Rule number 1: Photo and video in landscape, NOT portrait.
Try a different angle
There are nearly always kids at family gatherings. Oftentimes, in photo, they are captured from an adult’s height. Crouch down to their level to get their smiling faces, instead of the top of their heads.
Different angles can also give new perspectives to something ordinary. Try shooting from above or below, instead of dead on. Add some depth to the scene by moving around or incorporating a foreground element.
Get real close
While it’s nice to capture all the food on the table, it’s even better to get several up-close shots of that succulent roasted bird or gooey mac and cheese. Throw a salivating kid in the background for extra effect that will light up your Instagram followers.
It’s also common for people to shoot full-figure shots of others, but unless they’re wearing something noteworthy, don’t be afraid to get close for nice portrait shots.
Avoid using your phone’s zoom feature past 2x zoom. Unlike optical lenses, digital zooms use software to magnify the picture. In our experience, this always creates unwanted artifacts. It’s far better to physically move close to your subject.
You need light, but not the flash
If that shot of the Christmas tree came out dark it’s probably because there isn’t enough light. Most cameras, particularly the small-sensor variants in phones, depend on light; otherwise photos will come out dark, blurry, and noisy. Avoid using the flash in low-lit conditions, as it would only wash out your subjects; in well-lit areas, however, the flash can help bring out faces when used as a fill light. Try illuminating the scene with softer lighting, like this temperature-adjustable Kick LED Color Light from Adorama or Klyp+ LED Light from Manfrotto. If all else fails, use the glowing LCD light from another person’s phone.
Sometimes low light can also work to your advantage. A glow from a candle, for example, can create a surprising effect that plays with shadows.
While it’s nice to capture all the food on the table, it’s even better to get several up-close shots of that succulent roasted bird or gooey mac and cheese. Throw a salivating kid in the background for extra effect that will light up your Instagram followers.
It’s also common for people to shoot full-figure shots of others, but unless they’re wearing something noteworthy, don’t be afraid to get close for nice portrait shots.
Avoid using your phone’s zoom feature past 2x zoom. Unlike optical lenses, digital zooms use software to magnify the picture. In our experience, this always creates unwanted artifacts. It’s far better to physically move close to your subject.
You need light, but not the flash
If that shot of the Christmas tree came out dark it’s probably because there isn’t enough light. Most cameras, particularly the small-sensor variants in phones, depend on light; otherwise photos will come out dark, blurry, and noisy. Avoid using the flash in low-lit conditions, as it would only wash out your subjects; in well-lit areas, however, the flash can help bring out faces when used as a fill light. Try illuminating the scene with softer lighting, like this temperature-adjustable Kick LED Color Light from Adorama or Klyp+ LED Light from Manfrotto. If all else fails, use the glowing LCD light from another person’s phone.
Sometimes low light can also work to your advantage. A glow from a candle, for example, can create a surprising effect that plays with shadows.
Keep still
Stabilize your phone with a stand (like the Gekkopod, Kenu Stance) rest it against something and avoid moving it. This allows the camera to capture as much light as possible, while avoiding any shaking caused by your hand. If you do have to handhold the phone, use both hands.
Stabilize your phone with a stand (like the Gekkopod, Kenu Stance) rest it against something and avoid moving it. This allows the camera to capture as much light as possible, while avoiding any shaking caused by your hand. If you do have to handhold the phone, use both hands.
Shooting fireworks
As we said, shooting in the dark is challenging, but it is possible to capture fireworks with a phone. It won’t come out as well as a DSLR, but for sharing purposes, like posting to Instagram or Facebook, it will look more than fine.
Because fireworks happen in a short duration, take as many shots as you can and worry about quality later; don’t stop shooting. Use your camera’s burst mode (usually involves holding down the shutter button); out of the multiple, sequential shots, you can pick the one you like, or combine them all to create a GIF (Google Photos can actually do this for you). If your phone’s camera has HDR and focus and exposure locks, use them. Or, if you phone shoots in 4K, record a video and extract a photo from it afterward. Try shooting in slow motion for a neat effect, and be sure to hold your phone as still as possible.
Tip: If you plan on shooting a lot of photos and videos, back up the existing content and clear them from the phone, which would give you as much space as possible. Check out some solutions for iOS and Android.
As we said, shooting in the dark is challenging, but it is possible to capture fireworks with a phone. It won’t come out as well as a DSLR, but for sharing purposes, like posting to Instagram or Facebook, it will look more than fine.
Because fireworks happen in a short duration, take as many shots as you can and worry about quality later; don’t stop shooting. Use your camera’s burst mode (usually involves holding down the shutter button); out of the multiple, sequential shots, you can pick the one you like, or combine them all to create a GIF (Google Photos can actually do this for you). If your phone’s camera has HDR and focus and exposure locks, use them. Or, if you phone shoots in 4K, record a video and extract a photo from it afterward. Try shooting in slow motion for a neat effect, and be sure to hold your phone as still as possible.
Tip: If you plan on shooting a lot of photos and videos, back up the existing content and clear them from the phone, which would give you as much space as possible. Check out some solutions for iOS and Android.
Take action
We tend to stick with the boring posed shots when it comes to holiday photos (yes, everybody wants to stand in front of the Christmas tree, snooze). Even if your phone can’t shoot high-quality shots, a blurry one with action is far more interesting to look at. Instead of gathering people to stand for a photo, move around the room and capture the laughs, tears, smiles, and even the occasional fights (no family is perfect). Or take a moment from shooting fireworks and capture some of the happy faces in the crowd. We think action shots help you better relive the moment.
We tend to stick with the boring posed shots when it comes to holiday photos (yes, everybody wants to stand in front of the Christmas tree, snooze). Even if your phone can’t shoot high-quality shots, a blurry one with action is far more interesting to look at. Instead of gathering people to stand for a photo, move around the room and capture the laughs, tears, smiles, and even the occasional fights (no family is perfect). Or take a moment from shooting fireworks and capture some of the happy faces in the crowd. We think action shots help you better relive the moment.
Filters and post-editing
Remember when filters used to be all the rage? One reason for the popularity is to help mask the inferior cameras of early-gen phones. They’re still useful for improving your less-than-ideal shots. A filter could add a nice effect to a blurry or dark image.
There are plenty of Android and iOS apps that let you edit a photo, including a phone’s native photo or camera app. Employ them to help fix up any images that are salvageable. You can also put them through a desktop photo editing app, like CyberLinks’ PhotoDirector or Adobe’s Photoshop Elements.
The beauty of digital photography is it allows anyone to experiment with the medium. There are certain rules to photography, but digital cameras let you break some of those rules. While digital has contributed to a lot of noise online, you should not hold back. Tilt the phone to create an interesting angled shot, or play around with different lighting. Just keep shooting. (With that said, just make sure you clean out your phone’s camera roll once in a while.)
Perhaps one mistake people make is expecting too much out of their phones. Understand the limitations: Cameras in phones have come a long way, and they are capable of taking stunning photos and even Hollywood-style films, but they aren’t full-frame cameras. But once you work around those limitations, you should be able to capture any memorable moment.
Remember when filters used to be all the rage? One reason for the popularity is to help mask the inferior cameras of early-gen phones. They’re still useful for improving your less-than-ideal shots. A filter could add a nice effect to a blurry or dark image.
There are plenty of Android and iOS apps that let you edit a photo, including a phone’s native photo or camera app. Employ them to help fix up any images that are salvageable. You can also put them through a desktop photo editing app, like CyberLinks’ PhotoDirector or Adobe’s Photoshop Elements.
The beauty of digital photography is it allows anyone to experiment with the medium. There are certain rules to photography, but digital cameras let you break some of those rules. While digital has contributed to a lot of noise online, you should not hold back. Tilt the phone to create an interesting angled shot, or play around with different lighting. Just keep shooting. (With that said, just make sure you clean out your phone’s camera roll once in a while.)
Perhaps one mistake people make is expecting too much out of their phones. Understand the limitations: Cameras in phones have come a long way, and they are capable of taking stunning photos and even Hollywood-style films, but they aren’t full-frame cameras. But once you work around those limitations, you should be able to capture any memorable moment.
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