It’s always nice to capture moments that you want to remember: that beautiful skyline from when you had your anniversary dinner, that gorgeous sunset from a trip to the beach, or just simply a candid shot of your partner as she smiles right at you. However, sometimes the way we imagine things in our head is so much better than how it ends up on our screens.
Phone photography might feel easy as the process is simple — just point it at your subject and click on the button. But making a nice, aesthetically pleasing photo is not that easy. Here are a few things that you can do to step up your game, take better photos with your phone and finally be the #InstagramBoyfriend that your partner has always dreamed of.
Learn how to use light
Photography is like painting using light. Choosing your lighting dictates how good your photos will look and how the effect will turn out. A good rule to follow when taking photos and finding the light is looking for the primary source and placing it behind you so it will shine right on your subject. You can always play around with shadows and experiment with the light, but it is best to keep in mind that if you want to highlight a subject, they should always be well-lighted.
Play with negative space
If you are into clean, sleek-looking photos, then chances are you like negative space. Negative space simply refers to the huge area around or between the subjects of your photo. You can easily play with open water, walls, or just plain backgrounds and make your subjects pop in doing so. It creates neat images that are just always perfect for the ‘gram.
Use the “rule of thirds”
The rule of thirds is one of the most famous compositional rules in visual arts. It’s a great way to balance out your photo and create an overall interesting image. To achieve this, you need to use the grid of your camera, which is divided with three horizontal and three vertical lines. To achieve the rule of thirds, you need to place your subject in the “thirds” within the lines, making it a little off-center and giving your image a better sense of space.
Don’t use the zoom-in feature
Digital zoom-in might be easy to use but we suggest that you avoid it at all costs. The zoom-in feature that most phones have is not optical, meaning every time you use it, the quality of the image deteriorates and it becomes a little more pixelated. Want to take a photo of a subject far away? Move a little closer or use one of those clip-on lenses which can help you take better photos from afar.
Explore different perspectives
Perspectives help create a different look for a rather normal subject. If your partner wants to have her photo taken in a library, perhaps instead of just asking her to pose right in front of it, you can take side shots or explore other angles that will make your images look more appealing and creative. Try moving around when taking a photo; this will give you a better chance of finding interesting spaces and details that will make your images look much better.
