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CollegiateParentThe season for photos is here! With prom, graduation and senior portraits coming up, we have tips for capturing the best memories with only your smartphone.
Nothing’s worse than coming across the perfect photo only to have it disrupted by people talking in the background or the hustle and bustle of a busy street stealing the focus from you.
The key to getting a crisp, high-quality photo on a smartphone is great lighting. Smartphones don’t usually have the lens depth to perform really well in low light — so snap those photos before the sun goes down!
If you’re already indoors having a blast, and want to capture this great moment, try your best to steer clear of direct overhead lighting. It will create shadows on the subject's face and won’t make for the most post-worthy photo.
Instead, try to move behind overhead lighting (near a corner or wall is best) and use flash, or tilt your head slightly up to avoid odd shadowing.
When the photographer kneels and tilts the camera upwards, subjects appear taller — and it's an angle that flatters everyone. Shooting from lower down will elongate the appearance of everyone in the photo, while minimizing the distractions of the background.
If you have an iPhone X or newer, your camera is equipped with a portrait mode setting, designed to blur the background and focus directly on the subject. The only catch is that this mode only works on close-up photos (typically shoulders and above).
Before snapping a photo, be sure to focus on your subject. The autofocus on smartphones is pretty good, but it’s not always right. It’s never fun to scroll through photos after-the-fact only to see that they’re all focused on a tree in the background rather than the people in the photo.
Not every photo has to be a head-on shot. Try taking some photos from behind or off to the side, or capture detailed shots of clothing, shoes, hair or any accessories!
No matter what you're using to take photos, don't forget that the most important part about all of these events is having a great time and celebrating!