We do them all: it's time to change
Take pictures with your smartphone it's easy, very easy indeed. The same is taking a bad picture. there 10 mistakes to avoid when taking pictures with your mobile phone (take advantage of not doing them too!):
1) Using the wrong app
Each smartphone has anative application to use the built-in camera. One click, and the photo is done. That's all. But no: why not experiment with one of the other (many) apps that are on Google Play or on iOS App Store? Spend some time experimenting with them and you will realize that photography is much more than just "point and shoot".
Do you want to pay ONLY € 4,99 for a InformaticsKings Mobile sim? Discover the offer and save!
2) "Rule of Thirds"? What's this?
The problem always comes from the hasty "point and shoot" technique. That is, ignore even the most elementary of the rules of photography: that of the rule of thirds.
Even in the most basic camera app there is the option to activate a grid, which basically divides the screen into nine panes. To comply with the rule of thirds, the subject should be on the left or right vertical grid line, while the eyes should be aligned on one of the two horizontal ones. The end result is a photo that is not cut in half by the horizon, and avoids placing a lone subject in the center of the image.
3) Composition? Isn't it just about musicians?
Yes, in photography there is the idea of "composition", which requires a moment of concentrating to understand where to place people in the frame, the angle from which to shoot, and even how to hold the camera. And it's not just about professionals with SLRs, but also those who take photos with a mobile phone. Photos that have a minimum of aesthetic sense, of course.
4) Shoot in a hurry
You are too busy having your friends pose all close together, in the usual mundane way, to explore alternative shots, such as approaching one of the subjects (to shoot from another perspective), or low, or to experiment with the options offered by the camera app? Sin! Take a few more seconds to meditate on what you are doing and you will surely take a more creative photo.
5) The flash always on.
Another frequent mistake when taking photos with the smartphone is to consider the flash always indispensable, in any situation. Nothing more wrong! Modern cameras are sensitive enough to take pictures even in very low light conditions. The flash is rarely used, for example to brighten a dark subject in the foreground against a very bright background.
6) To use or not to use the zoom?
Point your two fingers on the screen and move them outwards to get closer to the subject to be framed: the digital zooms in mobile phones drastically reduce the quality of a photo. Much better, when possible, to approach the subject with the zoom that mother nature has endowed us with: the feet.
7) What about tripods?
Sure, there are heavy tripods that are uncomfortable to carry around, but there are also light and almost invisible tripods that can make a difference when placed on a low wall, table or other stable surface. Try them!
8) Stability, this unknown
Do you need to take a photo at dusk or in a place where light is scarce? Lean against a wall, hold your breath and sprint. Or, if you can, activate the timer and place the phone on a stable stand, if available. Much better (as mentioned in the previous point) to use a small tripod.
9) Camera settings? Never touch!
Yes, it's all point-and-shoot, all automatic. It doesn't hurt, though, to have a basic smattering of what a diaphragm is, i ISO values, shutter speed, and how they interact in determining the quality of a photo.
10) The light? Who cares, so much later I correct with photo editing ...
Photography = writing with light. The direction of the sun, the light passing through the windows, the reflections from the furniture or clothes are not secondary aspects of a beautiful photograph, quite the contrary. You would never take a photo of a subject with the sun behind you, unless you intend to shoot a silhouette, would you? Well ... many do. Just when (see point 5!) It would be appropriate to give a nice shot of flash ...
