In a society that is becoming more mobile by the minute, it should come as no surprise that many of the photos people are using to create their custom board books are captured via their smart phones. While smart phone cameras are convenient, they are not necessarily known for producing print quality images.
So without further adieu, we present to you our:
5 Tips to Producing Better Smart phone Pictures
- Have Adequate Lighting
Poor lighting can ruin a picture and create a grainy, dark print. In general, try to keep the light source behind your subject. Also, make sure you utilize your flash. You can set your flash to auto on most smart phones where is is only used when the phone determines it needs to be. The flash is very useful because it can pick up details that often gets lost in dark photos.
- “All I wanna do is a Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, and a Boom, Boom…”
It goes without saying that camera phones have certainly advanced significantly within the last several years. However, the zoom feature just isn’t there yet- use it with caution.
- Stay Still & Steady
Some cameras allow for movements to be made without effecting the integrity of the shot. Camera phones unfortunately do not. Try to stand as still as possible and use both hands while trying to get your shot- this will ensure a much clearer picture!
- Use the HDR Feature
High Dynamic Range (HDR) can be turned on when needed to create a more detailed image. When on, it takes multiple exposures of the same scene to enhance the quality of the image. Make sure to turn the HDR off though when you are not using it as images taken in HDR take up a lot of space.
- Focus, Focus, Focus!!
Many smart phones, specifically the iPhone have auto focus. This automatically brings the focus of the photo to a specific area when you tap that area of the screen. Also, for you iPhone users, utilize AE/AF Lock. AE/AF Lock automatically focuses your photo. How great is that?!
BONUS TIP:
Remember to Keep Your Screen Clean!
This may sound ridiculous and pretty much a given but you’d surprised how much of a difference this can make and how often it gets overlooked!
