Want to spice up your smartphone photos? Street and travel photographer Pierre T. Lambert shares six ways below to get creative with your phone snaps so they look like they were shot with a more professional camera.
In the below video tutorial, Lambert heads to several prime location in Chicago to share his smartphone photography tips.
“I’m going to share with you some epic tips on how you can crush it with your phone and get photos that might be just as good as an expensive camera,” Lambert says.
#1 Leading Lines
Use your smartphone’s wide-angle lens to get the most out of the leading lines in your image.
#2 HDR Mode
Use HDR mode on the phone to capture the bright sky and dark parts in your image.
#3 Use the Grid
Always turn on the grid on your phone. It helps you get building lines straight or for making sure your horizon is straight.
#4 Reflective Surfaces
Put your phone’s camera as close as possible to a reflective surface. Since the lens on a smartphone is flat, reflection shots come out better than on a big camera with a protruding lens.
#5 Shutter Lag Effect
Shoot in manual mode at 1/10 to 1/20th second with your phone to do the shutter lag creative effect. Foreground moving subject will be blurry; background stationary subject will be sharp.
#6 Light Trails
Use manual mode to create light trails or the night mode to shoot at night.
“Don’t use gear as an excuse,” Lambert says. “Gear makes the creation process easier but doesn’t replace creativity. Get out there and shoot. Try something different. Try something new. If you just have a phone, you have no excuse. Get out there.”
Watch the video below and then if you’re looking for more shooting help, check out our previous story with five smartphone photography tricks to help you capture head-turning images. You should also read our guide to six of the best smartphone camera accessories.
