Do you need images for your website or blog, but don't have professional camera equipment, let alone any real knowledge of photography? No problem, because in many cases you can also achieve great results with your smartphone. Photographer Johannes Mairhofer shows you what you should look out for in smartphone photography.
Photography is an exciting medium. Photography can evoke emotions and capture memories. Photos can be provocative, beautiful and interesting. It is often just a detail, a slightly different view or an extended perspective that turns a "trivial" photo into an exciting image.
In this text, I would like to show you a few basics, tips and tricks that can help you take better photos if you follow them - or even consciously break the rules. All my tips are designed to be implemented with a classic and "normal" smartphone. So you don't need a special camera, special software or expensive technology. All you need to do is broaden your view and try to take photos instead of "snapping" them.
The text is structured in such a way that I would like to start with a few technical tips, then explain something about image design and composition and finally present my personal opinion on image editing for discussion. The whole thing is enriched and explained using a few examples, all of which were of course taken with a standard smartphone.
#1 Technical tips for smartphone photography
The best camera is always the one you have with you. As this is probably the smartphone in many cases, I will give you a few tips here on technical settings that can be made on almost all smartphones. No special app is explicitly required to implement the recommendations.
Deactivate flash
On most smartphones, the flash is located right next to the lens. This means that the flash light comes directly from the front and flashes directly into the face. This is never nice, especially for portraits, as it casts ugly shadows and causes red eyes and pale skin.
A flash makes no sense at all for landscapes, as the flash output is not sufficient to brighten up the surroundings.
This is taken to the extreme at concerts. Imagine the stage is illuminated by spotlights with thousands of watts of power. A small cell phone flash from the back rows has no direct effect here, except that it disturbs the other concert guests. It's usually the case that you never look at these concert photos again.
However, if a flash is absolutely necessary for whatever reason, softening or diffusion helps. For example, a piece of paper, a piece of Tempo or sandwich paper held in front of the flash often works wonders. The light no longer comes from the front, but is "scattered" by the fabric.
However, an external light source from a point other than the front is even better. A flashlight or the flashlight app of another smartphone can be used to illuminate the object or person to be photographed from a different angle. This usually makes the light appear much more harmonious and less "stark" - these tips can also be combined, e.g. an external light source with the paper in front of it.
Tip
Show / display grid
To support the image composition, I recommend displaying a grid. Depending on the smartphone's operating system or the app used, there are often several options to choose from. However, the "rule of thirds" is perfectly adequate to start with and is available in almost all photo apps that I have seen so far.
This grid divides the camera display into nine rectangles of equal size and helps to shape the image. This allows the center of gravity of the image to be aligned with the grid, as an image becomes more pleasing if this center of gravity is located at one of the intersections of the grid lines.
This example makes it clearer. In this case, the bench is the center of gravity of the picture. Now imagine the aforementioned grid on this picture. You will notice that the bench is aligned at the lower right intersection of the grid lines. Of course, it doesn't always have to be accurate to the millimeter, the grid serves more as an orientation for the composition of the picture.
Set the highest resolution
Even though most photos are probably mostly used digitally and for the web, I recommend that you set the highest resolution. Quite simply because storage space no longer costs anything and the images can also be printed this way. Whether you are a professional or amateur photographer - seeing your own photo printed in your hand or on the wall is always a great feeling.
Even mid-priced smartphones can now produce images that can easily be hung on the wall as posters in A2 format, for example. Especially as the pictures hanging on the wall are viewed from a distance. Personally, however, I also think that pictures that have an emotional impact are not the result of technical perfection, but rather the composition of the picture.
Save location
Many image management and editing programs or even the automatic archiving function in Google Photos can read and process GPS data. This makes it possible to track where pictures were taken even years after they were taken. That sounds banal at first. But with the flood of images we produce every day, it can happen that you no longer know exactly where your images were taken.
Picture format
The 4:3 landscape format is still the most pleasing to the human eye. This format also makes the most effective use of the chip built into the camera.
Focus = Exposure
In most camera apps, the focus for photos is usually set by touching the desired area. In addition, not only the focus (sharpness) but also the exposure (brightness) is usually set here. This means that the software in the camera app calculates the "technically optimal average exposure value" from the entire image. This can influence the image effect of the photo, intentionally or unintentionally.
Try it out by focusing on something in the foreground of a sunset, e.g. a person, and then on the sunset in the background.
Effects please after photographing
Of course, it's always a question of taste, but I'm not a fan of the effects that are often used as filters on Instagram. In my opinion, they distract too much from the actual image.
If you do want to use them, please only do so afterwards, even if some camera apps can also apply effects of this type directly when taking the photo. However, if the effect is applied while taking the photo, the image is already "broken" - the effect is already there and you can no longer decide against it afterwards.
If you only apply the effect or filter afterwards, you remain flexible and leave all options open. You can then try out different effects afterwards - or leave them out completely.
#2 Image composition for smartphone photography
All professional photographers are probably familiar with the saying "You've got an expensive camera, it's bound to take good photos!". Transferred to another profession, it's a bit like coming to a chef in the kitchen and saying "Wow, you've got expensive pots and pans, you must make some really delicious food!"
Depending on the purpose and requirements of a photo, an expensive camera (which you also need to be able to operate) is of course sometimes the necessary choice to achieve the desired result. However, if you only stay in "automatic mode" with expensive single-lens reflex cameras, there is not much technical difference between many images and photos from a modern smartphone these days.
A smartphone is therefore often sufficient for private photography, social media or even websites and blogs. Especially if you know and adhere to a few rules (or deliberately break them), you can also take great pictures with a smartphone.
The "project glasses"
If you don't already have a specific project in mind but "just want to take pictures", there is a risk that you will take pictures instead of really taking pictures. This is where "thinking in projects" and putting on "project glasses" can help.
If you walk "around the block" at home or in the office, you probably won't see many exciting subjects, whereas on vacation everything is full of exciting images. The view in your own surroundings is "tired" - you are "operationally blind" to exciting motifs.
For example, put on the "green" or "structures" project glasses and then go on a search. You will suddenly see completely different things that match these glasses. This often helps you to see new, interesting photo motifs even in familiar surroundings.
Foreground and background
A picture always consists of foreground and background. Sometimes there is also a middle ground. In my example, which was taken on Lake Chiemsee, the boat is clearly in the foreground and is oriented in the rule of thirds at the intersection of the lines at the bottom right. The mountains are in the background.
I would also describe the footbridge as foreground, although it goes into the middle ground and thus also leads the viewer's gaze to the mountains in the background.
Line routing
The viewer's gaze can be guided by deliberately chosen lines, thus influencing the composition or viewing of the picture. In the example, the arrangement of the boats directs the viewer's gaze towards the center of the picture and, like the jetty above, leads to the background. This becomes even more extreme if you incorporate river courses or train tracks into your picture, for example.
Parallels
Especially when photographing architecture, it is recommended to pay attention to recurring lines and parallel straight lines. In this example, the transitions between the two towers are parallel to each other and also at right angles to the actual towers. This creates a symmetry that makes the image more harmonious.
Colors
Recurring or repeating colors make the picture more harmonious. In this example, I was very lucky with the sky, as it is often cloudier in Hamburg. So the blue sky is repeated in the blue tones on the Elbphilharmonie and also makes the picture more pleasing again.
Point of view
The two architectural images from the last examples in particular show that changing the angle of view often leads to better or more exciting results. In general, it helps to not always look "straight ahead" and at eye level, but to consciously direct your gaze upwards or downwards to look for perspectives that are not commonplace.
#3 From the idea to the picture
In order to consciously take great pictures, it makes sense to think about a few things in advance. These thoughts could look like this, for example:
Play and courage
Don't see the rules as strict guidelines, but as ideas and impulses. Try to "play" and be brave. The great thing about digital photography is that you can simply try everything out. Pictures are also usually a question of taste, because what I like doesn't necessarily mean you will like it and vice versa.
Simply try walking around your block with project glasses of your choice (perhaps start with "structure") and taking photos. Apply the rules consciously and deliberately break or ignore them. Perhaps change the viewing angle by a few centimetres and observe how the images and their effect change.
Tip
Design focus
A creative focus is important for pictures. What is the picture about, what do I want to say? Should the picture be "pleasing" or do I want to provoke or deliberately "disturb" the viewer?
For whom?
Who is the photo for? Should it only be used privately or even published? If it is published, any personal rights must be observed, which is generally less relevant for private use.
For what?
For which medium should the photo be used? Is it "only" online or will it be printed somewhere? If it will be printed, for example, the technical quality is more important than if it will only be displayed on screens.
Benefit?
When considering how much effort and thought should be put into a photo, you first need to be clear about the use and purpose of the picture. Are you just photographing the timetable to know when the last bus is coming? If a picture is purely for personal documentary purposes, the creative focus is of course irrelevant. However, if the pictures will be published on your website or elsewhere, it's worth giving more thought to the subject and composition. You'll see the difference in the quality of the results!
Optimize images for WordPress
Read pictures
In Europe, we "read" images, just like texts, from left to right. Although square images are very fashionable on Instagram, the most natural format for us is landscape, as this comes closest to the human eye.
When you take a portrait photo, it is usually more pleasing if the person is looking into the camera or "into the picture". This becomes clear, for example, when you consciously look at professional profile pictures of your contacts in professional social networks such as XING or LinkedIn.
Sharepics
When you take pictures for your website, blog or social media, you often want to add text to the picture later. Take this aspect into account during the photography and leave enough space. It is usually more harmonious if text is placed on a "calm" background, such as a sky, a wall, a lake or similar. Colorful and restless areas such as graffiti, branches or hedges are usually not so suitable here.
#4 Image editing
Personally, I'm not a big fan of image editing or effects that distract from the actual image. On the contrary, I keep seeing photos on Instagram where it becomes clear: Without the effect, the picture would be very boring and would probably not be published at all.
What I often do, however, is develop images. In the field of professional photography anyway, because here all images are photographed as RAW. But even in smartphone photography, I sometimes optimize images by slightly enhancing existing conditions. For example, colors are enhanced, contrasts increased or images rotated or tilted.
If you also want to do this, I recommend the following software:
- For a fee for PC and MAC: Lightroom & Photoshop
- Open Source for PC, MAC and Linux: Darktable & Gimp
- App for smartphones: Google Snapseed
Print!
One final tip: It's really great to hold your own photos in your hand in printed form. There are great print service providers, for example moo.com, where you can have your photos printed out in high quality and printed on postcards or business cards, for example.
Give it a try, it's definitely worth it!
