Mobile Phone Photography

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The Art of

Mobile Phone Photography

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The Greenpeace story begins 39 years ago – in 1971. A group of concerned citizens were outraged by the

US government’s insistence on nuclear testing on the Alaskan island of Amchitka.

Contents 1.

Keep your lens clean

3.

Hands are shaky, put your phone on something steady

2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 11.

Digital zoom is pointless

Natural light makes your photos look professional Instagram supports 1080 resolution images Shoot using interesting angles

The rule of thirds makes for great photos Use natures natural beauty Wait for the golden hour Practice makes perfect BONUS TIP

OUR MOST IMPORTANT TIP

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

1.

Keep your lens clean

Your camera lens is like an eye, and just like your eye - if it’s not clean you cannot see properly. Before taking any

photograph, check if your lens is clean from any fingerprints

or dirt from your pockets or bag and wipe it clean. Take a test shot and see how your photo looks.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

2.

Digital zoom is pointless

Have you ever noticed how your photo becomes a bit

blurry, or how the quality seems to take a dive the more you zoom in? That’s because the zoom function on most

smartphones doesn’t work the same way a normal camera

does. On a camera, zooming in means the lens gets closer to the subject while the zoom function on your smartphone only makes the subject bigger. This is why the quality is lost. So

the best thing to do to zoom in on your subject is to literally move closer.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

3.

Hands are shaky, put your phone on something steady

I’m sure you’ve noticed the photo you’re taking changes

from light to dark while you’re trying to take a shot - shaky hands. To get a really good photograph, you must steady

your smartphone so that there’s enough, consistent light into

the lens. So, find something straight and steady enough to put your phone on, and use the self-timer to position yourself before the photo is taken.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

4.

Natural light makes your photos look professional

Of course you cannot carry a studio light like a

professional photographer with you everywhere you go (who even has one?). Which brings me to my next point:

LIGHTING is everything! And what’s better than natural light,

like from the sky. Take advantage of natural light to take really great photos for your social media pages. You can even play

around by having your subject in part sun and part shadow for extra depth.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

5.

Instagram supports 1080 resolution images

Unlike Facebook, Instagram doesn’t resize or format your photos when you upload them. Since Instagram’s main

focus is images, they’ve improved their platform so that you’re able to post the highest quality images. How about that! Go ahead and try it out for yourself.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

6.

Shoot using interesting angles

If you take a quick look at photos on social media,

especially selfies, most images tell the same story: “I’ve

just arrived at this cool event with my friends, check out our

outfits, we’re having a great time…” Make your social media feed stand out by taking photos from different angles. Try

taking shots from above, below or even closer for extra focus on one element.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

7.

The rule of thirds makes for great photos

Ever heard of the rule of thirds when taking photographs? This is an old photography trick, that says an image is split into nine equal blocks, three at the top, three in the middle

and three at the bottom. This can really improve your photo

composition and structure. Align elements and subject matter to the grid, for more harmonious and professional looking photos.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

8.

Use natures natural beauty

Take a moment to behold the beauty of nature. Before

taking a photo, look around, there’s lots of amazing photos

you can take of the wonderful world that surrounds you. Use

this opportunity to highlight beautiful places you have visited.

Nature is full of wonder, and good photos of nature are always popular on social media.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

9.

Wait for the golden hour

Aah, the golden hour. This is the time of the day when the sun has just risen or just before sunset. These few

minutes are known as the golden hour, for the soft, warm hues that come out in the photographs. Another plus is that your shadows won’t come out as sharp as they normally would

under normal sunlight. Have a look in your feeds, most of the

time the images that are most appealing are taken at this time.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

10.

Practice, practice, practice.

Take some time to practice the first 9 tips you’ve just

learned and see how your photos come out. The more you practise them the better you will become at taking really

amazing photographs. It gets easier with time but the negative is that you might just end up being your friends‘ and family’s personal paparazzi!

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

BONUS TIP #1

Maximise space on Facebook with vertical 3:2 size images

A really great tip on making the most of the space

available on your Facebook feed is by posting images in

portrait mode. This means images that are in 3:2 ratio, longer in length and shorter in width. This causes your images to

take up more space, and avoids them from being squashed in the feed.

The Art of Mobile Phone Photography

OUR MOST IMPORTANT TIP To take beautiful images, you need a beautiful Africa

We all love Africa’s natural landscapes. This is our heritage that we need to preserve. When nature rises, we all rise.

Join other Africans, who are leading the movement to save their own environment.

For more info visit: www.greenpeaceafrica.org

When many acts of courage are made to preserve the environment, this is when real change is possible.

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