{"id":62503,"date":"2017-08-13T02:13:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-13T09:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=62503"},"modified":"2017-08-13T02:44:36","modified_gmt":"2017-08-13T09:44:36","slug":"how-to-take-better-pictures-on-your-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/13\/how-to-take-better-pictures-on-your-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Better Pictures on Your Phone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I love taking photos on a phone, because it is so carefree, fun, and liberating.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If anyone tells you that a phone camera isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153real\u00e2\u20ac\u009d camera, just walk away and ignore them.<\/p>\n

I recently tested the OnePlus 5<\/a> and had a lot of fun with the camera, and sparked some ideas to take better pictures on your phone, regardless if you have an iPhone or Android.<\/p>\n

1. Photograph textures, and get very close.<\/h2>\n
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The good thing shooting with a phone is that you can get VERY CLOSE to whatever you want to shoot.<\/p>\n

Assignment: Find interesting textures, and TOUCH THEM before shooting them. Then don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t zoom on your phone, just stick it really close to the texture, and FILL THE FRAME.<\/p>\n

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With textures, just shoot any texture which interests you. For me, I prefer mostly organic materials (wood, stone) or things that wear and tear over time (rust, patina, brass):<\/p>\n

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For another assignment, spend an entire day only shooting one texture.<\/p>\n

For example, spend an entire day ONLY shooting wood. Or only shooting shiny things. Or only rusted things.<\/p>\n

2. Shoot colorful things<\/h2>\n
\"Blue
Blue net. Processed with VSCO with a6 preset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is easy, just find nice colors and shoot them.<\/p>\n

I personally love the VSCO A6 preset, which gives the photos a nice, warm tone, similar to Kodak Portra 400.<\/p>\n

\"Gold
Gold color. Processed with VSCO with a6 preset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Honor thy selfie<\/a><\/h2>\n

Find a simple black background, and shoot selfies of yourself from different angles. Hold your phone very high looking down, or very low shooting up.<\/p>\n

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Or shoot your own shadow or reflection. I like to shoot when the sun is setting, during sunset to get nice and long shadows.<\/p>\n

\"Shadow
Shadow selfie at sunset. Processed with VSCO with a6 preset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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4. Find an interesting background, and wait for people to enter (FISHING TECHNIQUE)<\/h2>\n
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Find a simple background, with lines, and simple shapes. Then shoot a lot of photos, and choose your favorite images.<\/p>\n

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They call this the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153FISHING TECHNIQUE\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, because you are like a fisherman… you gotta be patient to catch the fish or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the Decisive moment<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

5. Diagonal lines from the top right and top left of your frame.<\/h2>\n
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If you see lines, tilt your camera until you can make a composition in which the edges of the frame correspond with the diagonals in your photo.<\/p>\n

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Diagonals are more dynamic, and add structure to your frame.<\/p>\n

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6. Look up.<\/h2>\n
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Children see the world from a more unique perspective than adults, because they are always looking up.<\/p>\n

Now with our phones, we never look down or up… we just have a crooked neck and look down into our phones.<\/p>\n

Use your phone to look at the world differently. Look up more often, especially if you shoot in a city. Or in nature.<\/p>\n

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The benefit of looking up, you can see and appreciate buildings and infrastructures we often take for granted.<\/p>\n

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7. Create depth<\/h2>\n
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Make depth in your photos by putting something in the extreme foreground, then focus on the background.<\/p>\n

In the foreground of your photo, add a railing, or visual element to block out the bottom of the frame. This will add more of an illusion of depth to your photos.<\/p>\n

8. Don’t think before shooting<\/h2>\n
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For me, whenever I think too much before making a photo, I become nervous and self-conscious and end up not shooting.<\/p>\n

In street photography<\/a>, follow your gut. Don’t think before shooting. Just click.<\/p>\n

9. Use the same preset on all your photos<\/h2>\n
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Whatever preset you use for your photos, keep it consistent. I recommend VSCO A6 for color.<\/p>\n

Keeping your preset consistent will help you build a visual style, and also be less stressful and time-consuming.<\/p>\n

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10. Airplane mode<\/h2>\n
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Don’t shoot with your data or phone on. Switch it to airplane mode, not to get distracted.<\/p>\n

You want to get into THE ZONE<\/a> when making pictures. Don’t let anyone disrupt you.<\/p>\n

I also recommend NOT listening to music while shooting photos. Why? You might overlook a potentially good photo scene, by being able to eavesdrop on the conversation of others. I also think NOT listening to music while shooting helps us direct more creative energy to our visual cortex and eyes.<\/p>\n

Conclusion: Have fun and don’t take it too seriously.<\/h2>\n
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Think of photography and art as playing, not trying to be some pretentious “Artist” (with a capital “A”).<\/p>\n

Even if you have a shitty phone you can still make good photos. Just follow some of these tips, and they might help you.<\/p>\n

What are some of your phone photography tips or techniques? Share your ideas and pictures in ERIC KIM FORUM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

BE STRONG,
\nERIC<\/p>\n

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PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY<\/a><\/h1>\n
\"Garden
Garden Grove, 2015. Shot on a LG G4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best camera is a phone:<\/p>\n