Taking Pictures with Camera Cell Phones

Generally, pictures taken with camera cell phones are either too blurred or dithered, or with a perspective distortion.

For this reason, you not only need to apply basic photographic principles to get the best-looking pictures possible, you need to be aware of, and know how to, compensate for the deficiencies of your camera phone.

Nevertheless, by following some common rules it is possible to achieve some reasonably good results:

• Use the entire frame when you frame your shot. In other words, pay close attention to objects in the background or on the periphery of the image.


• Place subjects off-center. By placing the main subject slightly off-centre, you achieve a more interesting sense of space.


• Avoid low light. It is hardly possible to take a good picture under conditions of bad illumination. Camera phones have difficulty capturing details in low-light environments. If the image on your display seems too dark or too light, try adjusting the brightness level before taking the picture.


• Adjust the white balance. In some cases, it's not so much a matter of having enough light as it is what kind of light you're dealing with. In these instances, adjustments to the white balance can improve your pictures.


• Think about the light source. Before taking a picture with a camera phone it is advantageous to pay attention to the position of the basic source of light. Unless you want your subject to appear as a silhouette, it's best to stand with the light behind you, not behind your subject.


• Keep your subject close to the camera. Camera phones use fixed-focal-length lenses. That means the lens can capture details in a wide area but not a deep one. The photo subject should not be more than 60-90 cm from the camera.


• Do not use “zoom” when taking pictures. Many people vainly try to take pictures by means of zoom for objects that are situated far away. Not only will this degrade the image quality, but you may be able to use it only when the camera is set to take pictures in a lower-resolution setting, which will result in a smaller image.

More Cameraphone Tips on the Web

For more tips about taking pictures with your camera cell phone, check out the CNET Tips & Tricks article, Capture Great Shots with Your Phone. LifeHacker.com also supplies a few helpful tips on taking shots with your cameraphone.