5 Phone Photography Tips to Level Up Your Social Media
Smartphones are one of the most versatile tools you can use for business marketing. From social media management to email access and even quality photography, they have truly revolutionised the industry… what did we do before them?!
Your success on social media often depends on the quality of the content you post. Armed with just your mobile device and a good editing app, it’s easier than ever to produce high-quality photos in just a few steps!
You don’t need to be a skilled photographer to take eye-catching pics. Check out our top tips to ensure you’re capturing dynamic photos that can be used on all your digital platforms and improve your photography skills.
Get Crystal Clear
We cannot stress this enough - you must start with a clean phone lens! Without it, your images will have no chance to shine! Remember to wipe your lens with a soft lens cloth before taking any photos, to avoid smudged or blurry images that can’t be edited afterward.
2. Get Focused
Placing an up-close subject on an out-of-focus background creates a sense of depth that is visually appealing and makes the subject stands out.
Get nice and close to the subject and tap on your screen to bring it into focus, or use the ‘portrait’ mode in the camera app, which automatically centres on the primary object – easy peasy!
3. Perspective Matters
Experiment with new angles to create interesting and captivating photos. Gone are the days you were limited to printing on film, so let your inner photographer loose and snap away! Try taking photos from above, below, or even upside down - get creative and don’t be scared to try something different! If your photos are a little too skewed, you can adjust the image horizontally, vertically, and even the tilt angle with the perspective tool in your phone app.
4. To Zoom or Not to Zoom?
The answer to this will most often be not to zoom! Zooming before the photo is taken lessens the quality, resulting in photos that are pixelated, blurry or grainy. Want more of the subject in the photo? Simply take a few steps closer! If you need a full scene in a shot, crop the photo after shooting, to focus on a subject or create a tighter, cleaner image.
5. Lighten Up
Natural light is your best friend when it comes to great photography! It’s easy to control how much light your phone captures, but in general, we recommend going with an image that is too dark rather than too bright - you can always use the exposure tool to lighten the image later, but it’s much harder to fix a photo that is too bright!
To adjust exposure before taking a photo, simply tap the screen where you want to focus, then use your finger to swipe up or down to adjust the exposure as needed. To brighten your photo after taking the photo, simply head to your trusty camera app editing tool on your phone and adjust brightness as desired.
Bonus Tips:
Use consistent filters or editing to ensure alignment with your business branding
Know the recommended image sizes for different social media platforms
Stick to one subject where possible – photos that are too busy can be cluttered and confusing to viewers
The volume up button can be used to snap a picture - this is especially helpful for taking selfies!
Free editing apps we love:
YouCam
PhotoDirector
PicsArt
Finally, make sure your brand identity game is strong! Any time you’re taking or editing photos for your business, remember your brand’s style. When someone sees your image in their feed, we want them to instantly recognise it as yours.
Now you’re a semi-professional ‘phoneographer,’ experiment as much as possible! Mastering the art of photography requires practice, but with practice comes confidence, and before you know it, you’ll be creating amazing images that look effortless!
