How to take pictures with a mobile phone
Taking pictures with your phone is great fun, as convenient as you can get, and you can share the shots with anybody in the world almost instantly. There are some things to remember though.
Cozy Sunset by ^riza^ on flickr
Clean the lens. Over time the camera lens can get dirty and create a blurred image. Just give it a good wipe.
Pick your subject carefully. Bearing in mind the usual limitations of camera phones. This means:
Avoid subjects in low light, at least if you want them to be consistently lit. The small sensors in camera phones cannot run at high ISO speeds (i.e. high sensitivity to light, permitting indoor photos without a flash) without introducing large amounts of noise. In most circumstances, this makes indoor photos other than in the best-lit places difficult.Avoid bright reflections, and other "hot-spots". This will either force the camera to under-expose the rest of the shot, or cause the camera to blow out the highlights on the brightest parts of the shot. The latter is worse, since it is sometimes possible to extract details from parts of the image that are too dark, but impossible to recover blown highlights (since there is no detail to extract). On the other hand, this can be used to artistic ends, such as with bright light streaming through a window.
God is peeking through the Clouds by AmsterSam - The Wicked Reflectah on flickrAvoid anything that requires tight focusing. Due to their very short focal lengths (the distance between a camera's optical elements and the sensor, again, owing to their small sensors), camera phones excel at shots where nearly all of a scene is in focus. However, this (and their typically weak auto-focus mechanisms) usually precludes focusing on objects very close to the phone, or having a very shallow depth of field to get a blurred background effect (this be faked in software later anyway).
Avoid "mirror shots", as well as arm-length shots taken by yourself. Aside from them being clichèd, they require taking photos indoors and mirrors also often end up confusing auto-focus mechanisms. Get outside and get someone to take the photo for you. If you'd rather take the picture yourself, most camera phones have an auto-timer feature so you can set the phone somewhere and get into frame.
Set your phone to its highest picture quality and resolution. You might end up taking a good enough shot that you want to print it out; you won't be able to do this if you only have a low-resolution version of the photo.
Turn off picture frames. A normally great shot may be ruined by a cheesy frame or background; if you really must have one, add the frame afterwards.
Turn off any other effects. These include black-and-white, sepia tones, inverted colours, and so on. These aren't as necessarily as cheesy-looking as frames and have their place; nonetheless, these things are much better done in photo editing software afterwards than on board the phone. You may find, for example, that when you view your photo on a large screen that the colours in your scene are far too good to lose to black-and-white.
Hammer365: 165/200 Rainbow in Kansas by David Reber's Hammer Photography on flickrSet the white balance, if your phone supports it. The human eye usually adjusts for lighting, and so white appears white in any kind of lighting. A camera, however, will see that a given subject is redder than normal under normal incandescent household lighting. Better camera phones will give you the option to adjust the camera for this. If you have such an option, use it. If you're not sure what setting to use, experiment.
Use your flash judiciously. If you find yourself using a flash because your whole scene is insufficiently lit, you're probably taking photographs indoors in poor light. Don't do this, a scene lit entirely by your flash will look unnatural, since on a camera phone it is not typically possible to aim the flash anything but directly ahead (i.e. you can't bounce it off ceilings or walls, as with dedicated flash guns for SLR cameras). On the other hand, a flash is a good option for filling in shadows in harsh sunlight.
Frame your shot. Make sure that everything you want in the shot is in the picture, and ready to be captured. Some phones show the entire viewfinder, meaning that what is on the screen is exactly what will be captured in the image. Other phones, however, only show what is in the middle of the image, but will capture more than the viewfinder shows. It's better too much empty space into your picture; you can always crop it later.
Contemplation by Daran Kandasamy on flickrFinally, take the picture. Keep your hand steady as you press the shutter button. After you take the picture, keep the phone in position to allow the picture to be recorded. If you move immediately after pressing the shutter button you will just get a blur!
How to fix blurry pictures
If you have a blurry photo, there is only so much you can do to remove (hide) the blur after the fact. Ideally, you want to be aware of what can cause blurry photos, and ensure you correct for this at the time of taking the photo.
In this article we'll look briefly at software methods for "fixing" blurry photos. Then we'll look at the main reasons why the photos come out blurred in the first place, and how to avoid getting blurry photos.
Software fixes
Unfortunately there aren't currently any methods available to really deblur a photo, but instead we can sharpen the detail that is there.
The way to sharpen an image depends on the image editing software you are using. In Photoshop Elements it can be found under Enhance > Adjust Sharpness while in the full version of Photoshop it is under Filter > Sharpen.
For a blurry image, try a strong setting with a reasonably large radius.
For this example image, which was a RAW file, I applied heavy sharpening and +100 clarity when converting the RAW file in Adobe Camera RAW. Then in Photoshop Elements I applied sharpening with a 64px radius and 29% strength.
There are also specialist sharpening plugins available that allow more control and can often do a better job, for example Topaz InFocus.
Adobe, the producers of Photoshop, have demoed a software feature that really does seem to fix blurry images, but this technology is not available on the market yet:
Fixes to prevent capturing blurry photos in the first place
There are five main reasons why a photo might come out blurry, let's look at these problems and how to prevent them.
Camera shake
This is the main culprit of blurry pictures. If your shutter speed is not fast enough, and you are hand-holding the camera, then small movements of the camera during the exposure may blur the photo.
You can usually identify blur caused by camera shake as everything will be smudged in the direction that the camera was moved. Sometimes you might also see "echoes" of the image if you managed to hold the camera reasonably still for part of the exposure, moved a tiny bit, then held the camera still again until the exposure ended.
To fix camera shake, there are a number of things you can do:
Use a tripod or some other form of support to keep the camera steady.
Use good technique for holding the camera steady (see The Proper Way To Hold Your SLR Camera).
Increase your ISO setting or use a wider aperture to allow for using a faster shutter speed.
By increasing the ISO setting I was able to use a faster shutter speed and get a sharp shot of the toadstool handheldAdd more light to the subject to allow for a faster shutter speed (e.g. use flash).
If you are using a long focal length, switch to a shorter focal length and move closer to the subject. (The longer the focal length, the more any camera movement is magnified).
If your camera or lens support image stabilization, switch it on.
Take lots of shots in the hope that for at least one of them you manage to hold the camera steady for the entire exposure.
Out of focus
In an out of focus photo, normally your subject won't be sharp, but some other area of the image will be sharp. This happens if your camera focuses on the background, or some other object instead of your subject.
Resized for the web this photo doesn't look terribly out of focus, but you can clearly see that the focus was on the pots of pens and pencil case behind the subject, making the subject slightly out of focus.
There are a number of fixes for this.
If your camera supports it, select single point autofocus, and place the autofocus point over your subject, to ensure that the camera is focusing on the subject.
Point your camera directly at the subject and half-press the shutter button to focus. Now re-compose your original shot and press the shutter all the way down to take the photo. This is known as the
focus and recompose
technique.Move closer / zoom in so the subject is larger in the frame. This makes it more likely that the camera will focus on the subject than the background.
Sometimes there isn't enough light for the camera's autofocus to lock on to the subject. So increasing the light levels if possible might help.
You could be too close to the subject, and the lens can't focus close enough. This is more likely to be a problem when photographing small things that you need to get very close to. Use a different lens, or something like a close-up filter that allows the lens to focus closer.
If your camera supports it, you could use manual focus, and focus on your subject manually. For cameras that support Liveview with zooming on the LCD, this is a good way to get accurate focus. Manually focusing a lens on a camera using an optical viewfinder can be a bit more tricky though.
Subject movement
If your subject is moving, and your shutter speed is not fast enough, then you can get a photo where the subject is blurred but the rest of the image is sharp.
Moving Don & EP w/ Radoslav by Ctd 2005 on flickr
Again, there are a number of different ways you can fix this problem:
Pan with the subject, i.e. move the camera with the subject to keep the subject at the same place in the frame as they move. This will result in a nice photo where the background is blurred and the subject is sharp, emphasizing the subject's movement.
Panning test 1 by Tambako the Jaguar on flickrAsk the subject to stand still (probably not practical in most cases).
Increase your ISO setting or use a wider aperture to allow for using a faster shutter speed.
Add more light to the subject to allow for a faster shutter speed (e.g. use flash).
Depth of field not large enough
If the depth of field is not large enough, this will result in a small plane of sharp focus across the image, with the rest of the image behind and in front of this plane being out of focus.
Shallow depth of field is a common problem in macro photography. From this angle only the eye of the lacewing could fit within the plane of sharp focus.
Sometimes this is what we want, but if you want as much of the image in focus as possible, here are some tips:
Stop down the aperture (use a smaller aperture) for a larger depth of field. Bear in mind that this reduces the amount of light that reaches the camera's sensor, so you'll need to adjust the ISO or shutter speed or add more light to the scene to compensate.
Use a wider angle focal length, keep standing the same distance from the subject, and crop the image later. Using a wide angle lens gives you a wider view, but also more depth of field. You can then crop the image in image editing software to get back to your original framing.
Take multiple images at different focal points, and then stack the images together in image editing software. This process is known as focus stacking, and is sometimes used for photographing small objects where depth of field can be very small, e.g. insects, jewelry. You can focus stack manually using layer masks, or use specialist software such as Helicon Focus
Blurry lens
Of the above, this is the least likely problem to be causing blurry pictures, but it certainly is a possibility. The problem can be caused by having a dirty lens, particularly if it has any grease or smudges on the front. A poor quality lens, or using a poor quality filter on a lens can also give blurry images.
To fix this:
Make sure your lens is clean, if you have a camera with interchangeable lenses, remember to check both ends of the lens, not just the front.
If you are using a filter, take some test shots with and without the filter to make sure the filter is not affecting the image quality. For an example of how low quality filters can affect image quality, see this post: Lens Rentals: Good Times With Bad Filters.
If your lens is new, and you are 100% sure the problem is the lens, and not any of the other causes of blurry images, then you can return it to the shop for a replacement or the manufacturer for fixing under warranty.
If the lens is old, there could be lots of dust or fungus in the lens causing the problem, in this case you would need to get the lens repaired.
Some lenses aren't very sharp when shot wide open at their fastest aperture. Usually you can stop down the aperture to get better results.
Some lenses might just not be sharp at all, the only thing you can do here is to save the lens for when you a shot with a soft focus effect.
There are a couple of other things that could cause a blurry image, but they should be relatively obvious or unlikely. If you are shooting through some undergrowth or a fence, the blurred and out of focus undergrowth or fence could affect the image quality.
A dirty image sensor could cause problems. Although you may see dust spots on the image sensor in your images, it would be difficult to get the sensor so dirty it results in blurry pictures. So this is possible, but very unlikely.
Although it doesn't actually make images blurry, veiling flare caused by shooting straight into bright light sources can decrease contrast. This effect could be mistaken for image blur.
The main cause of blurry pictures is camera shake, so unless you can see signs that it is not camera shake, then consider this as the culprit first. With the tips above you should be able to get sharp images under the large majority of situations.
Fixing exposure problems – What to do if your photos are too bright or too dark
Although the auto exposure of modern cameras is pretty good, they doesn't always get it right. This is especially true if there is a large difference in brightness between your subject and the background.
For example, a person in a dimly lit room with the sun shining in through a window behind them. You'd probably end up with a photo where the person is a silhouette, but the window is exposed correctly. Great if this is what you wanted, but not so great if you were trying to capture the person's portrait.
IMG_0870.JPG by busbeytheelder on flickr
There are a few different things you can do to fix this. We'll first look at the camera settings etc. you can use to fix the problem on location. Then we'll look at options for fixing existing shots using image editing software.
Fixing exposure problems at the time of the shoot
Spot metering
Depending on your camera model, it may have a spot metering option available. Spot metering means that the camera uses just a small spot (usually the active autofocus point) to determine the metering, instead of using the whole scene.
So long as you put the 'spot' over your subject, then the camera should use the correct exposure for your subject rather than the scene as a whole.
Exposure lock
Point your camera at a subject / scene that is lit the same as your subject, but without the strong backlighting. For the example of someone in front of a window, you could turn 90° and point the camera at a wall. Then lock the auto exposure reading.
The method used to lock exposure varies between camera models, so check your camera manual if you are not sure. Some models feature an exposure lock button. But with most models, pressing the shutter button half-way down will lock exposure. Keeping the shutter button half-pressed, recompose your original photo. Then press the shutter button all the way down to take the photo.
In the majority of cameras, half pressing the shutter button activates autofocus lock as well as exposure lock. In this case you will need to make sure you stand about the same distance away from the wall (or whatever you are taking the exposure reading from) as you stand from your subject. Otherwise you'll end up with a photo where the subject is exposed properly, but not in focus.
Exposure compensation
You can use the exposure compensation setting on your camera to correct for under or over exposure. If the subject is too bright, dial in negative exposure compensation. If they are too dark dial in positive exposure compensation.
National Archives Rotunda by jmorgan on flickr
What the correct amount of exposure compensation is that needs to be applied can be difficult to discern unless you are used to shooting in similar conditions. You'll just have to apply the compensation, take a shot, check the image on the LCD, and then adjust again if necessary, until the shot looks right.
If the subject moves away from the background that is causing the exposure problems, then remember to reset the compensation to zero.
Use fill flash or a reflector
For a dark subject in front of a bright background, you can use fill flash or a reflector to add some light to your subject.
'Sun' By Flower by Vincent van der Pas on flickr
A bright subject in front of a dark background can be a bit trickier, especially if the background is far away. Depending on circumstances, you may be able to use an off-camera flash unit to light the background.
HDR
For static subjects, you can use HDR processing or exposure blending to compensate for large differences in brightness in an image. You will need to set your camera to use exposure bracketing, or manually bracket the images yourself. Normally you will take 3 images:
- One over exposed, that captures details in the shadows, though looses details in the highlights
- One normal, that captures details in the midtones, though may loose some detail in the highlights or shadows
- One under exposed, that captures details in the highlights, though looses details in the shadows
These three images can then be blended together using image processing software. So you end up with an image that has good detail in the highlights, midtones, and shadows, with no area overexposed or underexposed.
Downtown Vancouver Sunset by MagnusL3D on flickr
This technique only works well for static subjects, and also takes more time as the photos need to be processed together. Ideally a tripod should be used to keep the camera still as well.
GND filter
For subjects with a straight edge that runs across the frame (mostly landscape photos), then you can use a graduated neutral density filter (GND). This is a filter that goes in front of the camera's lens. Half the filter is clear, and half is dark (though still transparent, not solid black).
You place the filter so that the dark half is over the area of the image that is too bright (almost always the sky). This then darkens the sky, so it is exposed correctly in the final image. Obviously the difference in brightness between the sky and landscape is not always the same, so GND filters can be purchased in a variety of strengths.
Cronulla Sunrise by Luke Peterson Photography on flickr
A similar technique to using a GND filter, is to use a piece of black card. You hold the card in front of the lens, covering up the area of the image that is too bright. When you take the photo, you jiggle the card around a bit (to prevent a harsh transition), then remove the card part way through the exposure.
Because the area where the card was placed was blocked off for part of the exposure, it will appear darker. This technique works best for long exposures, and will require some experimentation as regards to how long the card should be held in place before being removed.
Fixing exposure problems using software
Some times we only have one chance to get a photo, or we might not notice the exposure is wrong until we check the photos later. It is best to get the exposure right in camera if you can, but if not, then software can be used to rescue some images.
Generally, it is much easier to brighten shadows than it is to bring back detail from an area that is too bright. This is because most cameras record more midtone and shadow detail than they do highlight detail. However, brightening shadows will increase image noise in those areas.
Highlights and shadows adjustment
Most image software allows you to adjust the brightness of the shadows and highlights in an image, usually using slider controls. You can use these to brighten shadows, or darken bright areas.
Curves
The curves tool can be used to brighten the shadows by pulling up the bottom of the curve. Or it can be used to darken the highlights by pulling down the top of the curve.
Levels
The levels tool can be used to brighten the shadows by shifting the midtone slider towards the left edge. Or it can be used to darken the highlights by pulling the midtone slider to the right edge.
Auto exposure in modern cameras is generally very good, but can trip up sometimes. With the above raft of options you should easily be able to correct for auto exposure problems when shooting in tricky lighting.
How to Improve your Street Photography
A picture can tell a thousand stories and being a street photographer is one of the most rewarding things that you could ever do.
Ever since the first camera was designed photographers have been recording our world. Each individual capturing their own different style.
Some shoot candid, some shoot with black and white some like to interact with their subject. But all are doing the same thing and that is recording our history.
It Takes Time by Imahinasyon Photography on flickr
Real Estate Photography Tips
Real estate photography involves taking photos of properties, and making them look their best, in order to sell the property. It is particularly important for more expensive homes, where the high selling price of the home can justify spending more time (and money) on getting the best shots possible.
When photographing real estate, make sure that the property is clean and in pristine condition. It should also be furnished nicely. If cost allows, then a professional property staging company can be used. This ensures that the property looks at its very best for your photos.
Dining Room with Recycled Wood Ceiling by Jeremy Levine Design on flickr
If you are trying to build up a portfolio for real estate photography work, try contacting the sales offices for nearby new builds. You can ask to shoot the show home, which will be professionally staged and give you a good chance to get some great real estate photos.
Read the rest of this entry »Take more photos to improve your photography
The more you practice photography, the better you'll get at it. However, it can be difficult to find the time and motivation to get the camera out. Really you need to be shooting on a regular basis, and the more you photograph, the better you'll get.
In this article I'll share some tips to help get you photographing more regularly and improve your photography.
Read the rest of this entry »Spring Photo Ideas
Spring is the time of year when everything starts growing again. The days become longer, flowers start to appear, and the rain leads to lush green meadows. If you're feeling stuck for inspiration this Spring, here are five photo ideas to get you going.
Read the rest of this entry »
About Zoom Lenses
Most compact cameras come fitted with built-in zoom lenses, and interchangeable lens cameras often come with a zoom lens bundled as part of the package. So what are the advantages of zoom lenses, and are there any potential problems to look out for?
Getting close
The main benefit of a zoom lens are that it allows you to get closer to a subject without moving. This can be very handy if you want to isolate part of a scene. You can get close to your subject without having to get physically close. Great for sports photography, candid portraiture, and photographing far-off landscapes.
7 Tips For Capturing The Perfect Digital Photo
Many people find shooting a digital photo to be harder than expected. You might find that you have been taking digital photos since first introduced but have never quite captured that perfect shot you set out for.
Nothing is as disappointing as missing that important event, such as your daughter's dance recital or even your anniversary trip to Italy. When that once in a lifetime moment is remembered with a horrible photo, the frustration can be overwhelming.
That leads us to the question of how do you take that perfect photo? The first rule lies within the photographer themselves, for it is with the photographer that the photo begins, not the camera itself. It's just that simple. Think about how you can see a photograph that a child has taken playing around with a simple disposable camera and it is wonderful while a photo with the priciest SLR can turn out to be awful.
Read these tips on shooting digital photos and apply them the next time you have a chance. Before long, you'll be shooting photos like a pro!
Read the rest of this entry »5 Tips For Amateur Photographers
Improving your photography can seem like a long and complicated process, but anyone with enough passion can become a great photographer. The same as any other skill or hobby, photography will take some time to master, but the rewards can be great. The following tips should help you on your journey as an amateur photographer:
You don't need expensive equipment
Buying expensive equipment doesn't automatically make you a better photographer. A common mistake made by amateur photographers is to spend a lot of money on equipment they don't actually need and will hardly ever use.
The only thing you really need when starting out is a camera. Once you get used to using the camera, you can then figure out what it is you actually need. Any photography gear you purchase should be dictated by the type of photography you do and the way you like to shoot. For example, many articles suggest using a tripod, but if you like shooting people handheld in the street, you would never need a tripod.
what's in your photo kit? by D'Arcy Norman on flickr
If you are not sure whether you need a piece of equipment, joining a local photography club is a good idea. Here you can meet up with many other photographers, and sometimes go out on shoots together. In most cases a fellow photographer will be happy to lend you a piece of equipment so that you can see if it fits your needs.
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