is clear and sharp.

For more tips on improving your photography skills, you can have a browse through the below articles.