Youth Incorporated Magazine

Before mobile phones were invented, taking photographs was a laborious job. One would have to fight tooth and nail ( for eg. -buy a fancy camera and editing software on the computer) for getting a proper shot which ultimately leads to aversion by many people. Thanks to the mobile phones today which have made photography easier with its portability and the different filters one could try to set the mood of the photograph.

It is rightfully said that ‘The best camera is the one that is always there with you and that you know how to use.’. Therefore, it is necessary to learn the ropes in order to capture beautiful moments and preserve them.

I recently attended a webinar conducted by The Edutainment show and happened to know that to get mind boggling pictures and make mobile photography a fun task to do, one should definitely try the Tips, Tricks and Hacks listed below-

1. Clean the lens (with a microfiber cloth) before taking a picture.

Your mobile phone spends a lot of time in your hands or your pocket as a result of which the camera lens gets covered up with dirt, dust and fingerprints. Ostensibly, it may look as a drop in the ocean but it is the basic foundation to get a good and clear picture.

2. Natural light is the best light for photography.

This is what helps to make a good image a great one. The time after the sunrise or just prior to sunset is the best for taking pictures. Check the reflections and shadows that are made by buildings.                           

3. Rules of photography.

Use the ‘Rule of thirds’ which means enable the gridlines on your camera to get a more balanced and interactive picture. 

4. Set the focus so that the subject is always sharp.

5. Use Portrait mode to get amazing blurred backgrounds.

You do not need a DSLR to capture such pictures. If your phone has a portrait mode, getting blurred backgrounds is definitely possible.   

6. Angles play a huge part.

Try experimenting with different angles so as to get jaw dropping pictures. 

7. Never use the digital zoom.

Try zooming with your feet instead of zooming with your camera.

8. Look for the leading lines.

Embrace the lines which give a sense of flow and movement to your picture. (Eg.- roads, fences, window panes, bridges, rivers, lamp posts, etc)

9. Experiment with different perspectives.

Crawl , lay on your knee, climb a tree- Try every perspective possible to get a perfect picture. 

10. Use panorama mode for beautiful views.

“A panoramic image depicts a field of view considerably wider than the one that can be captured in one exposure, and it tells a more complex story and draws the viewer of the image closer to the feeling of what it was like to be there.” 

11. Enable HDR mode in your camera.

High Dynamic Range or HDR is a feature in certain iphone and android devices that’s been claimed to ‘square the circle’. It helps to  improve the clarity of images to a much higher level.

12. Below are some amazing photography hacks to get out of the box pictures-

• Use Nets or Shawls for thrilling shadow effects.
• Put a drop of water on the camera lens for macro effect
• Put the mobile phone in an airtight plastic bag to shoot underwater.
• Shooting through an object to get a different dimension.
• Shooting upside down.
• Use lights as an object to enhance the picture.

13. While taking a selfie, try to keep your chin down and look right into the camera.

14.  Not every mobile phone has a camera which gives quite clear and satisfactory pictures. However, there are some apps that enhance the quality of the picture and convert the dull photos into great ones-

• Different filters on  Instagram
• Photo Editor
• PicsArt
• Camera FV-5
• Photo Grid
• Camera 360
• Colorsplash

In the end, this is not the exhaustive list of tips, tricks and hacks. There are a lot many. Including these tips while taking pictures would surely make photography, a delightful task to do.