RTC Networks Tech Tips: Take Better Smartphone Photos

These days, snapping a selfie or documenting your dinner is as simple as tapping a button. But if you really want to preserve your memories and impress your Instagram followers, there are a few extra steps you can take to up your photography game.

Today, we are sharing a few tips and tricks to take the best photos with your smartphone. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with Tech Expert Katie.

Trick number one is to set your camera to HDR mode, which brings out the details in your picture and creates a better balance of colors. From your phone’s camera settings, you can choose to enable Auto HDR. Shooting in HDR does take a few extra milliseconds, so avoid using it on fast-moving subjects or when you can’t keep your phone steady.

Next, follow the rule of thirds–a trick as old as photography itself. According to the rule of thirds, an image is split into a grid of nine equal blocks. Try to get the most interesting parts of your image, like a group of faces or a city skyline, near the corners of these segments where the grid lines meet. To make this even easier, enable the built-in grid setting from either your camera screen or your phone’s settings.

As a general rule, natural lighting is going to make for the best photos, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end when the sun goes down. Many newer models come with a built-in Night Mode to capture more detail and brighten your shots in low-light situations. But even without this handy tool, you can improve your evening shots by adjusting the exposure. Simply tap the screen and drag the exposure meter up or down to your desired brightness.

Finally, don’t be afraid to explore. Most smartphone cameras come with a multitude of tools, modes, and filters to tweak things like color and contrast before you even capture an image. Play around with them to discover a style that works for you.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.