TECH TRENDS

Level up your phone photography skills with these five tips for utilizing the device's features along with expert techniques and other tools.

By Joselle A.

Smartphone cameras have become imaging powerhouses that are often more powerful than regular cameras. That means you can capture memories through highquality images without a lot of bulk in your bag.

You know to clean the dust and fuzz from your pocket off the lens before snapping a photo, but do you know how to get the most out of your phone's camera? Here are some tips for taking professional phone photos.

This tool will be your best friend if you want to take tacksharp photos using any phone. Mobile phone tripods are both portable and compact. They allow you to achieve clear, sharp photos of anything from close-up macro shots to spectacular landscape shots. You can also take nice selfies and group shots with the assistance of a tripod.

Natural light will give you light and bright photos that always look good. This is done by shooting outdoors during the day, or making use of windows and doors to let light into a space when you're taking photos indoors. It's also a good idea to position your subject next to a window or door to take advantage of natural lighting and to avoid having to use your phone's built-in flash.

Creative use of negative space will truly make your photos your own. The good thing about negative spaces is that they are everywhere you look, allowing you to create pockets of negative spaces as you shoot for a more interesting picture. It can be anything from a blank wall to the sky. Even nature offers opportunities to snap photos with creative negative space.

Your smartphone camera includes gridlines that will help you achieve the right composition for your photos. While these gridlines can be turned off if you prefer, using them allows you to map out your photos right there on your screen. You are then able to develop ideas about how to frame the photo and place emphasis on your subject before you capture the image.

The foreground is an object that is closest to you and positioned in front of your subject. It can be anything from the edge of a door or wall to foliage. Most phones are now powerful enough to blur both the front and back of the subject if they are near or far enough from it. A blurred foreground can act as an interesting frame to show off your subject, and it can even be used to tell a story or hide something from the frame.

There are so many ways to take creative photos with your powerful camera phone. Aside from relying on your phone's camera features as you shoot, you can use photography techniques to capture images that are just as interesting as any photo taken with a regular or even a professional camera. Try these ideas out to level up your phone photography skills.