I. Introduction
Today I’d like to share some tips for taking photos with a phone. Today’s content has four parts: first, a brief introduction to Photo By Phone; second, an explanation of common photography terms; third, some tips for taking photos; and fourth, group discussion and appreciation, the most important part. I hope everyone in the group can post one or two photos from their phone for everyone to discuss. You can start getting them ready.
Someone once suggested calling this exchange “A Brief Discussion of Mobile Photography.” I ultimately chose Photo By Phone because my skill level hasn’t reached the level of photography; what I do can only really be called taking pictures. All I can share with you is some experience from taking photos with my phone, without much professional knowledge. Photo By Phone is something any classmate with a camera phone can do—it isn’t that profound.
Although some phones now have professional photography settings, such as the Pro mode on Nubia phones, which can adjust many parameters, most phones have only Auto mode and a few simple adjustments. Today we’ll use ordinary phones as examples to discuss phone photography.
II. Common terms (common phone functions):
Here are several terms commonly used when taking photos.
1. Pixels:
Whether made by a camera or a phone, a photograph is an image made up of individual points. This kind of image is called a bitmap: the color information of many points is recorded in a phone or computer. If you enlarge part of this photo of the east gate, it is easy to see that it consists of points. Pixel count is the number of points in a photo taken by a phone. Many consumers blindly pursue camera pixel counts. We often hear classmates ask, “How many megapixels is your camera?” In fact, this parameter is not very useful as a reference. For example, photos taken with the 2-megapixel Nokia N72 released in 2006 are no worse than those taken with some 5-megapixel knockoff Android phone released this year. Pixel count is simply the product of an image’s resolution—or, you could say, the photo’s dimensions. The HTC One’s camera has only four megapixels, using a large sensor to reduce the pixel count and improve each pixel’s light-gathering efficiency. When taking a photo, the sensor separates red, green, and blue into three pixel layers, then combines the three images into one for better imaging. So I suggest that everyone stop blindly pursuing pixel count. In this photo of the school’s east gate, you can see the pixels when the image is enlarged many times.
2. Depth of field:
Depth of field is the range in front of and behind the image that can be rendered clearly. We often see photos, especially portraits, in which the subject is clear while the background is very blurry—that is, the front-to-back range of clarity is small. This is shallow depth of field, or a small depth of field. A DSLR controls depth of field through focal length, aperture size, and the distance to the subject; a phone can only change the distance between the phone and the subject. The closer the distance, the greater the depth of field. A small depth of field helps direct attention to the subject and keeps the background from looking too cluttered. The following comparison was taken in the dormitory just now; the second photo uses a small depth of field, making the subject easier to see.
3. HDR:
Most phones now have an HDR function, but many classmates do not know how to use it correctly. HDR is short for High-Dynamic Range; compared with ordinary mode, it captures more image detail. HDR is suitable for scenes with a large contrast between light and dark, such as a sky at sunset or a scene containing a screen or projection. The phone automatically takes three or more photos at lower-than-normal, normal, and higher-than-normal exposures, then combines the suitably bright parts from the different exposures into one photo. This lets it capture both highlights and shadows clearly. The backlit photo in front of the public education building was taken with HDR enabled, so the sky would not be too bright and the person would not be too dark.
4. Guide lines
Most phones now have a guide-line function. It displays a nine-square grid or golden-ratio guide lines in the viewfinder and can help with composition—for example, golden-ratio composition and rule-of-thirds composition use them. I’ll return to this when discussing composition below.
5. Composition
Composition, put simply, is the positions of the subject, supporting elements, and background in the viewfinder. Photographing the same scene with different compositions can produce different results.
III. Techniques (personal opinions, for reference only)
1. Focusing
Most phones now have touch focus: tap a position on the screen and the image there becomes clear. The phone focuses automatically on that spot and adjusts the exposure so that spot is properly exposed. So focusing before taking a photo is essential. On some phones, such as the iPhone, holding your finger on the screen locks focus and exposure; phones without this feature can achieve it through an app. Suppose I need to photograph something very small with a blurred background. Because it is so small, it is impossible to tap the screen and focus on it. For example, in the first image, the small object is too small to focus on by tapping the screen. You can use an object at the same distance—for example, place your hand at the same distance as the small object—and lock the focus; this is shown in the second image. Then move the small object into position and photograph it, as shown in the third image.
2. Preventing camera shake:
Keep a stable posture when taking photos. Stand with your legs apart, keep your upper arms close to your body, and hold the phone horizontally with both hands. Better still, support it with a table, wall, tree trunk, or the ground. Don’t move the phone immediately after pressing the shutter, because the phone may respond slowly and make the image blurry. A phone tripod is even better. This is the tripod I used at home to shoot a time-lapse with my phone.
3. Avoid digital zoom whenever possible:
Zoom means changing focal length. Phone zoom is digital: it stretches an image and reduces quality. If you need to photograph something far away, walk closer instead.
4. Using the flash correctly:
Most phones have an LED flash. For example, the iPhone 5 has one, while some phones, such as the Nokia Lumia 1020, use a xenon flash. It can provide very good fill light. Use the flash at night or for nearby backlit objects (roughly within 3–5 meters), or when natural light casts shadows. Never use it through glass or when secretly photographing someone.
5. Clever composition is especially important
With the phone as your fixed equipment, composition is the best way to improve your photos. These methods are summarized experience rather than fixed definitions. Below are several commonly used composition methods.
1) Rule-of-thirds composition:
Suitable for natural landscapes. Let the sky, sea, and beach each occupy one third, or grassland two thirds and blue sky one third. Keep the phone level with the horizon. The guide lines on the phone are useful here. For example, this photo of Muxing Lake at school uses the rule of thirds.
2) Golden-ratio composition:
Similar to the rule of thirds. Some people call the rule of thirds the golden ratio; after looking into it, I found no clear definition. The difference between 0.618 and 0.666 is small. Place the subject at the golden-ratio point instead of exactly in the center while showing the background. It is also one of the most commonly used composition methods. The camera in this example uses golden-ratio composition.
3) Symmetrical composition
Nature and human-built structures contain many examples of symmetry. For symmetrical scenes or objects, this composition conveys balance, stability, and a sense of correspondence. The roof of the provincial museum in this photo is an example of symmetrical composition.
4) Framing composition
Use nearby objects or scenery to frame a distant scene, giving the image more artistic feeling. The scene feels as though it is inside a picture frame. This image, found online, is an example of framing composition.
There are many others, such as diagonal, balanced, S-curve, and radial compositions.
6. Use landscape and portrait orientation correctly
Many people only shoot vertically. Not every scene suits portrait orientation; most scenes are better horizontal, capturing both the subject and the background. Portrait orientation is common for full-body portraits. For example, this photo taken during a club recruitment event was better suited to portrait orientation. Video should especially be horizontal for easier editing and playback on computer screens.
7. Tips for photographing printed material
Students often need to photograph printed materials such as newspapers, lab reports, business cards, and documents, most of which contain a lot of text. How can you make the text clearer? Place the phone directly above the paper, align its edges with the viewfinder, and tap to focus. If the light is insufficient or there are shadows, turn on the flash so the text is clearer. Press the shutter lightly and keep still.
There are many more small tips for taking photos, but I’ll share only these today. The most important part comes next: everyone can post a photo and exchange photography tips. I’ll choose some typical photos, process them in post-production, and then discuss them with everyone.
8. Limitations of phone photography:
Not every scene can be handled by Photo By Phone. Night scenes are limited by a phone’s small sensor and fixed settings, and fast-moving subjects can blur. For everyday photos, however, Photo By Phone is enough.
IV. Appreciation and comments
Here are a few photos I took before, to get the conversation started……