Our mobile devices are increasingly complete, especially when we talk about the technology that integrates its camera module. Where before we had little more than a device designed to get us out of trouble, we find that the smartphone has relegated to the background the compact camera.
We have many possibilities and many alternatives within the technology offered by Android devices, so we want to give you a hand with this tutorial. We teach you how to take good photos with your Android mobile phone to shine on Tumblr and Instagram like a real star. Discover all our tips.
Get original photos
The first thing is creativity, getting to take original photographs is increasingly difficult, that's why we recommend that you have a device that has several cameras such as a Wide Angle and a sensor for Macro photography, This will allow you to take full advantage of its features.
To get to take original photos we can be inspired by social networks like Tumblr (LINK) where we can capture ideas and then make our own creations, here are some good ideas for taking original photos:
- Take advantage of the sunrise and sunset to take pictures of the sky in different colors.
- El backlighting It tends to spoil photographs, but when used properly, it offers us a very creative tool, especially at sunset.
- Throw drops of water to plants allows us to take very curious photographs of vegetation.
- Play with the perspectives, The Wide Angle format allows you to take closer photos of people and objects, so other objects will appear in the background with a deceptively small size.
- Buy a tripod, It will allow you to take advantage of the "long exposure" mode that most mobile devices have and you will obtain better illuminated and highly original photographs.
- The photographs, please always horizontal. The vertical format only for Instagram.
- Always make sure to clean the lens of the cell phone for best results.
- Do not use the flash unless it is extremely necessary.
- If you have doubts, Activate the grid in the photo to center objects or people well.
These are just some of the tricks that we should keep in mind, however, let's take a look at other tips.
Photographs of people
To photograph people, the first thing we are going to do is take into account whether or not we have a sensor that allows us to take photographs in "Portrait", This will help us a lot to focus correctly.
The "Portrait" mode of most devices is adjustable, My advice is that you do not abuse the "blur" and minimize the result of the processing in order to achieve a photograph as natural as possible. TWe must also adjust the «Beauty Mode», since in some occasions it can give the impression that the photograph is artificial.
- If the important thing about photography is the person, their clothes or their accessories, always use a background of a uniform color, as clear as possible, and if it is white better.
- Always avoid backlighting behind the subject's back. Ideally, have a natural light source, or two front artificial lights to avoid shadows and capture all the details.
- Always keep the subject well centered, If we take a photograph of a person and it is not in the center of the photograph, the result will make us not focus on the details.
- Never use the flash It will give poor results on skin, shine and eyes.
By following these little tips you will get good pictures of people. Do not forget that if you are going to use artificial lighting sources, you should not opt for too cold tones, as the skin will look excessively white. Opt for well-placed neutral colored bulbs to avoid shadows as much as possible. Remember that The "Portrait Mode" tends to fail in small details, take many pictures and then check which one has been the best processed by your cell phone.
Photographing landscapes
Landscapes are usually a major challenge for mobile devices, so I'm going to leave you some tips before taking the picture:
- Activate HDR mode of your mobile device, that will allow you to avoid "burning the sky" and make it look more natural.
- Avoid strong contrasts, not of color, but of glitter. Adjusts the exposure so that the dark areas are not black and the rest are excessively white.
In this case, the ideal is to do without all the cameras except the main one. The Wide Angle usually offers many aberrations that will make the landscape unnatural. What I do recommend is that if you have a device with «Artificial Intelligence», take advantage of this feature so that it adjusts the colors with the correct saturation, you will obtain spectacular results.
Another great forgotten is the «Macro» format, this type of photography will allow you the following:
- Take good detailed and very close photographs of insects and very small animals.
- Capture great shots of nature such as leaves, branches, flowers, and even spider webs.
As we said before, we must always have a good source of lighting, that is, we will take advantage of the central hours of the day, unless we specifically want to capture a sunset or sunrise.
Photograph buildings
Buildings they are easy to photograph generally, We just have to pay close attention to two determining factors:
- The height of the building: This can prevent it from fitting in a shot, for this reason it is recommended that we take the photo with the Wide Angle format so that it fits completely.
- The hour of the day: Natural light is decisive to capture all the details of the building, therefore we need it to be a good time of day and that the Sun is not placed with its back to the building, but with its back to us who took the photograph.
- We must ensure that the camera points as parallel to the ground as possible. Otherwise the building will be deformed or crooked. If the photo does not fit in this way, it is better to go back a bit and / or take the photo from a higher point. For example, stretching the arms up, but always complying as much as possible with the rule of pointing parallel to the ground.
With these simple tricks we are going to get great results.
How to take underwater photos
This is not recommended in any case with a mobile device, even if we have a device that is submersible. However, if we are still determined, the ideal is that we choose to include a waterproof case.
If we want to make life easier and keep the phone safe, we can also use a glass or jug. You just have to partially submerge it and take the photo from within. Thus we achieve the same or even better result.
- Buy waterproof case for smartphone on Amazon> No products found..
A good trick for taking pictures underwater is place the sensor just between the surface and the water, so half a photograph will come out natural, and the other half under water, the result is very original. For the rest, we recommend that you take all sufficient precautionary measures so as not to run out of phone.
These tips will allow you to take good photos at home with your cell phone, tell us in the comment box what are your favorite tricks to take good photos and distribute more tips to the community Androidsis.