A handful of tips to taking better camera phone pictures:
- Take lots of pictures
Since your camera phone is always with you, take advantage of capturing those spontaneous moments. Take lots of pictures to increase your chance of capturing just the right shot. Use pictures to communicate - it may be faster and easier for both you and the recipient.
- Move in closer
Many camera phones lack a zoom lens, so make sure you move in close to capture your subject. Fill your phone's display screen with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Up close you can reveal telling details - a wrinkled nose or an arched eyebrow. Don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry and distorted. As a general rule, stand about one to two feet from your subject.
- Shoot at eye level
Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children and pets, that means stooping to their level. Your subject doesn't have to stare at the camera - all by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.
- Watch the light
To create impactful pictures, move in close and fill your viewfinder or LCD with the subject. Unless your camera phone has a built-in flash, low light = bad picture. Try to take pictures in bright light. Without adequate lighting, your camera phone pictures will look dark and grainy. In sunlight, move around where the sun beams onto your subject. Indoors, turn on extra lights to brighten your subject.
- Use a plain background
A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you're ready to take your picture, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure a tree isn't growing from the head of your subject and that no cars seem to dangle from their ears. Check your picture in the your phone's display screen and retake it if necessary.
- Try different angles
Start by shooting at eye level. Capturing many angles will add variety and interest to your photos. Keep the ones you like, delete the ones you don't.
- Set resolution to high
Many camera phones include a low, medium, and high resolution setting (picture quality). Setting your camera phone to the highest setting gives you the best quality pictures. The quality difference might not be apparent on your phone's display screen, but you'll see it on a computer screen.
- Discover your phone's capabilities
Flip through your phone manual and see if your phone has any of these features: Picture messaging (send pictures from your phone to others); Picture effects (snap black & white or sepia pics or add different frames); Photo caller ID (set a picture for people in your address book so it appears when they call); Wallpaper (save your favourite picture as the background for your phone); and Bluetooth (wirelessly send pictures to compatible Bluetooth devices).
- Stay still!!
Jittery hands cause blurring. Keep your hand still a second or two after shooting, since the shot is still processing. When you hear the click sound, it doesn't mean you captured the photo, it just indicates that you pressed the shutter.
- Be courteous, be legal
Cell phone etiquette includes being mindful of its camera. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.
- Ask permission before taking people's picture.
- Don't use your camera phone in places like health clubs or theatres.
- Places like airplanes, courthouses, concert venues, and military bases, don't allow cameras or phones. Abide by their rules.
- Phones have limited storage space. Send pictures to online photo sites, like Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Flickr, or Shareapic instead.
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