Some Great Tips About Mobile Phone Photography | The Communication Blog

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Some Great Tips About Mobile Phone Photography

By Morten Hansen


Whether you use a smart device like an iPhone, or a compact cell phone, chances are that you've got a camera in your pocket right now. At one time, the optical quality of these cameras was extremely poor. Yet today, thanks to continued technological developments, a rising number of users are starting to realise the power of the newest cell phone cameras. Actually the study company InfoTrends recently revealed that "more than 860 million camera telephones will be sold in 2009, comprising 89 percent of all handsets shipped." If this is any suggestion of what the future holds, it looks likely this trend will continue into 2010, and beyond. Here is a current look at the way cell-phone cameras are being employed by both professional and greenhorn photographers.

Citizen Journalists

With camera telephones now simpler to access than ever before, there has been a dramatic shift in the way breaking news is brought to the public. One much publicized example of this took place when US Airways Flight 1549 crash landed in New York's Hudson Brook. Before any photojournalists arrived at the scene, Janis Krums took an iPhone picture and posted it to Twitter. To many, this image is thought to be one of the most remarkable shots of 2009. Another example of this occurred this past summer in Iran. Reporters were denied access to the hostile street protests. This forced major media outlets to rely on reports from citizen hacks, many of whom were using cellular telephone cameras to record the events. In spite of the amateur pictures, viewers were stuck to their TVs each night to watch the significant situation unfold. Today, any person with a camera telephone can be a voter journalist.

Going Undercover

It is true; today's camera phones simply do not have the rate, or advanced utility of the more full featured DSLRs. Yet, the advantage of having a tiny, quiet camera in your pocket at all times outweighs any of its technical restrictions. When a professional photographer arrives on the scene with two DSLRs, telephoto lenses, and flash units, everyone right away notices. In certain situations, this may impede the pro from doing his or her job, as folk are way more guarded, and aware of the cameras. With tiny cell phones however , a photographer can get the needed shot, and leave the scene just about unnoticed. Additionally, there are some places where professional looking cameras are positively restricted. Fortunately , camera telephones are rather more circumspect, and do not generally draw attention to the user.

Mobile Uploads

One of the best parts about camera telephones is the facility to share the image with others immediately. You can post your photos to a range of social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and more. You may even post videos to YouTube directly from your telephone. This type of content sharing has become exceptionally favored. Facebook alone receives more than 2 bln photo uploads each month! On Twitter, many photographers share their "Twitpics" with their proponents. These can range from "look where I am," to beautiful fine art imagery. If another user appreciates an image, it is typically retweeted, and shared with rather more folk. It's possible to upload a photo at 10:15am, and have several hundred or more perspectives in a matter of minutes.

Editing Your Cell Phone Footage

For iPhone and Droid users, there are an overpowering number of photograph related programmes to help edit, augment, and share footage. Actually Adobe Photoshop just launched their free app for the iPhone. While in-phone editing can be convenient and fun, some users like to edit the old skool way, on their desktop PCs. Cellular phone images are typically JPEGS, and can be downloaded into a full version of Adobe Photoshop, or other modifying software. This opens up many chances like layer masking, unsharp mask, noise reduction, and more.

One Device Does It All

Instead of carrying a telephone, a camera, and an MP3 player, many of today's customers are searching for one electronic device that does it all. Some shoppers simply Google "Best camera phone," and make their purchase solely on the quality of the camera. Makers are taking notice, and adding more capable cameras to their phones. For instance, the new Motorola Droid features five million pixels of resolution, autofocus, and a flash. The cost-effective Sony Ericsson C905A has an inbuilt Sony Cybershot camera. Besides 8. Million pixels of resolution, you can adjust the white balance, use image stabilization, and red eye reduction. It even has particular modes for a spread of subjects like sports, macro, night, and portraits. In a few cases, the memory is built in, while other models have removable cards.

Inspiration

Big Apple cameraman Robert Clark was commissioned by Sony to use his Sony Ericsson S710 camera telephone to photograph across the United States for 50 days. These photographs were turned into a book called "Image America." It was the very first broadcast work featuring all camera telephone pictures. The project was very well received, and enjoyed a great deal of media attention. The images were eventually employed in a huge studio exhibit in N. Y.

Strategy

Camera shake could be a big problem, and ruin photos. When you utilise a camera phone, you've got to hold it far enough from your head you can see the image on the LCD panel. Try holding the telephone with both hands. When you're ready to take the picture, press the shutter release carefully, don't punch it. Many photographers either let their breath out, or take a deep breath in, steadying themselves before pressing the shutter.

Focus and exposure are automated on most camera telephones. You need to give the camera's sensors one or two seconds to adapt to the light level and target the subject in the center of the frame before you take the picture. Lighting is also vital with camera telephones. They work well in brilliant light and could be a problem in low light circumstances. Some camera phones have a low light setting or allow you to help the lightness a bit. Bright flat lighting,eg open shade or a clouded day will produce the best detail in your footage.

The Time is Now

With all of this great technology at our finger tips, it truly is a thrilling time to be a photographer. Best of all, you don't need to spend a lot of money for one of these camera telephones. In reality most are well under $300. If you have not begun to explore cell phone photography, dust off that lens on your phone, and start photographing the world around you. You simply may capture something awesome!




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