The term ‘mobile photography’ is not a currently developed term. This term is being used since the advent of the smartphones. Nowadays, the smartphone manufacturers have started to infuse a great amount of new specifications specially in the making of the camera and providing special effects into it.

Before the smartphones had been discovered, the clicking of a single photo was a very difficult job indeed but nowadays we see all the photography enthusiasts clicking selfies and engaging themselves into nature photography with the help of their iPhone or android smartphones as they are cheaper than DSLR’s too and doesn’t need any extra technical helping hand to take a photo.

This article will specify all the features available in a smartphone to implement mobile photography at its fullest and the steps to use a phone to click wonderful photos along with the various courses which one can opt for to learn mobile photography effectively.

Tips To Take Great Shots With Your Mobile

Taking Care of the Camera Lenses

The camera lenses should be kept clean to obtain a clearer view of an image which one wants to click. The cleaning of lenses in a smartphone is not a hectic job. One needs to have an access to a microfiber cloth and a cleaning gel which one can purchase from here.

The cleaning of the lenses in a smartphone helps to maintain the exterior camera glass thus helping in the reflection of light in mobile photography. This is an essential part in mobile photography and needs to be taken care of.

When the smartphones have one or more camera then one should also learn to switch the lenses according to the requirement as using a single lens always may result in more wear and tear thus affecting the results in mobile photography. Keeping the lenses clean will issue photos with crystal clear quality.

Using Gridlines while Clicking a Photo

The best way to balance a shot when one is clicking a photo of a particular object is to add the gridline feature. The gridline feature not only enhances the placement of the photo moreover it also helps in proper balancing of the object with respect to the surroundings all around it.

The use of gridlines is a common idea being used in mobile photography. The usage of this feature is taught in dept in many of the courses provided online, the basic idea is to impart proper positioning of the object while clicking the photo.

The idea of gridlines is that the photo which is being clicked will be placed into different parts that is the photo will be divided into 3*3 that is total 9 parts, both horizontally and vertically. It is known that if the object which one wants to click a photo of, if placed between the intersection of the gridlines, then the minute details are captured in mobile photography thus fulfilling the idea of gridlines.

Keeping the Camera App Updated

All the features should be kept updated in a smartphone to obtain the best results in any field. When the camera is the main concern, the camera app should be kept updated to the latest version in order to obtain the best performance in mobile photography.

Other than the camera app in the android phones there are a lot number of other apps which help in clicking better photos along with providing great ideas for mobile photography. Here, are some of the apps which one can use in android phones to obtain the best results. In an iPhone the mobile app is itself sufficient enough to click great photos in any condition.

Setting the Proper Focus

When clicking a photo using the camera of a smartphone in mobile photography, the setting up of proper focus is the main concern. The focus of a camera, as the name suggests is the pin-pointing of the camera lens to a particular object only ignoring all the surroundings.

 The focus can be set easily in the portrait mode where a yellow square box appears thus blurring the background. The human focusing is available in every phone nowadays whereas the object focused mode can only be obtained in the higher versions of iPhone starting from iPhone 11.

The focusing of an object can also be done manually by clicking on the screen and would enable one to obtain a sharp enhanced photo on mobile photography. The area which one focuses on will enable one to get a clear detailed image in all the aspects possible.

Adjusting the Brightness

There are many instances seen in mobile photography where one is unable to get the perfect photo because the brightness level of the photo is causing a difficulty. The photos which one is shooting through the smartphone is either becoming too bright or too dark thus forcing the extremes.

So, in order to obtain the perfect level of brightness in mobile photography one should click on the object needed to be focused on, when a sign of adjusting the brightness level will appear beside the focused square. One should use that sign to lower or increase the brightness level enabling one to obtain a crisp photo.  The iPhones offer a great solution in this case better than the android phones. The iPhones also have a great optimized software in order to obtain a crystal-clear photo with the desired level of brightness in mobile photography

Implementing the Landscape Mode

When one is clicking photos especially related to nature such as sun-set landscapes, capturing of the dawn sky then the best way to capture each detail is to use the landscape mode in order to obtain awesome results in mobile photography. This feature does not involve implementation of any tough processes, one just needs to tilt his phone in position parallel to the horizontal plane.

 The phone camera will automatically adjust with the movement enabling one to seamlessly capture beautiful landscape moments. The landscape orientation allows the fitting of more spacious surroundings more than the portrait mode.

Clicking Photos using HDR

The full form of HDR is High Dynamic Range. This feature in mobile photography disables the usage of flash while shooting of the photos. In this mode one is able to obtain an equal gesture in all parts of the photo by widening the exposure range.

This feature is specifically used to click photos of high color contrasts in landscape mood without loosing any detail in the light and dark areas of a photograph. This mode provides each and every detail in a photo and is available both in android smartphones and iPhones. This feature also enables one to do specialization in it by opting for the various mobile photography courses.

While taking a photo using this mode, an after-image may appear which may also be affected by the shaking of and moving of the smartphone, so it is always recommended to use the tripod stand to click proper photos in mobile photography in HDR mode.

Using the Highest Resolution

The latest android as well as iOS smartphones comes with the auto enabled feature of shooting the photos in the highest resolution possible in order to obtain the best quality in an image. If one opts to click photos in highest resolution in mobile photography then one needs to store them externally other than the phone memory storage because the smartphones have an optimized software which often compresses the images after making them into lower quality.

Hence, if one wants to get the images of highest resolution these settings should be mandatorily taken care off along with the proper storage of photos, which may lead to occupying more of memory space but will provide the best results possible in mobile photography.

Try to get a Closer View

When one is clicking photos using the mobile app then one should try to get closer to the object as much as possible. Zooming in at the object while using mobile photography can reduce the image quality so it is better to go nearer to the object and then shoot it. Although these days the camera in the smartphones have been specially designed to obtain a great photo after maximum zooming too.

The iPhones have been specially configured and wide-angle lens have been provided specially to shoot ultra-clear images even after zooming at it in mobile photography. One should learn to zoom in and out while shooting a photo and this idea can only be obtained after learning to switch the camera lenses provided in the smartphones. The camera lenses can be switched from one to the other by simple clicks of different modes and one only needs to learn the idea to detect the modes according to their necessities.

Enabling the Burst Mode

This is a mode specially implemented in the iPhones for the purpose of mobile photography. This mode enables to capture which is moving that is a non-constant object. The iPhones have this feature from the models of the iPhone X and their successors.

 The difference being in their idea of activation. The models of the X series have this hidden feature which can be enabled after pulling the shooting button down while the iPhone 11 series activates this feature after sliding the shooting button towards the left.

This feature is specially applied into the iPhones and is known as the burst mode which is initially a hidden feature and can be enabled by the pro mobile photography enthusiasts in order to get an outstanding camera performance in an iPhone.

Light Reflection and its Proper Usage

The light is one of the main factors while shooting of a photo in mobile photography. The proper placement of the light source is an important matter and one need to take its great care. The light source should be natural in order to obtain great results.

Artificial light often fails to provide the glow which is obtained by the usage of natural light. When one is interested in clicking images at dark and night modes then the flash is the only option but in case of day light mobile photography, the light source should be considered as natural.

If one is using artificial lights even in daylight condition then it is advised to maintain the brightness of the photograph ideally and the placement of the light source also becomes an issue which should be taken into account. The light source should be aligned parallel to the mobile camera lens that is the light should fall on the object giving it a glow to be captured effectively in mobile photography.

Focusing on the End Result

Before shooting a photo, one should think about the actual result one needs. The actual result will pave the path to success in choosing the correct mode. In a smartphone there are an availability of a number of options in mobile photography.

These options should be explored properly before implementing it in order to obtain a quality end result. If one wants to click a photo ideal for their social media account, then then can also explore the various modes available for the purpose of shooting the photos only related to posting in social media account.

The end result should match the expectation of the user and to get an idea of the usage of the various modes in mobile photography one can ask for expert help or opt for courses which will be discussed in this article.

Usage of Third-Party Apps

This is applicable for the android smartphones specifically. Majority of the times the mobiles fail to provide proper results in the cheaper android phones when mobile photography is being taken into account.

This problem can be solved easily by installation of a number of third-party editing apps which can be used to increase the quality of the image by editing with the help of the different apps. The cameras of the iPhones are highly sensitive and optimized in nature and hence provide the perfect images which one can obtain in mobile photography but in case of android smartphones other than the google pixel series, such is not the case.

Third party camera apps can help to increase the quality of images along with the usage of the proper editing apps. Some of the details of the proper editing apps are provided here other than photoshop which is the best app for photo editing and is tuff to be used too.

Proper Usage of the Sensors

There are a number of sensors provided in the cameras inbuilt with the smartphones in order to successfully carry out mobile photography. The in-depth sensor is one such of them which is being equipped in every smartphone nowadays in order to carefully capture the depth ratio in a photo while performing mobile photography.

The depth sensors are provided in every mobile phone to actually do what its name suggest and is a 3D effect.  This sensor is also used to carry out blur effects and other professional features thus providing an expert level photo shoot through the help of a phone. There are also a number of more sensors being provided with the smartphones like extra zoom sensor in Realme high-end phones.

Image Background Selection and Composition

The clicking of a proper photo requires a great amount of hard work and research while choosing of the suitable background along with the color composition too. The best results can only be obtained in mobile photography only when one chooses a unique background with all the proper effects along with the perfect timing too.

The clicking of photos sometimes involves the need of clicking of the photo at the right time with the help of certain shortcut keys which will be discussed further. The color composition and contrast details the capture of the special effects in a photo. This can be easily obtained by selecting the contrast levels of color and different color adjusting modes which comes inbuilt with the apps.

The Need of a Better Additional Lens

This is the most important option which one should be concerned of when the existing phone is unable to provide the basic camera features needed to fulfill the needs in order to successfully carry out mobile photography. Sometimes the usage of additional lens along with the existing camera can give fruitful results too.

There are a number of lenses available to be equipped with a smartphone and has become a very common practice where one doesn’t have the necessary sensors in the smartphone. These lenses are mostly needed for the android phones as the iPhone models are usually great photo shooters and expensive too.

Here a number of good lenses for mobile photography is being provided. These lenses usually boost the results but anyways cannot surpass the high budget smartphones. This is a cheaper option for those who have a basic smartphone but is interested highly in mobile photography.

Resting of the Phone on a Flat Surface

When a person is interested to capture photos in dark situations, then it is advised to keep the phone over a flat surface in order to get the best results in mobile photography. The phone being kept in rest allows it to be kept fixed without allowing it to be in motion.

This is needed mostly in darker situations where the phones do not support night modes like that of the iPhone 11 series and its successors. This is needed in shooting of photos while in a concert, music festivals, bars or clicking of night landscape photos in low lightning conditions.

Shooting Multiple Images at a Time

When one is shooting a photo with the help of his smartphone then it is advised to shoot more than one photo at the same time of the same object or the situation. This is often found to be useful in mobile photography as each photo shot at differences of second can portray major differences and one photo may appear to be clearer than the other which can only be compared when one has shot a number of images of the same object.

There comes an option in most of the smartphone which supports the shooting of the multiple images by clicking the shutter button in the differences of some seconds. This feature has gained a great amount of fame among the mobile photography enthusiasts all around.

Video Recording

When the term mobile photography comes into our minds, the shooting of videos is also another main option to be kept in mind. The shooting of videos has become a hobby and everyone is interested in this. The inbuilt feature provided commonly in all the smartphones is the shooting of the slow-motion videos which has gained a huge amount of craze specially among the youngsters.

 This slow-motion video records the action happening around us in a slower rate thus capturing each and every detail about the situation. This is an inbuilt featured which is available in every smartphone to enhance mobile photography and is a next generation specification.

This slow-motion video can be shot at different frame rates according to the choice of the user popularly termed as fps which means frame rater per second. The more the frame rate per second the better quality of video is obtained and the camera lens aperture is also an important factor which should be taken care of.

Using Shortcut Keys

Sometimes the need of the situation becomes such that we are not in the condition to click on the shutter button of the camera like while clicking beautiful portrait selfies. This problem can be overcome in two ways. The first is the setting of a timer which would click the photo automatically for the user after some seconds as set by the user.

The second one is by using the shortcut keys to click a photo. Ideally in every smartphone the volume buttons are used as shortcut keys to click a quick photo in mobile photography. The volume buttons serve as the alternative for the shutter button onscreen thus enabling one to have an easier way to click a photo when the hands are engaged by the moving of a single finger only.

BONUS TIP:

Changing the Phone

This is the last and ultimate step which one should consider when all the options are not working and the smartphone is unable to satisfy the basic needs of mobile photography and the usage of additional lenses is also not making the work done. Buying a smartphone to carry out professional mobile photography requires enrolling in a number of courses along with the purchase of a proper smartphone. Some of the smartphones which provide best results for mobile photography are:

• Apple iPhone series from iPhone X onwards…
• Samsung galaxy NOTE series
• Samsung Galaxy S series
• Google Pixel series
• High end Sony Xperia smartphones
• Xiaomi Mi Note 10
• OnePlus smartphones from OnePlus 6 onwards

To read in detail about each smartphone before purchasing the correct , one can have a look at this article.

COURSES AND CAREER OPPURTUNITIES RELATED TO MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY

There are a number of courses available online and offline both where one can enroll and have a detail knowledge to fulfill the dream of becoming a successful photographer by the usage of a smartphone. The courses teach all the details of mobile photography in details along with the editing of photos as well. Some of the courses are free as well along with some of the courses where one is required to pay a minimum amount. Some of the courses are being listed here.

• Phone Photography by Shaw Academy: In this course one is able to learn popular styles of photography so that one can think about the photographs which one likes to capture in the photographer’s perspective. This is a paid course and it will also help one to learn about the different editing styles and accessories required for mobile photography. Here is the link of the course.
• Mobile Photography courses by Udemy: Udemy is one of the largest online teaching platforms which one can get access to by just having a stable internet connection as the courses are either available for free or at a very nominal rate. Here is the link for the courses related to mobile photography.
• Online Mobile Phone Photography Course by Indian Institute of Photography: This is a private institute located at Noida which is known for its great faculty and famous for photography only. Recently they have started an online course so that people across the world is able to learn the skills of mobile photography. Here is the link of the course. The course is one of the best courses related to mobile photography across the country and the website clearly mentions each and every detail regarding the course.

Hope, the above course will provide some of the information relating to the expansion of career opportunities for those who interested in the particular subject.

Conclusion

This article clearly states the various methods to obtain great photos in mobile photography along with the pictographic representation and links too. The above article does not involve the promotion of any products or courses and is made only for informational purpose only.

The career opportunities related to mobile photography is very limited now but with the current changes in trends of technology, one can expect a great career in future related to this topic. Honestly speaking mobile photography is a next generation career option which needs a lot amount of development which can be expected in the future, in order for it to become a major career option with the advent of time.

Now, it may seem to some people that it is a waste of time which is certainly not fully right. Every career option has its own pros and cons and this topic is also one of them. Nobody can predict the future and most importantly the increasing usage of smartphones all around is bound to bring necessary changes all around in every sphere of life and photography is one of them.

It can be said that in future there wont be need of so large DSLR cameras instead the AI mechanism infused in the smartphone cameras will serve majority of the purposes other than high end video recording like those of World cups and concerts.

Also Read: How to clean a Smartphone/Mobile

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