5 On Your Side

How to take better photos with your phone

People are really good at taking photos that are blurry, dark or too far away from the subject. So, here are some tips to take a better photo with your cellphone.

Posted Updated

By
Monica Laliberte
, WRAL executive producer/5 On Your Side reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — People are really good at taking photos that are blurry, dark or too far away from the subject. So, here are some tips to take a better photo with your cellphone.
Portrait mode: This feature blurs the background, which makes your subject pop.

When using it, tap on the subject so the camera knows what to focus on. Some phones even let you add the effect after you take the photo.

Night mode: This feature leaves the camera’s shutter open longer to let in more light.

You will need a steady hand to get the best results. To hold the camera still, try locking your elbows at your side, or, better yet, use a tripod.

Zooming: Don’t pinch the screen to zoom. Instead, use your camera’s optical zoom, the telephoto lens labeled as 2x or 3x on the screen.

If your phone doesn’t have optical zoom, get closer to the action, or take a wider shot and then crop the photo so you don’t lose any resolution.

Lighting: "It doesn’t matter what device you use, lighting and framing are always important," WRAL News photojournalist Richard Adkins says. "You just want a nice natural, soft light."
Framing: "Don’t have everything right in the middle of your picture," Adkins says. "Make sure some things are in the background and foreground."

Adkins added that plenty of photo editing software is available free online. So, if you have a photo you want to love that’s just not quite right, you can probably use the software to edit the photo to the level at which you do love it and then post it, print it or just leave it in your phone.

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