What is Smartphone Photography?

“My Smartphone photographs are better than my pictures taken by my expensive camera! Why my digital camera does not take good pictures?”

This is a question I have been asked many times. My candid honest answer is: Your camera does not take pictures, it only records the data. YOU take the photos.

There are several important aspects about each camera and how they record the data, but it is a solid fact that the photographer is the only one who should be rewarded or blamed for the picture.

When you look at a picture, what is the first thing you notice? Is it the colour rendition and how the camera produced the colour? What about the dynamic range the camera? Or maybe it is a full frame DSLR or DX DSLR, Mirrorless, or a compact point and shoot camera that draws your attention?

Perhaps none of the above! So why does one picture attract your attention and another does not? Let’s see how we (as audiences) rate photos.

The two main elements noticeable in a photo at first glance are: Exposure and Composition. Our audiences do not care how exclusive or up to date our cameras are. They just like a picture that is pleasing to their eyes.

Having a correct exposed and well-composed image is the key element for a successful photography, whether you use a costly digital camera or a Smartphone.

There are many, many cameras on the market allowing some sort of control over the exposure, but I won’t get into a discussion about exposure here and go straight to the next key element for better photos; composition. There are established rules and guidelines regarding composition and applying them makes the whole experience more fun.

In almost all cases it is the composition that invites a viewer to stay longer and really look at a photo.

When images are well composed, they are naturally appealing and viewers want to see more. Composition rules are easy to learn and apply. You can use these rules in your Smartphone Photography as well as digital camera photography.

By using or breaking composition rules you can take your photography to next level.

Smartphone Photography

Here are some samples indicating the importance of composition.

I took these photos with a Smartphone (so no control over exposure!).

Stay tuned for more photography and editing tips. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for upcoming tutorials and tips.

Ted and the Omnilargess Team