Three Top Smartphone Cameras in Real-World Tests: Which Is the Best?

Let me begin by saying this: I'm not a professional photographer. I have a slightly better-than-101 understanding of how cameras work and why things such as sensor size and f-stops matter. Looking at tech specs is far from my idea of an engaging read.

As a travel editor, I do love taking pictures, though. And I take tons of them—thousands and thousands on any given trip, almost entirely on smartphones. I take my Instagram game seriously and occasionally have images published here, on the very site you're reading. For years, I've been so dependent on mobile photography that I've committed to carrying around two phones—one, an Android, that's easier to type on, and the other, an iPhone, that has stronger apps and a killer camera.

For the last few weeks, I carried three: Google's Pixel, the iPhone 7 Plus, and the Moto Z, the latest entrants to the mobile photography race. (The Moto has flown largely under the radar, but its key selling point is its compatibility with magnetic "mods" that include a portable speaker and an attachable Hasselblad 4116 True Zoom camera.) We are living in the first true golden era of smartphone photography.

Instagram: Instagram photo by Nikki Ekstein

But that's not why you're here. You want to know which one is the best.

And, well, that answer is a bit complicated—after five head-to-head layman's tests, where I focused on experience and results (hardware specs be damned), I'd be happy with any of them. 

This is not a cop-out as much it is a recognition that I'm probably a lot like you when it comes to my smartphone camera: All I want is for it to take good pictures, quickly, clearly, and without much effort. If I wanted a real camera, I'd get one of these new mirrorless, DSLR, and rugged models. But with my phone, as long as I can compose a decent shot whenever there's a great subject in view, and whatever the given situation is, I'd like to think my phone can meet me the rest of the way.

Here's how each performed against key selling points. All you have to do is determine your top priorities before your next upgrade. 

If You Need ... Auto-Focus

Images of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

The idea of never missing a shot is what really drives mobile photography; it's why every phone has shortcuts for opening the camera app. But that quick-draw image is no good unless it's in focus. My auto-focus tests were conducted both in daylight and at dusk, with both fast-moving and still subjects.

Winner: The iPhone 7 Plus won for crispest images across the board. Even when I was snapping from the window of a moving car, it managed to deliver beautifully defined shots of the Manhattan skyline—one frame after the next.

(Very Close) Runners-up: The Pixel more or less flopped from the moving car window, but take out the fast-moving subject, and man, does that phone shine. In both daylight and low light, the auto-focus performed faster than those of its competitors, never taking more than a second to go from blur to fab.

The Moto Z fell in between. Two out of three frames on the Manhattan bridge came out clearly; everywhere else, I really appreciated the fact that the Hasselblad attachment lets you trigger its autofocus with a halfway press of the shutter button, just as on a real camera. It's way easier than repeatedly touching the screen and makes one-handed shooting a breeze.

If You Need ... Low Light Handling

Jack O'Lantern sculptures shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Luckily for the purposes of my experiment, I was able to head to the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, a spooky pumpkin festival in the Hudson Valley, ahead of the Halloween weekend, with all three phones in tow.

Winner: The Pixel—no contest. It did a commanding job of focusing quickly in low light and offering warm (but accurate) color balance. It had a stronger dynamic range, by far, which is what kept the red foliage in check in the background. You'll also be thankful for these features in dimly lit restaurants.

Runners-up: While the MotoZ offered color that felt truer to life, the iPhone7 offered a sharper low-light image.

If You Need ... a Powerful Zoom

Architectural details shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Usually, if I need a great zoom, I'm not relying on my smartphone. But that's starting to change. Both the MotoZ (with its Hasselblad attachment) and the iPhone 7 Plus have a 10x zoom capability, whereas the Pixel is limited to 4x.

Winner: MotoZ, which I was able to use to get a crisp shot of the third-floor lettering on the side of an Upper East Side Synagogue from across the street. That's because the attachable camera has a proper optical zoom lens that you won't find on any other phone camera—not just a digital zoom that works by tightening the crop of your shot. The difference here was palpable.

Runner-up: The iPhone still has an exceptional zoom capacity—even if its 10x range is purely digital. But pushing it to the edge means you're likely to get a blurry shot. That's still better than the Pixel, whose zoom fell flat by comparison.

If You Need ... Great Portraits

The author's Bernese Mountain Dog, Riley, shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Pets and babies: They're two of the most common subjects for smartphone photographers. So even if you're not getting beautiful street style portraits, this is a feature that you'll use on the regular.

Winner: The iPhone 7 Plus has a portrait mode that is designed to deliver flattering depth of field. (Read: Your background is softened while your subject is in clear view.) The result is really as beautiful as they make it sound. Getting there requires a little legwork, but thankfully, the phone will coach you through it: It tells you if you need more light or more distance from your subject. Sometimes you're straight out of luck. But when it works, it really works wonders.

Runners-up: Even though the MotoZ has two dedicated portrait modes (one for night portraits and the other to correct backlighting), I struggled to capture my dog's eyes or to get fully focused shots of her face. The Pixel, meanwhile, has no fancy portrait mode. But remember that excellent auto-correct? It helps deliver lovely portrait shots in a pinch.

If You Need ... Macro Mode

Very delicious rugelach shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Please forgive me: I took a bite of one cookie before I found my favorite composition. (It was delicious and fresh out of the oven.)

Winner(s): The MotoZ, maybe, by a hair. The three images are almost identical. That's why I conducted a follow-up test, albeit a less visually interesting one: shooting the backside of a coin. I got the tightest shot with the MotoZ, with the iPhone coming in as a close second place. The Pixel struggled. Good thing nobody needs photos of a penny, anyway.

A Pro Photographer Reviews the iPhone 7 Plus

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. LEARN MORE
Source: Three Top Smartphone Cameras in Real-World Tests: Which Is the Best?

Huawei & Leica: The future of dual camera technology in the smartphone industry

​The age of digital photography is currently at its peak, and continues to grow even faster with the emergence of innovations brought about by mobile devices. Contrary to the previous trend of high-quality cameras packed with heavy duty equipment, the name of the game in today's field of photography is handiness brought about by the massive popularity of smartphones. 

As the market's interest in digital photography continues to grow, many of the big names in the tech industry are quick to make the most out of this trend. Global consumer electronics leader Samsung have been reported to invest approximately USD13.4B over the past two years in research and development (R&D) of its core technologies, making it as the second largest company in terms of R&D investment and even outdoing its rival, Apple. A huge bulk of these technologies is comprised of camera engineering, a feature that has helped the tech giant cement its reputation as one of the major players in the industry. 

Fellow tech brand Huawei decided to foster a partnership with another tech game changer to gain advantage over its competitors. In April 2016, the Chinese tech firm unveiled the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus to the global market. Both phones boast of dual-lens cameras co-engineered with the number one premium camera manufacturer, Leica.  These two cameras are created to serve different but complementary functions: one being RBG with the other in Black and White in order to enhance image details and improve contrast values for better photo quality. Dual lens camera technology is increasingly becoming more popular among consumers as it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for digital photography: higher quality of focus, better perspective, and more visible depth of field. With the rise of such innovation, consumer preference now shifts beyond the usual megapixel count. 

Leica and Huawei signed agreement on joint R&D innovation lab

Five months after this announcement came the creation of a joint R&D lab, located at the global headquarters of Leica at Wetzlar, Germany. The facility is named Max Berek Innovation Lab, after the renowned German inventor of the first ever Leica lens. The research center was specifically built to develop "software-based technologies to improve imaging quality in a wide range of photographic and mobile device applications." Through this partnership, the two companies plan to further explore the capabilities of mobile photography in the fields of optical systems, virtual reality, and augmented reality. 

The dual lens camera movement quickly gained momentum as proven by the introduction of the iPhone 7 Plus. 

With these initiatives by global key players in the industry, more consumer electronic brands are expected to dedicate more of their investments in the development of camera technology and photography processing. The market can expect more cutting-edge smartphone offerings that would promise even higher quality cameras, and blur the lines between amateur and professional photography output.

Source: Huawei & Leica: The future of dual camera technology in the smartphone industry

Three Top Smartphone Cameras in Real-World Tests: Which Is the Best?

Let me begin by saying this: I'm not a professional photographer. I have a slightly better-than-101 understanding of how cameras work and why things such as sensor size and f-stops matter. Looking at tech specs is far from my idea of an engaging read.

As a travel editor, I do love taking pictures, though. And I take tons of them—thousands and thousands on any given trip, almost entirely on smartphones. I take my Instagram game seriously and occasionally have images published here, on the very site you're reading. For years, I've been so dependent on mobile photography that I've committed to carrying around two phones—one, an Android, that's easier to type on, and the other, an iPhone, that has stronger apps and a killer camera.

For the last few weeks, I carried three: Google's Pixel, the iPhone 7 Plus, and the Moto Z, the latest entrants to the mobile photography race. (The Moto has flown largely under the radar, but its key selling point is its compatibility with magnetic "mods" that include a portable speaker and an attachable Hasselblad 4116 True Zoom camera.) We are living in the first true golden era of smartphone photography.

Instagram: Instagram photo by Nikki Ekstein

But that's not why you're here. You want to know which one is the best.

And, well, that answer is a bit complicated—after five head-to-head layman's tests, where I focused on experience and results (hardware specs be damned), I'd be happy with any of them. 

This is not a cop-out as much it is a recognition that I'm probably a lot like you when it comes to my smartphone camera: All I want is for it to take good pictures, quickly, clearly, and without much effort. If I wanted a real camera, I'd get one of these new mirrorless, DSLR, and rugged models. But with my phone, as long as I can compose a decent shot whenever there's a great subject in view, and whatever the given situation is, I'd like to think my phone can meet me the rest of the way.

Here's how each performed against key selling points. All you have to do is determine your top priorities before your next upgrade. 

If You Need ... Auto-Focus

Images of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

The idea of never missing a shot is what really drives mobile photography; it's why every phone has shortcuts for opening the camera app. But that quick-draw image is no good unless it's in focus. My auto-focus tests were conducted both in daylight and at dusk, with both fast-moving and still subjects.

Winner: The iPhone 7 Plus won for crispest images across the board. Even when I was snapping from the window of a moving car, it managed to deliver beautifully defined shots of the Manhattan skyline—one frame after the next.

(Very Close) Runners-up: The Pixel more or less flopped from the moving car window, but take out the fast-moving subject, and man, does that phone shine. In both daylight and low light, the auto-focus performed faster than those of its competitors, never taking more than a second to go from blur to fab.

The Moto Z fell in between. Two out of three frames on the Manhattan bridge came out clearly; everywhere else, I really appreciated the fact that the Hasselblad attachment lets you trigger its autofocus with a halfway press of the shutter button, just as on a real camera. It's way easier than repeatedly touching the screen and makes one-handed shooting a breeze.

If You Need ... Low Light Handling

Jack O'Lantern sculptures shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Luckily for the purposes of my experiment, I was able to head to the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, a spooky pumpkin festival in the Hudson Valley, ahead of the Halloween weekend, with all three phones in tow.

Winner: The Pixel—no contest. It did a commanding job of focusing quickly in low light and offering warm (but accurate) color balance. It had a stronger dynamic range, by far, which is what kept the red foliage in check in the background. You'll also be thankful for these features in dimly lit restaurants.

Runners-up: While the MotoZ offered color that felt truer to life, the iPhone7 offered a sharper low-light image.

If You Need ... a Powerful Zoom

Architectural details shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Usually, if I need a great zoom, I'm not relying on my smartphone. But that's starting to change. Both the MotoZ (with its Hasselblad attachment) and the iPhone 7 Plus have a 10x zoom capability, whereas the Pixel is limited to 4x.

Winner: MotoZ, which I was able to use to get a crisp shot of the third-floor lettering on the side of an Upper East Side Synagogue from across the street. That's because the attachable camera has a proper optical zoom lens that you won't find on any other phone camera—not just a digital zoom that works by tightening the crop of your shot. The difference here was palpable.

Runner-up: The iPhone still has an exceptional zoom capacity—even if its 10x range is purely digital. But pushing it to the edge means you're likely to get a blurry shot. That's still better than the Pixel, whose zoom fell flat by comparison.

If You Need ... Great Portraits

The author's Bernese Mountain Dog, Riley, shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Pets and babies: They're two of the most common subjects for smartphone photographers. So even if you're not getting beautiful street style portraits, this is a feature that you'll use on the regular.

Winner: The iPhone 7 Plus has a portrait mode that is designed to deliver flattering depth of field. (Read: Your background is softened while your subject is in clear view.) The result is really as beautiful as they make it sound. Getting there requires a little legwork, but thankfully, the phone will coach you through it: It tells you if you need more light or more distance from your subject. Sometimes you're straight out of luck. But when it works, it really works wonders.

Runners-up: Even though the MotoZ has two dedicated portrait modes (one for night portraits and the other to correct backlighting), I struggled to capture my dog's eyes or to get fully focused shots of her face. The Pixel, meanwhile, has no fancy portrait mode. But remember that excellent auto-correct? It helps deliver lovely portrait shots in a pinch.

If You Need ... Macro Mode

Very delicious rugelach shot with the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel, and Moto Z, respectively.

Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg

Please forgive me: I took a bite of one cookie before I found my favorite composition. (It was delicious and fresh out of the oven.)

Winner(s): The MotoZ, maybe, by a hair. The three images are almost identical. That's why I conducted a follow-up test, albeit a less visually interesting one: shooting the backside of a coin. I got the tightest shot with the MotoZ, with the iPhone coming in as a close second place. The Pixel struggled. Good thing nobody needs photos of a penny, anyway.

A Pro Photographer Reviews the iPhone 7 Plus

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. LEARN MORE
Source: Three Top Smartphone Cameras in Real-World Tests: Which Is the Best?

iPhoneography: Using Your Smartphone to Make and Edit Photographs, Nov 4

Let award winning photographer and iPhoneograper, Yoni Mayeri, show you how to capture and edit images utilizing your iPhone. Learn the best practices for photographing and editing using exclusively the iPhone. The iPhone and other emerging technology have spurred a remarkable shift in the field of photography: more pictures are being taken with iPhones than all other devices combined. This hands on workshop will include:

• How to take professional quality photos with your iPhone by optimizing the native camera, and utilizing a camera replacement app

• How to Edit and enhance your iPhone photos using the Photos App

• Witness the process and follow along through live-editing

• Learn to use advanced editing techniques on your mobile device with an introduction to several apps from the Apple App Store Review of accessories to expand your iPhoneography

• Best practices for saving, organizing, sharing, and printing your images

Yoni Mayeri is a pho tographer, iPhoneographer, and visual artist. Her subjects are based in landscape, atmosphere and botanicals. She is known for her photographs of people and places that are collaged from the images using digital applications.

Her work has been exhibited at the de Young Museum, 111 Minna Gallery, Kennedy Gallery, Cambridge, Subterranean Art House, The UC Theatre Gallery, The San Francisco International Art Festival, The San Francisco Arts Commission, Markham Winery Gallery, The Fillmore and PunchLine Comedy Nightclubs, Pacific Felt Factory, In Space, and Durden and Ray Gallery.

As an early adopter of the iPhone and technology, her popular iPhoneography workshops have been presented at UC Berkeley, JFK University, St. Mary's College, Rancho La Puerta, The Pacific Art League, Stanford University. Yoni has given presentations in mobile photography at Google, The Computer History Museum, and to numerous corporate groups, schools, and private clients.

Photo Credit: Yon i Mayeri READ MORE

Source: iPhoneography: Using Your Smartphone to Make and Edit Photographs, Nov 4

6 Smartphone-Only Tips for Photos of Kids

A smartphone, now permanently in our hand or at least in our pocket, gives us the ability to capture our most treasured moments with children before they grow up. However, kids are extremely active – whether they're playing hide-and-seek or just running around the house, they can be challenging to capture on camera. Motion naturally makes mobile photography more difficult. Here are six tips for mobile photographers who love taking pictures of children.

1. Be Prepared for Candid Shots

Photographing children can be challenging, but some of the best mobile photographs you capture will be candid shots. Kids can be unpredictable, so be prepared to shoot on a whim. Burst Mode is ideal for situations involving children – this will allow you to take multiple shots within seconds. Afterward, you can eliminate the blurry, unwanted images.

2. Shoot at Their Level

Kids are small, meaning it can be difficult to capture them at the right angle if you're standing up as an adult. Get down to their level, it's easy with a smartphone – sit on the ground or lay on the floor with them during your mobile photography sessions. This will help people see the kids through their eyes when they view your photos.

3. Focus on the Eyes of Your Subject

Focusing on the eyes of the child or children you're photographing can help you capture the emotion of the moment. Doing so can also help you engage the viewers of your mobile photography.

4. Use Smartphone Apps for Editing

Apps, such as Enlight, can help you eliminate any flaws you may find in your mobile photography. Enlight also has a wide range of filters that will give your photos the perfect touch, whether you want to add more light or create a vintage feel. Besides filters, you can use tools like Heal and Patch to "clean" kids up – easily remove signs of that chocolate ice cream treat or a scrape from a recent fall at the park.

5. Go with Simplicity

The pure joy of children can be enough to carry emotion in your mobile photography. Don't worry about background or other elements that could be distracting to your subject matter. Instead, look to the kids themselves to bring life and motion to the images. Keep in mind that they don't necessarily need to be posing to make an ideal photo.

6. Try New Angles

Kids are supposed to bring fun to mind, and a smartphone isn't at all bulky, so why not try out new angles? Whether you shoot from above, off-center, or from afar, doing so can add a bit of uniqueness to your mobile photography. For example, taking an image from below while a child is climbing monkey bars can make him or her look "on top of the world."

Don't forget the basics while taking photos of kids as well. For instance, ample lighting is essential for reducing the chances of blur showing up in your mobile photography. When possible, try to use natural lighting. Finally, try your best to keep your hand steady as you snap your pictures. A tripod can give you the best chance at capturing images without a high risk of blur due to motion.

Written by Krystle Vermes.

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Tags: child photography, child portraits, children photography, childrens portraits, enlight, enlight app, enlight leak, iphoneography, mobile photography, portrait iphoneography, portrait photography, smartphone, smartphone photography Krystle Vermes

Krystle Vermes is a professional writer, blogger and podcaster with a background in online and print journalism. Passions include everything tech, sports, and the paranormal. When she isn't freelance reporting, she's running her paranormal blog, GetSpooked.net. Krystle is a graduate of Suffolk University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Print Journalism.

Source: 6 Smartphone-Only Tips for Photos of Kids

Priime Time: Editing Tips for Better Mobile Photos

One of the most important decisions to make about your mobile photography is which mobile editing software to use. There are several major contenders, and they all have different features.Priime, a San Francisco based company, developed their app in collaboration with some of the world's top photographers. What does that mean? It means editing tools that were designed by very the people who use them!

We asked several of our favorite photographers who use Priime to give their recommendations for how to maximize the app's potential. So here's your crash course in Priime editing:

Jessica Zollman

@jayzombie

While I adore the complex concept behind Priime's suggested filters, I've found that saving the filters I'm always utilizing to my Favorites has reduced my editing time significantly. I'm able to quickly select the look that best fits the style or mood I'm trying to create with a particular photograph, or with my photography as a whole. As a result, I often use Chris Ozer's Bouquet, Dan Cole's Lighthouse, or my own Cathedral filter.

Tyson Wheatley

@twheat

What I love most about Priime is that not only the styles — but even the tools — are developed by photographers to be more intuitive. On the Crop tool, tap the dimensions to quickly toggle between orientations. You can also zoom in and out from library view, which saves time when deciding which image to edit.

Annah Todd

@annah_todd

Having high-quality, beautiful images is only half of the battle. Ensuring that your feed has a curated "flow" will draw potential audience members at a significantly higher rate. To do this, your photos should have similar characteristics, like open backgrounds, single dominant colors, and consistent editing. Priime is my favorite editing app because you can copy and paste previous edits onto an unedited image. At minimum, try to keep the Fade, Black Point, and Contrast consistent across all images. Those edits will be the most noticeable and abrasive to the eye if done haphazardly.

Ayanah Newsum

@ayanah

Priime has so much going for it when it comes to editing. Besides the fantastic preset filters, the Structure and Sharpening tools are my favorite. I love how fine the tuning is when using both of those tools. I used the Analog filter on these photos, but it was too soft. So I was able balance the Structure and Sharpen tools to counter this. These tools even allow you to make colors seem more vibrant without increasing the saturation of the image.

Carl Maynard

@carlnard

Before making any edits to my photos, I make sure to check the "Suggested" tab within Priime. This function suggests styles based on Colors, Brightness, Orientation, and more. Each style comes with a description, so you know how it's being applied to your image.

Joshua Davis

@currentcoast

I love pulling out details in the Highlights and Shadows, while retaining Contrast in the mid-tones for that "pop". Here's how — after choosing my filter style in Priime, I switch over to the Adjustments and tone down the Contrast a bit, before bumping up the Structure. The way Priime is set up to fine tune this entire process is perfect for my personal aesthetic. I use it every time.

Hasif Ruzahan

@hasiiff

For my architecture photos, I prefer black and white, and with this style, tone and contrast are everything. When editing in Priime, my first priority is that the Saturation of the photo has to be set all the way to -6.0. Next, I will usually set the Brightness to +3.0 and the Highlights to +5.0. To make it look crisp and clear, my next step is adding or reducing Shadows and Contrast accordingly.

Miguel Solano

@miguelsolano

I really like using Highlights to create extra light in my photos. Some ways I use the Highlights tool are to: overexpose some or all of the sky, improve white balance on my images, and/or give more life to landscapes.

Darren Brogan

@poetic_mouse

Temperature is a very important decision in the editing process. Generally, the scene itself helps photographers decide how to adjust the temperature. As a preference, I'm normally drawn to warm scenes. Priime's temperature control tools are not the only way to manipulate this. The Journey filter is one of my preferred presets for adding warmth.

James Creel

@realjcreel

There are two sure ways to change the entire mood of a photograph, and that's with Warmth and Shadows. The temperature of an image will change all the tones towards blue or yellow, making a photo cold or warm respectively. Shadows work in tandem to create dynamic black tones that force your eyes across the composition. I tweak these first, then add a small amount of the filter Cobalt for the complimentary blues and golden oranges.

Source: Priime Time: Editing Tips for Better Mobile Photos

Top photo tips for mobile phone photography

So many photo hobbyist and other casual photographers are spending a lot more time using their smart/mobile phones for everyday photography, travel and lifestyle needs. While it's easy to go around with your camera and just snap what's in front of you and for that matter take a lot of photos and delete what doesn't look good, there are some wonderful tips to also consider to bring your cell phone imagery up to another notch.

Shooting beyond broad daylight shots

Yes of course most places open past 9am and it is broad daylight and busy everywhere. But for the lucky few who go out of their way to capture a destination or scene during the golden hours before and after sunrise/sunset will be rewarded with amazing light, great photo locations with minimal crowds and something unique to share. It's great if you can actually be present during a perfect sunrise or sunset, but those times even before and after the golden hours are just as good like the image below done right after a beautiful sunset in Key West.

Shooting at twilight in Key West, Florida Keys

Shoot in landscape mode

Most images look so much better in landscape mode especially if you are sharing them in social media. Outside of tall structures/monuments that will fit into a portrait shot, everything else looks better in a landscape orientation. For some social media platforms like Instagram, profile images are typical, although you can also present images in landscape.

Clean your lens

That small picture window can easily get dirty and smudged, so make it a habit of cleaning your front and back lens. This will insure no strange spots or smears especially when your taking your phone out from a messy purse or pocket

Follow the rule of thirds and other basic photography rules

A basic and well used photography rule, placing your subject in one of the three areas gives a more pleasing and dynamic image. You can check more details about using the rule of thirds here. For that matter, many of the other basic photography rules like filling the frame, leading lines, patterns and color should also apply using smart phones photography. To learn more about basic photography composition rules, check out this link here for a comprehensive guide.

Following the Rule of thirds with this floral image above

Shoot different angles and heights

Images look more interesting when taken from above looking down or just the opposite from ground level looking up. This gives you an opportunity to make something ordinary and turn it into a more interesting or pleasing composition. Also, why not try taking some photographs from different angles to accentuate your subject matter and create some distortion, energy and exciting new presentation. Taking photos from different angles or heights forces you to look at things in a new way and maybe come up with something out of the box and not the typical type of presentation expected in an ordinary landscape, portrait or even a selfie and create something unusual and exciting to look at.

Shooting the Florida coastline and fascinating landscape patterns

No digital zoom photography

Most smartphones do not deliver great images because of optical zoom deficiencies and typically deliver poor quality imagery. It's better to just take a straight photo from your camera with no zoom and then edit the image by cropping out any parts to focus on the central image.

Use HDR for certain compositions

HDR is perfect to be used in various conditions of low light to extreme light conditions, or even if you want to focus on one object and make it really pop. High dynamic range is perfect used on images that have high contrast or low light situations so that the program mode evenly spreads the light effects into a more pleasing image. In this example below the sun was setting quickly and made the foreground darker, but putting it in HDR mode lightened out the foreground and toned down the bright light in the background.

Using HDR settings to spread out light from low light to contrasting light

No flash –  just natural light

Since the flash located on your smart phone is too close to the lens, most images taken will have extreme glare and unflattering light. For many smartphones, try to find the low light option on your phone settings or just try and find available light around your subject matter so it can illuminate everything in focus. You can also make adjustments to your ISO and exposure to increase light on your subject.

Post processing filters

There are no rules about using or not using these filters on your smart phone, so if you just want to experiment and create something fun or fresh, go right ahead! Using cell phone imagery is all about what you want to present and it's fun to create different effects on filters that fit your mood and requirements. You can always switch it back to its original setting if the results don't give you the effect that you were looking for.

Use a better photo imaging app

I suggest getting a full-on image editing app like the excellent SnapSeed, Photoshop Express, or iPhoto. You can make more adjustments on exposure, sharpness, color temperature and other adjustments you can make for personal preferences.

 

Experiment and have fun

Having a cell phone allows for more flexibility and lets you shoot easily into many situations and experiment. The best part of this is being in the moment and trying out something new and presenting something that gives us a better feel for what you are expressing. This is especially true for using images to present on social media where you want to me more spontaneous and show something a little more personal.

Framed views through the Hole in the Rock in Phoenix, Arizona

Frame your views

Framing the area around your main focus with something interesting in the foreground or surrounding the entire composition creates a very interesting presentation. This not only draws your eye into the picture, you also get to see the transition from the foreground into the main body of the picture. Try to see if you can frame your views which help to create interesting depth of field and an interesting composition.

Show me the details

Don't be afraid to get up close to show me something interesting that catches your eye or shares an interesting view of point. To get sharp and concise images make sure you shoot from your smart phone in normal mode and crop the image afterwards or just use your feet to get up close to your subject. Using the zoom feature on your smart phone typically loses the sharpness factor, so use your feet to get up close.

Break all the rules

That's right, now that I gave you some fantastic tips and ideas, you can decide to use any of these tips or just break all the rules and do something fun and creative on your own. That's the cool thing about using a smart phone is that you can create a lot of instant and quick picture and if it doesn't look good, it's just as easy to delete them. Concentrate on  presenting a complete story, capture the mood and light and experiment with your camera. Afterwards, you can process the better images with a post processing app and delete the ones that didn't make your cut.

Learn more photography tips

If you enjoyed these cell phone tips above, check out some of my other photography tips and suggestions below, most of these also apply to cell phone photography

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Black and white photo tips for beginners

Capturing street images – some photo tips and techniques

15 Instagram tips for better photos and compositions

10 Photography tips for grey sky or rainy days

Flower and nature photography – tips on making your images pop

Photographing people – some tips and techniques

Photography tips for travel Photography

Travel photography – what to pack

Photo tip – backlighting your image

Photo tip – fill the frame

Food photography – making your images pop

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Source: Top photo tips for mobile phone photography