Tips for better smartphone photography

Taking photos with a smartphone has one decisive advantage in particular: you always have the device with you anyway and can often capture important things and beautiful moments in passing and relatively easily. With the rapid technical innovations of the last few decades, smartphone cameras have also changed a lot and now often take wonderful pictures. In manual mode, you can also set all kinds of parameters for the shot yourself, giving you much more control over the result. However, it is not always easy to take good photos with a cell phone camera. But with just a few little tricks, you can often significantly improve your photos with your smartphone!

Simple tricks for mobile photography

As with any other camera, you should make sure that the device is fully functional and clean before taking photos with your smartphone. In contrast to normal cameras, which are used exclusively for taking photos, the cleanliness of the lens on smartphones often leaves a lot to be desired. As the device is constantly in your hand, grease stains from fingers or other soiling can easily occur. Something as trivial as cleaning the lens before taking a photo can therefore improve the quality of smartphone photos by a long way.

Another problem that often leads to poor photos with smartphones is the lack of stability when taking photos. While we are used to holding cameras in both hands as a matter of course, we often take smartphone photos with one hand. The lack of stability results in camera shake, which impairs image quality. A tripod can therefore be useful, and not just for taking videos and long exposures. In any case, the cell phone should be held with both hands and as steady and stable as possible when taking photos.

Anyone who frequently takes photos with their smartphone and regularly uses their camera on walks or when traveling will benefit from well-thought-out protection for the device and any accessories. An elegant, compact shoulder bag not only keeps the smartphone itself safe, but also the tripod, external lenses or power bank - making it easier to spontaneously implement creative ideas on the go.

The finer points of smartphone photography

As is always the case with photography, the right lighting is crucial for smartphone photography. Especially when working with lower-quality cameras, good pictures can often only be taken in natural but soft light. The early morning and late evening hours are suitable for this, as sunlight in the middle of the day is often too bright and can lead to disturbing hard shadows. Working with the internal flash is never really recommended for smartphones; instead, other external light sources can be used in poor lighting conditions.

Even without a special manual focus, focus and exposure can usually be set quite easily via the phone screen. A single tap on the screen brings the touched area into focus. If you leave your finger on the screen for longer, the focus is fixed on this point, and it remains in focus even if you move the phone. For close-up shots of flowers or insects, you can also use the trick of holding your hand in front of the camera at a similar distance to the subject to focus. The focus set in this way can then be applied directly to the desired image.

The exposure can also be set in a very similar way. To do this, you also touch the screen, on which a small sun symbol appears with a scale next to it. If you move this with your finger, the exposure is intensified or reduced.

Advanced smartphone photography techniques

The camera apps on many smartphones also offer various tools for successful image composition. For example, there are grid lines that can help you to successfully apply the rule of thirds by placing the main subjects at the intersections of these lines to create particularly balanced and harmonious images. When creating the image, you should also pay attention to guiding lines that can direct the viewer's gaze.

Even on the device itself, you can often get a lot more out of the images in post-processing. To do this, simply use the existing editing apps or download your own. If you want to publish the photos on platforms such as Instagram, for example, you will also find filters and other editing options there. However, post-processing on a computer or PC is often recommended, as you can see and improve many more details on a larger screen than on a small cell phone display.

If you would like to try out more, you can experiment with the various modes of the cell phone camera and create panoramic shots or time lapses, for example. The portrait mode, which creates a shallow depth of field, making the subject appear sharp and the background blurred, can be helpful not only for taking pictures of people, but also in other situations. For high-contrast scenes in particular, it can also be exciting to take pictures in HDR mode to give them a greater dynamic range.

Once the possibilities of the cell phone camera have been exhausted, there is a whole range of accessories that can provide greater creative freedom. These include external lenses, for example, which can usually be attached to the smartphone camera using a simple clamp. The most popular lenses in mobile photography include fisheye lenses, but there are also macro lenses for capturing the smallest details. For sharp pictures, especially when taking long exposures, you should also get a tripod and a remote shutter release for your cell phone camera.

When you're out and about, it's crucial to have quick access to the most important parts of your equipment at all times without having to compromise on comfort or protection. Whether it's a power bank, tripod or notebook: if you want to take flexible and creative photos, you need to be able to store everything safely and neatly. A compact, stylish solution like the Louis M11 offers maximum protection with minimum weight thanks to its well-thought-out layout and high-quality workmanship. Ideal for urban photo tours as well as spontaneous trips into the countryside.

Conclusion

Even if you prefer to have a real camera in your hand and take great pictures with it, it can be worthwhile to take a closer look at the photographic possibilities of your own smartphone. Because even if it may not be as good as your favorite camera in terms of quality, it does offer one decisive advantage: you always have it with you. At the same time, however, this constant availability also harbors the danger of taking pictures with the smartphone as quick snapshots rather than taking the time for the right settings and a beautiful image composition. However, with a few very simple tricks and a little prior knowledge and practice, you can quickly take excellent photos with your smartphone. If you start to get to grips with it, you will soon realize that this type of photography also offers a whole new world of possibilities.

If you want to take your smartphone photography to a new level, think about the ideal transport solution for your technology. A high-quality bag with a water-repellent surface, stylish design and practical interior layout will help you to enjoy your creative freedom wherever you go - safely and conveniently, whether you're out and about or on a photo tour.