By Darren Wiedman
Phone cameras have come a long way in a very short time. It may not be as good as your DSLR, but it’s a lot easier to carry. Here are a few tips for better shots.
1. Keep it clean
Our phones take a lot more abuse than our regular cameras. And it’s really easy to get your fingers on the lens. Take a few seconds to clean it before shooting.
2. Pokus focus
Remember to tap the screen at the point you want in focus. This also sets the exposure based on that spot. Some phones have tap-and-hold options for even more control.
3. Get closer
Most cell phones use digital zoom. Swiping your fingers to bring the image closer is really just cropping, which creates a grainier image. It’s better to move in as close as you can, get the shot, and crop it in post.
4. Use the grid
Go into your camera settings and turn on your grid. This will help you keep the rule of thirds in mind when you’re composing your shot.
5. Go steady
Camera shake is a common problem with phone photography. (You have to “tap” it just to capture the image.) When possible, set your camera on a stable surface (table, fence post, etc.) especially in low light. It’s easy to get blurry photos otherwise.
6. Post your images
Make use of your phone’s post-production tools or third-party apps to tweak the image. It’s not cheating. Here are a few that the internet seems to like. (Use at your own risk.)
Photo by Matthew Kerslake on Unsplash
- Camera +
- Camera FV-5
- Camera Zoom FX
- Diptic
- EyeM
- Gelo
- Paper Camera
- Photo Editor by Aviary
- Pixlr
- Prisma
- Snapseed
- VSCO Cam
- XnViewFX
TAPC Blog 
Many new phone cameras can also be voice activated with sounds such as “cheese” or “smile”. Check the options on your phone. This helps steady the camera even further as you don’t have to tap the phone to take a picture.
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