How to take professional photos with a cell phone

The cell phone camera is far from perfect, but in most cases it is the only thing you have on hand to take pictures or photos. If you want to improve the result a bit, you better take into account some basic universal tips related to focus, lighting, zoom and other technical aspects mentioned below, which are useful for any cell phone that you have in your hands, it is expensive or cheap.

1. Focus

Focusing allows the camera to “detect” the scene and capture it clearly. Prevents a photo from being “blurred”. Usually this is something that is done automatically when you open the camera app. You will know the scene is in focus when the image on the screen is clear and free of blur. In some mobiles an indicator is also usually shown on the screen.

The camera can sometimes take a little while to focus correctly on a scene, especially when there is movement, so you should wait and verify that the image on the screen is clear or well defined before tapping the capture button.

In addition to the general focus of the entire scene, cell phones also allow you to focus on a specific area and blur the rest (“bokeh” effect). Just tap on the area or object on the screen that you want to focus on. Wait a fraction of a second for the cell phone to get the precise focus of that area before capturing.

2. Don’t “zoom”

On most cell phones, a photo taken with zoom is just as sharp and clear as a photo without zoom. Both show exactly the same level of detail. The only difference is that the first is cropped and enlarged, something you can also do with the second, using any photo editor. This is because the zoom of the camera of most mobiles is digital. Enlarging the image is an “edit.”

If you are interested in an object in the scene in particular, it is best to physically approach it so that it comes out sharp. If your pocket allows it, you can also switch to a high-end camera cell phone with optical zoom. This technology performs a physical movement on the camera lens to get close-up photos real. In these mobiles it is different to take a photo with or without zoom.

3. No uses el flash

The negligible amount of light from the flash and the glare generated in the scene always leaves something to be desired. To take clear photos, there must be a good and permanent amount of light, as in the day.

Incidentally, avoid taking photos against the light. For example, with the camera facing the sun. The light source should focus the scene and you as a photographer should turn your back on that source.

If the light conditions do not allow it, use the night mode that many cell phones now have.

4. Don’t use the front camera

With the front camera it is easier to take selfies because you can see the result on the screen, but it is generally at a disadvantage compared to the rear camera in terms of technical specifications, such as resolution or sensor quality.

Using the rear camera could easily take two or three times better photos than using the front camera. If you are using a tablet, this is even more convenient for you, because these devices usually have much inferior cameras compared to smartphones.

If you are looking for the best possible photo but find it difficult to take selfies with the rear camera, ask someone to take your photo.

5. Install another camera app

“Camera2api” or “Camera2” is an API introduced in Android 5.0 “Lollipop” that allowed developers to create camera applications with the ability to manually change various technical aspects of the sensor, such as exposure control, manual focus or taking photos in RAW format, something that was not possible in older Android versions. For example, a long exposure can enhance a photo in low light conditions.

Open Camera is one of the best camera apps if you want to control all those advanced aspects of a photograph.

Another alternative is the Google camera, which comes from the factory with Google Pixel devices. Due to its great results, this is the best option for any user, professional or novice. However, its disadvantage is that it cannot be installed on other devices. exist «Mods» of this application adapted for other brands, created by third parties. The requirement for them to work is that your device has the Camera2 API activated, something that you can check with an app. If this is not your case, root permissions are required to force the activation of this API from the build.prop file of the Android system, such as indicate in XDA-Developers.

6. Professional touch (Bokeh effect)

Bokeh effect with cell phone

A simple trick to taking photos with professional-looking results is to get what’s called the bokeh effect. Basically, it consists of blurring the background. Simple as that.

This effect is already offered by many cell phones on the market, through the portrait mode. But it can also be achieved with any cell phone and the help of a background screen, as you can see in the image.

Everything consists of putting the screen of a PC or tablet in the background, with a blurred image and in front of it the object to be captured. The image of this type can be find Google images, using the term bokeh background.

Result obtained with the Bokeh Background, using the camera of an iPhone 5

For a better result I recommend using as a base a surface that reflects the bokeh background set on the PC or tablet monitor screen. For example, a shiny plastic.

Another tip is to use even another tablet as a base, with another blurred background set to the screen.

Regarding lighting, I recommend having a diffuse light illuminating the object (not a light directly hitting it).

Others

The best camera phones of 2019, according to a “blind test” by YouTuber MKBHD. Thousands of people voted for a series of photographs, who did not know which cell phone they corresponded to. The names of those devices were later revealed and classified as such.

The above tips may help you take better photos, but they are not miraculous. They can’t make you take sharp photos if the camera’s technical capabilities are limited. The only alternative in that case is to switch to a higher-end mobile. In practice, at least in 2019, it seems that Samsung has done well when it comes to cameras with its Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and S10E.

References: Tuexpertomovil

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