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A couple months ago my fancy DSLR camera that I use for work purposes crapped out on me. It was a decade old so it wasn\u2019t too surprising. The question, then, was whether to buy another professional camera or just upgrade to an iPhone Pro. After plenty of research, I came to the conclusion that the difference in quality and functionality for the layman photographer (which includes me; I take photos for work, but taking photos isn\u2019t my job) between a pro camera and a smartphone camera just isn\u2019t great enough to justify having two separate pieces of tech. <\/span><\/p>\n The smartphone cameras of 2020 are true wonders of technology. Not only is the photo quality exceptional, but the free editing functions are akin to software that used to cost hundreds of dollars. Unless you\u2019re a professional photographer (or a very serious amateur), there just isn\u2019t much need to venture beyond the device in your pocket. <\/span><\/p>\n Yet even with its suite of built-in features, taking great pictures with your phone isn\u2019t necessarily easy or intuitive. After I got an iPhone Pro, I took a couple classes to get the hang of the phone as well as learn some basic photography skills and I\u2019ve been thrilled with the results. Below are what I consider the simplest and most effective tips to upgrade the photos you\u2019re taking with your smartphone. <\/span><\/p>\n One of the classic tenets of photography (and most visual art mediums) is the \u201crule of thirds.\u201d An image should be broken into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. As a grid, this makes for nine squares. Your instinct is probably to put the main subject of your photo right in the center. Don\u2019t do that. Instead, place the subject \u2014 whatever you\u2019re trying to take a picture of and draw people’s eyes to \u2014 near one of the four intersecting points. <\/span><\/p>\n To get acquainted with using the rule of thirds, you can easily make those grid lines show up right on your camera screen: <\/span><\/p>\n Once you get used to the grid, you\u2019ll naturally get better at composing your photos, and you can turn the grid lines off. <\/span><\/p>\n In addition to helping you follow the rule of thirds, using grid lines also helps accomplish another key tenet of good photography (and design in general): embracing negative\/white space. Rather than filling up the entire photo with your main subject, you want to leave white space around it, which actually better draws the eye towards your focal point. Whether you\u2019re taking a picture of a person, a mountain, or a plate of food, the primary focus of the photo, in most cases, shouldn\u2019t compose more than \u2153 to \u00bd of the total area in your frame. <\/span><\/p>\n Look at the photo above. By using the rule of thirds and placing the primary focus \u2014 my son\u2019s beaming face \u2014 at one of the grid intersections, I\u2019ve given nearly \u2154 of the photo to \u201cnegative\u201d space. <\/span><\/p>\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t use the pinch-to-zoom function on your phone\u2019s camera. Without getting into the tech, the vast majority of phones use a digital zoom, which pixelates and blurs your photo. Professional photographers use different lenses and simple physical proximity (they get closer to the subject when they want to \u201czoom\u201d in). You have two options better than pinching to zoom: <\/span><\/p>\n Some models, like my iPhone 11 Pro, have what\u2019s called optical zoom, which is functionally like a photographer switching out lenses. This feature works great, if you have it. Google your phone to see if it has optical zoom; unless you have the newest high-end model, it probably doesn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n1. Use Grid Lines (At First) <\/h3>\n
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2. Don\u2019t Zoom In<\/h3>\n
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3. Focus Appropriately<\/h3>\n
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