Event photography is now more accessible than ever thanks to the advanced technology used to create smartphones. Long gone are the days when you could only take good photos with an expensive professional camera. Whether you are attending a birthday party, a concert, a wedding, or any other special event, capturing the perfect photos is now possible with your phone!
In this post, we will give you some practical tips for making super awesome and amazing photos using your smartphone camera.
1. Optimise your smartphone for photography
Before we even start talking about photography techniques and tricks, you need to make sure that your phone is ready for this task. Of course, having a quality, newer model is a prerequisite for this, but that is not all.
You should start by cleaning your camera lens, since smudges of dust can seriously ruin your shots. In addition to this, you might want to wipe your phone clean to make sure you have sufficient memory to take as many photos as you want. Let’s say that you have an iPhone. Do you know how to wipe an iPhone clean? To get started, take a look at this guide for erasing your iPhone clean. Once you do that, you should have no space problems when the event in question comes. Once you do this, you can also reset iPhone to factory settings, which can fix any software bugs affecting your camera.
2. Master the basics of composition
Do you know what composition is in photography? This is the backbone of taking a picture that impresses people. Here it is important to note the rule of thirds, one of the most effective photography tricks for amateur and professional photographers.
For starters, enable your camera’s gridlines. These can help you put your subject at one of the intersecting points. If you are taking a group photo, try your best to avoid placing everyone in a straight line. It’s always better to stagger people slightly, since this adds interest and depth to the image.
Next, you should experiment with perspective and angles. There’s no reason why you should keep still while taking all those photos. Kneel for a long-angle shot – or position the camera above your subject for a more creative, unique view. For instance, when you are capturing someone taking a picture of an exciting moment, you can frame them within the scene. This is great storytelling in photography.
3. Lighting is an essential factor
Lighting can make or break a phone image – or any photo, for that matter. When you are taking a picture on a phone, position yourself with the light source behind you – or to the side of your subject. If the event is indoors, you should look for areas with good lighting. These are areas near windows or well-lit places.
Avoid using your phone’s flash whenever possible. This is a prerequisite on some events with poor lighting, but it can also result in unflattering effects and harsh shadows. If there is an option for it, use the available light creatively. You can also buy a portable ring light for your phone to make sure you always have proper lighting.
Most smartphones today have a night mode. When you take photos in dim conditions or at night, you can enable this feature instead of using the flash.
4. Adjust your camera settings
Most modern smartphones will allow you to change settings like shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more. Learning how to make camera quality better using these features can make serious, positive chances for your photography skills.
For instance, you can use higher ISO settings for low-light places. You can lower the ISO for brightly lit spaces. If you are aiming for a more dynamic shot, such as for instance, when you are capturing large group photos and landscapes, you can experiment with HDR mode.
5. Keep it steady
Motion blur is one of the most common problems when you take photos on your phone. This is even a bigger risk at events since there is usually a lot of movement. Use your hands to hold your phone securely and, if this is an option, rest your elbows on a stable surface. Or, you can invest in a phone gimbal or small tripod to ensure that your shots are steady.
Even though many people spend a fortune on smartphones with top-notch features, very few know how to take a picture using their camera’s features. Hopefully, this article has helped you get a foundation for your phone photography. Remember – practice is vital when it comes to taking photos, and you can always use editing apps to enhance your shots.
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