By Molly McLaughlin on April 4, 2011 in
Do you take more pictures with your cameraphone than your point and shoot digital camera? Even if you're just posting your photos online, it's still worth taking the time to improve your shots. No one wants unfocused or cut off pictures of your vacation cluttering up their Facebook and Twitter feeds. Here are some basic tips for improving your cell phone photos.
Prevent blurry shots. Cell phone cameras are notoriously slow. Have you ever taken what you thought was a great shot only to find an unidentifiable blur when you preview it? That most likely means that your hand moved after pressing the shutter button, but before the shot was actually captured. Cameraphones typically have a few seconds of shutter lag. Keep your cameraphone steady by resting your arms on a hard surface - or even use a portable tripod. Hold the cameraphone steady for a few seconds after you hear the shutter sound - until you see the final shot appear on your cell phone screen.
Take better self portraits. GeekSugar recommends that you extend your arm up at a 45 degree angle to make your self portraits more flattering. Shooting from above will prevent "double chin or shadow action," editors say.
Make the best of any lighting situation. Shoot outdoors or in a well-lit room for best results. Fiddle around with flash settings - you'll probably be able to turn the flash on and off, but you may also be able to control flash output. This will keep your shots from looking completely washed out.
Don't be afraid to get up close. As Derrick Story at Macworld.com says: "The camera phone is not designed for shooting landscapes." Cameraphones don't have zoom lenses, so it's better to simply stand closer to your subject. (Don't use digital zoom - that'll just degrade image quality.) You can always crop the image later.
Keep the lens clean. Carry a cleaning cloth with you to get rid of smudges, suggests Darren Rowse at Digital-Photography-School.com. Consider buying a case to prevent scratches.
Consult the experts. Geeksugar, Digital-Photography-School.com and Kodak offer lots of helpful cameraphone shooting tips - both practical and creative. MacWorld offers general advice as well as tips specifically for Mac users. National Geographic's story includes a photo gallery with sample shots. In a video tutorial, Yahoo! News' Becky Worley discusses advanced cameraphone settings, including the iPhone 4's intriguing HDR (high dynamic range) feature.
We also have blog posts on the best cameraphones by carrier and some cool cameraphone accessories.