Jul 12, 2023
How to Take Pictures Like a Pro
Yes, you can take professional photos!
Reading tme: 9 minutes
These days, smartphone cameras are almost as good as those the professionals use. Really. Camera phones have come a long way and you can get some beautiful shots with them. That's why PureTalk thinks it's worth learning how to use your smartphone camera well.
It's not difficult to learn how to take better smartphone photography, and learning to do so can make your holiday, personal, and professional photos even better. Never again will you cut off the top of people’s heads or leave family members out of focus! Seriously.
Follow these smartphone photography tips and you’ll improve your photography skills, take better photos, and have good pictures worthy of posting and printing.
1. For a professional photo, balance your shot by using gridlines:
When you turn on your phone’s gridlines, it superimposes a series of lines on the screen of your camera. According to the experts at EasyPlugIns, these “straight lines in the grid can help you maintain evenness in your photos, helping you prevent skewed or lopsided shots.” If you place your subject – your grandchild opening a present Christmas morning, for instance – along the lines, your photo will be more level and balanced. It makes a huge difference.
To turn the gridlines on:
On iPhone: Go to "Settings," select "Photos & Camera," and switch "Grid" on.
On Android: Launch the camera app, go to "Settings," scroll down and switch the "gridlines" option to "on."
Apply the rule of thirds:
The pros at Photography Life tell us that “The Rule of Thirds is a type of off-center composition where important elements of a photograph are placed along a 3×3 grid, which equally divides the image into nine parts. This type of composition is a basic way to give structure to photographs and make them more appealing.”
When working with the three-by-three grid, you should aim to get the most interesting parts of your image near the corners of these segments, where the imaginary gridlines meet. Using the rule of thirds give a more natural feeling to the image and allows the eye to flow around the picture with ease.
2. Determine where you want your camera to focus:
Your phone camera is automatically set to focus on the foreground of your frame, by default settings but if the image in the foreground isn’t what you want to be your focal point, you can adjust that.
To adjust the focal point:
Open your camera app and tap the screen where you want the focus to be. For example: In the foreground, your husband is eating a piece of pie. But what you want to focus on is your son photobombing him in the background. Tap your son’s face. A square or circular icon will appear on your camera screen. When it does, snap the photo. Tapping the screen automatically adjusts how much light the camera lets in. If it's too much, you can edit it in the photo settings.
To take a portrait:
In your camera settings, select portrait mode for a detailed image of your subject. In the foreground, your subject will be crisp and clear, while the background will be more out of focus and softer looking.
3. Steady your camera:
Blurry photos are the worst, so for good photos and more professional photos, you need to really steady yourself and your camera before shooting.
To do so:
Lean on a friend or family member or lean against a wall to prevent your hands from wobbling. You can even prop your phone up using a phone stand, books or camera equipment like a tripod.
4. The digital zoom is not the answer:
It’s tempting to zoom in on something you really want to capture, but it’s not the best way to go. Why? Because when you zoom in, the result is typically a grainy, blurry, or pixelated photo. Instead, get closer to your subject physically. That way, you won't impact the image quality much of the photo and it will be easier later to crop it or somehow manipulate it as you’ll be working with a larger image.
5. Clean your smartphone’s camera lens:
Ever take a photo and then wonder what all those tiny specks are on it? They’re dust and particles that have collected on the lens of your phone’s camera. Our phones live in our pockets, bags, and backpacks, and consequently, all manner of debris collect on the camera lens. The folks at Gadgets Now advise using a “clean and dry microfiber cloth to gently wipe the lens in a circular motion. Avoid using a tissue or paper towel, as they can scratch the lens. If the lens is particularly dirty, you can dampen the cloth with a small amount of water or lens cleaning solution.”
Cleaning the lens before you start shooting will go a long way toward giving you high quality photos you'll enjoy sharing.
6. Shoot in natural light, aka the outdoors:
The best photos aren't taken indoors. Just ask professional photographers. Sure, you can get good shots around the dinner table, in front of a fireplace, etc., but if you can get outside, in the natural light, to take photos, do so. Natural light is best for taking more professional pictures photos with your smartphone. It seems natural lighting not only helps capture the subject better, but it also imparts mood and atmosphere which create a more well-rounded result.
With landscape photography, the right time of day is very important. Frequently, the best and most interesting shots are taken in the early morning, at sunrise and during the golden hour, at sunset. Low light ca create a great photo.
Cool things to try:
Shoot in bright light:
Try shooting a subject in front of a bright light like the setting sun, and manually adjust your camera settings so all you're left with is an interesting picture of a dark silhouette against a background of light.
Perfect your pics by editing:
Learn to edit photos right in your smartphone. Touch-ups, such as cropping, brightness adjustments, and color correction, can make the photo even better.
Just beware of doing too much. Less, as they say, is more.
Burst photos enable you to take multiple shots at one time. The result is a great variety from which you can pick the best shots. Just go into your camera roll and see which ones you like.
Mix it up. Try taking photos from different angles. This can make them more interesting and memoriable.
Practice. Since you're not wasting film, the best way to learn to take a professional photo is to practice. You can take as many photos as you want, and you don't need to print them to see the results.
At PureTalk, we believe in helping you do more than take professional looking photos with your phone. We believe in helping you get the phones and service you deserve at a real savings.
iPhone 14 is all the rage. And PureTalk’s iPhone deals make it easier for you or someone you love to have the latest and greatest smartphones for less. Get. iPhone 14 for under $20 a month! iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro for under $25 a month! And iPhone 14 Pro Max for under $30 a month! Those savings can’t be beat.
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No matter what your family's wireless needs are, PureTalk's Family Plans let you choose the right plan for each family member's needs. You can have any number of lines and choose the perfect wireless plan for each one. Your family members get exactly what they need, and you never pay for anything they don't. In fact, families of four who switch to PureTalk save $75 a month on average, for a savings of $900 a year! Whatever your family's size or wireless needs may be, you're sure to save a bundle!
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Did you know that most seniors use less than 2GB of data per month? PureTalk offers great plans for seniors that let you pay only for what you actually want – and nothing you don’t. And with PureTalk you get the same great service and blazing fast coverage while saving money each month.
At PureTalk, we don’t think you should pay for data you don’t need and aren’t going to use. Switch today and receive great service and blazing fast coverage while saving money each month.
Choose from PureTalk’s most popular plans!
$20/month: Unlimited Talk & Text; 2GB Data*
$25/month: Unlimited Talk & Text; 4GB Data*
$30/month: Unlimited Talk & Text; 6GB Data*
Need more data one month?
Simply go into your account portal and add more. When next month rolls around, if you need less data, you can go right back into your portal and reduce it. Simply log onto PureTalk.com, click on My Account, and select Manage My Data. Make your changes, save them, and log out.
It’s that simple.
Traveling to Canada or Mexico? PureTalk offers the best cell phone coverage 32 countries around the world!
Think of PureTalk as your travel partner. Get the best cellphone coverage in Canada and Mexico and 30+ other destinations with PureTalk International Roaming for just $10.
It’s really a great deal.
Plus, there’s no setup. No additional wireless roaming charges. And no need to run out and purchase a local SIM card. Your phone simply works when you arrive. No hassles and not a moment of disconnection.
How International Roaming works:
1.
Travel to your international destination.
Every plan includes up to $20/month of international credits, so your phone will work in 30+ countries automatically. No SIM swapping or apps required!
2.
Use your phone internationally like you do at home.
When you arrive at your destination, you’ll automatically have up to $20 of international credits. When you make a call, send texts, or use data it will be deducted from your credit balance. Check the rate finder above to see the international rate for your destination.
3.
No overages or surprise charges.
If you use all of your existing international credit, you will not be charged any fees. If you need more international credits, just log into your account portal and select the International roaming add-on. (Credits do not rollover)
PureTalk’s International Roaming means:
Constant connectivity.
No pricey roaming charges.
No additional devices to lug around.
In addition to our no contract, low cost, unlimited talk and text cell phone plans, PureTalk offers Canada- and Mexico-bound customers great value and something even more important: peace of mind.
And that’s not all: PureTalk has the best referral program
At PureTalk, when you refer your friends, you reward yourself.
When you join PureTalk, you’re given a unique referral link you can share with friends and family. For each friend who signs up through your unique link, you receive a $20 bill credit applied to your account, and your friend receives a $20 credit applied to their account. Best of all, there are no limits. You can refer as many friends as you want, and you will get a $20 credit for every single one of them.
Everything you need to know about the PureTalk Customer Referral Program:
1. Each customer has a unique referral link to share with friends. For each friend who signs up through your unique link, you will receive a $20 bill credit applied to your account, and your friend will receive a $20 credit applied to their account.
2. There are no limits to how many friends you can refer with PureTalk's Customer Referral Program. Refer all of your friends and get a $20 credit for every single one of them.
3. Your $20 credit will post to your account after your friend completes their second active month of service.
4. To see which of your friends you have referred to PureTalk, log in to MY ACCOUNT and click the "Referrals" tab at the top of the page. You will see all of your referrals listed in the "Referral Credits" table at the bottom of the page.
5. You can post your referral link anywhere you want. On your social media channels, your blog, in emails, etc. You can grab your unique referral link by logging in to My Account and clicking the Referrals tab.
6. There are two ways you can earn referral credits. Your friend can use your unique referral link or enter your phone number at checkout when asked if a friend referred him.
Don’t forget: Remind those you are referring to PureTalk to enter your phone number at checkout IF they’ve forgotten to sign up through your referral link.
With the PureTalk referral program you can earn as many credits as you have friends and save even more on the plan of your choice!
PureTalk’s Risk-Free, 30-Day Money Back Guarantee makes it easy to give us a try.
With PureTalk’s risk-free, thirty-day money back guarantee you have absolutely nothing to lose. Sign up and give us a try for one month. We know you’ll love us. But if you don’t, simply call to cancel your service within thirty-days and we’ll return your money. No penalties. No hassles.
Why choose PureTalk?
When you choose PureTalk, you’re choosing to support a company whose values align with your own.
You’re choosing to support a company whose CEO is a U.S. Veteran and a company that supports our Veterans.
You’re also choosing to support American jobs: 100% of our customer service is based right here in the United States.
Plus, with PureTalk, you can bring your phone and keep your phone number or choose from our terrific selection of the latest iPhones and Androids.
Don’t wait. Pick a plan now that meets your needs, suits your lifestyle, and helps you save!
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Posted 9 months ago