Taking Better Pictures With Your Cellphone

There is a growing online community of photographers that are using their cellphones as their primary camera. All cellphones from iPhones to Androids are including better and better cameras in their new handsets. So what can you do to make your photos stand out from the crowd?

The popularity of cellphone cameras reminds me of when the simple Holga Camera was popular about 10 years ago. The Holga was a cheap black plastic camera with a few basic controls (focus close, focus far) and a shutter lever. People loved them because it was a throwback to simpler times when you didn't need a college degree to operate a point and shoot camera (do you really know what all those buttons DO?) The Holga was the great equalizer because all that mattered was light and composition.

The same goes for cellphone photography. Most devices only have a few simple controls, aside from the capture button. Thinking about light and composition is what is going to make and break your photographs. Get to know your camera and it's quirks – like the delay when you press the button until the picture is captured – all of that practice will help you time your shots perfectly.

It's a quick snap, a moment in time.

Cellphone cameras are tiny, even compared to that of small point and shoot cameras. Holding the camera completely still – or even bracing the camera against a wall or bench – are going to help you get tack sharp images. You can even got the extra mile – Joby has a small tripod that it makes for phones called GorillaPod Mobile (Henrys.com; $45.00). Using a portable tripod like this may seem a little extreme, but any stability you can get, helps.

The cell phone is small and discreet, so play to it's strengths. It's custom designed for candid or street photography. You often capture the best moments from your subject when they are relaxed and not focused on you taking photos. While people think you are checking your e-mail and ignoring them, you could actually capturing a Henri Cartier-Bresson decisive moment (he is the father of modern “street photography”).

If you are a gadget kind of person, you can actually buy a set of lenses that can attach to any cellphone. The cute mini set of two lenses (Photojojo.com/store; $40.00US) contains a wide angle/macro and a fisheye lens. You can hang them around your neck and attach them via a magnet system as the mood arises.

Just because you can snap a photo and then directly upload to Facebook or Flickr doesn't mean you should – all photos can do with a bit of touching-up after the fact. Transfer your photos to your computer and use you favourite photo editing program to adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation. Increasingly you can use an app to edit your photos in your phone without the need for computer. Adobe make a free app called Photoshop Express, which is available free for both iOS and Android platforms.

The best part about using a cellphone to take photos, is the fact that it is generally always in our pockets or purses when the mood arises. One of my favourite candid photographers Elliott Erwitt said it best:

Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment.

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