5 tips for taking great photos with your phone - mobile photography basics

A question I get a lot is ‘Can you print this image big for me?’ These days the answer is yes!!!

Previously my heart would fall as I would be presented with a low-quality image taken on a mobile phone which could not be improved sufficiently. Typical issues would be a fuzzy image and very small in terms of pixels.

These days most of us carry our mobile phones out and about with us and the advantage of that, is that it is with us, at special moments when we are doing activities or visiting places so we can capture images. The quality of the images is so much better these days. For example a standard photo shot on an iPhone is 12 megapixels and this should be able to be enlarged to print 14.3 inches x 9.3 inches at 300dpi.

Obviously, even though the quality of the images is much better, the camera on your phone is only as good at taking images as the person operating it! Below I have some simple tips that can help you take better pictures on your mobile phone.

1)  Make sure the lens is clean. If your lens is dirty, it can make your pictures look blurry. Be careful when cleaning the lens as you do not want to scratch it. Avoid using cleaning fluids and paper towels. To clean your lens, use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe away smudges. You can also use a can of compressed air to blow away any dust or debris.

2) Learn how to hold your camera steady when you're taking pictures so that you can get sharper looking images. Use both hands and hold it closer to you, so you avoid camera shake. Try resting it on a wall or table or invest in a small tripod. This can also help you start thinking about image composition.

3)  Learn which mode to use your iPhone in.

Square mode is similar to photo mode, except that your photos are square. This mode is popular with Instagram users. You can also crop a regular photo to a square after the photo has been taken.

Photo is the iPhone's basic photography mode. It captures 12-megapixel images. Most of your images can be taken in this mode.

Burst mode allows you to capture multiple images in quick succession, and it works with both your smartphone's front and rear cameras. This feature is useful when shooting images that involve movement, such as children playing or sporting events.

These are just three of the possible modes you can shoot in.

4)  Exposure is a photography term for how bright an image is. If your image is too bright, then it's "overexposed". If it's too dark, it's "underexposed". To adjust the exposure on the iPhone camera app, press the screen until a yellow square appears. This square indicates the focus point.

To the right of the square you will see a "shining sun" icon. Touch this icon and swipe it up or down. Swipe up to make your image brighter or swipe down to make it darker.

5)  Composition – think about what you are photographing and try to capture it at the best angle. For example a few years ago I took this shot and afterwards all I can see is the tree trunk leading to her skirt. If I had moved slightly, the angle would have changed and it would not be an issue.