The holidays are coming and I know you’re going to be taking photos of the family on your smartphone. It’s okay, don’t be ashamed – we all do it (including photographers!) Who wants to lug around an 8-pound DSLR when we have pretty decent cameras right in our pockets? Just do me and yourselves a favor: remember these two quick tips to take better smartphone photos. Don’t let these memories fall victim to bad smartphone photography!
Tip #1: Either turn on or off your flash, depending on the situation. The flashes on our smartphones are generally crap, but a photo that is dark and grainy and where you can’t see anyone’s face is even crappier. Over the holidays, we take photos in our kitchens and living rooms where the light is not really ideal for photos. If you notice that the image on your phone looks too dark, turn on the flash! And if you notice that the flash is making the photo look super ugly, try turning it off. (When you turn off the flash, make sure you hold the phone really steady so that the photo doesn’t come out blurry.) The flash is a tool that you can turn on and off as you need it. Use it!
Tip #2: Get closer. Nothing makes me more crazy than smartphone photos taken of people from 10 feet away. For goodness sake, do you want to see the peoples’ faces or not? Get closer! And I don’t mean zoom – I mean walk a few paces closer to your subjects. Framing people from the waist up is always flattering and you’ll find that the light is likely more flattering, too.
There are lots and lots more tips to taking great smartphone photos, but these are two really easy and really quick ways to improve your photos this Thanksgiving. I expect to see great photos on social media!
Happy Thanksgiving!