Note for Year End –
This Covid-year has felt very repetitive at times.
I hope to think of some creative ways for changing
things up a bit during the last month of this trying year,
and encourage others to do the same.
I’m going to take some time to do that –
and continue to be thankful as best I can.
‘See you’ in the New Year.
__________
Concentrating on safety, I recently published my home evacuation plan (see: Sharing Evacuation List. Ready for Disaster? Think Again). Like many of us, one of the most important considerations, beyond our safety, was the security of our pictures – old and new. Luckily, in the past few decades we have all learned to squeeze most of them onto a flash drive small enough for our back pocket. Not so with the older pics we cherish. The point is we care about our pictures, which are instrumental in keeping our memories (or maybe family histories) fresh and alive.
As holidays and year-end celebrations approach, while not those of past non-Covid years, occasions for taking pictures may pop-up again. Unlike our beloved archival stockpile, the focus here will be on pics yet to be ‘developed.’
Recently, before cooler weather hit, and having packed up for camping, we got to the lake and I realized I had forgotten my camera. “So what,” you say, “you’ve got your phone.” And so I did. Most of us regularly have this camera-substitute at hand. Some younger people have looked at me and waved their phone in front of my face when I’ve asked if they own a camera. It’s as if to say “are you blind, here it is; what more do you need.” Fair enough.
The phone provides for many more photo opportunities. But how do we get the best from it, without just crossing fingers and squinty through one eye as the sun glare camouflages the viewing screen? Do we simply bank on the confidence that there will be one ‘keeper’ among the tens taken?
Taking extras is not a bad idea, but upping our game helps too. Working on another project, which demanded some decent photos, and reading here and there, I found tips for better phone pictures.
10 Tips for Better Photos from your Phone
1. Use Camera horizontally (not vertically as you usually use your phone). This tip is included in every article I have read about improving composition. All say that landscape orientation creates more attractive photos. Of course, there are times you must use vertical (portrait) orientation as when trying to capture something very tall. See example of vertical shot taken to get the height of a waterfall.
2. Use the Enchanted “Magic Hours.” This is especially important for shooting outdoors. These well-known flattering times are those just after sunrise and those nearing dusk. Even if indoors (and particularly if near lots of windows) this can be a helpful consideration. The worst time for shadows and glare is the same bad hour as for cowboys, namely high noon. Capturing moments can’t always accommodate this schedule; much of life exists outside of those hours. Still, soft lights inside and overcast days outside can make the light perform for, and not against, the novice photographer.
3. Zoom with your feet. No, this isn’t about moving around during an online video meeting, but about the zoom function on your phone (or camera). Basically, the close-up feature crops the frame and enlarges the image you’re focusing on. Trouble is, it tends to reduce the clarity of that focus subject, as well as general picture quality.
The key is, when possible, get closer. There are times when you can’t risk getting closer or avoid using zoom. You may need to quickly emphasize the subject or want to avoid them running or flying away. However, more often getting closer will provide a depiction with greater quality and clarity. Incidentally, the internal mechanical noise of zooming when videoing is often very disruptive to sound you may be trying to capture. It depends on your camera or phone; one of mine is quite unruly and noticeable.
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4. Move YOUR Body to Vary the Shot. Just as ‘zoom with your feet’ is preferable to using a built-in feature, moving your body will vary your angle to produce unique and interesting perspectives. Kneel, bend down, stand on a stool, or take a side-shot from a different angle. Maybe shoot an image from above (especially if very small). It’s digital; you can dump the myriad rejects.
[Example seen here is kneeling down to get a shot reflecting the height and density of trees at one of our campsites.]
5. Set HDR to Auto. Frankly, there are loads of features on my phone with which I am unware or to which I am unaccustomed to using. HDR (standing for High Dynamic Range) was one of them. On my phone it wasn’t under normal configurations, but listed under setting specific to the camera, once opened. There it’s called “HDR – rich tone” as it balances out the tones of light and shadows.
I am not certain, but perhaps it uses slightly more energy for phone maintenance to keep it set at “on” or “auto.” Nevertheless, I assume I will forget, or fumble around and lose a shot if I try to recalibrate from the off position before each photo. Okay, I’d admit I don’t know if my pictures are any better; still it’s no additional effort to leave it on auto. Maybe If I compared side-by-side I’d be sure, but I am willing to just keep my new setting.
6. Compensate for Shaky Hands. Shaky hands can destroy a serene scene. I have a tiny pocket tripod, purchased for my camera and sufficed on my phone before getting one with a clip stand. Both help alleviate blurriness from shaky hands. Rarely is the tripod valuable for taking a picture on the run, but many times we stop to compose a photo to our liking.
7. Avoid the Selfie for EVERY shot. I am still of the thought that a picture taken slightly farther away than being up my nose is more attractive. If you must take them, lift the camera high (nice especially around the chin for those over 21 years old). I know selfie-sticks work, but I find them both cumbersome and somehow slightly narcissistic. Yes, I am probably wrong on both counts, but I still don’t plan on carrying one.
If no one is around to take a ‘normal’ photo for you, consider using that pocket-tripod with the camera timer. (Yes, most phones have a timer under camera settings). That allows for more people in the ‘selfie’ and most likely a better angle for all. If you need to take a quick, hand-held selfie, take plenty to choose from because almost certainly you won’t like the entire bunch.
8. Clean the Lens. I remember to clean my binocular and camera lenses on occasion, but rarely think about the phone camera. It’s a helpful habit – and if you have two or more lenses, remember them all.
9. Use the Image Focus Lock. Here’s one more feature on my Android phone I was unaware of until reading about good camera-phone skills when focusing on an image, like someone’s face. [It’s on iPhones too.] If you tap the screen (and hold a second), the focus lock will show up. On my phone it’s a broken box, outlined in yellow. If you center this over the object to focus on, the lock gives you a cleaner view of it. Admittedly, I find this feature difficult to use; especially difficult to keep in place. But good to know it’s there, and perhaps you will have greater luck at getting the hang of it than I have.
10. Play with Filters and Effects when back at your computer. Generally, I have little time to experiment with these artistic effects, but I’ve seen some neat renditions of photos with minimal work. I don’t always like the olde-tyme black and white look, especially for outside photos, but sometimes it’s simply perfect. If you don’t already have one on your phone or computer, one app that allows you to choose from dozens of effects is Google Photos which claims to work with both iPhones and Androids. [It was developed as Google’s answer to Apple iCloud backup.]
FINAL THOUGHT
Not all these camera features are obligatory. Most of us only seek the memory frozen in time like Jurassic Park insects petrified in amber. The goal is to capture reminiscences that we can visit again when nostalgic. Still, these tips may give you more confidence to capture the person, the day, the fun, the love that is preserved in the photo.
Try these ideas out this holiday season. Interesting pictures may be another opportunity to share virtually with loved ones you are isolated from.
Realize that these are simple tips and won’t make any of us professional photographers. I am aware that if I wanted to make money at photography, the best way would be to sell my camera.
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Title Pic: Image by Pexels from Pixabay
