Visual content is on the rise in social media and popular as ever in other mediums. According to Portland SEO consultant Michael Cottam, last night's presenter at the October Search Engine Marketing Association of Portland (SEMpdx) event, original images even keep Google's Panda happy. In a nutshell: Image is everything.
But before you shell out a lot of dough on a camera setup for your business, consider learning how to use the camera that you (almost) always have with you: your smartphone. It's an inexpensive way for you to get started shooting your own photography for use on your blog and social media, and learning how to use your smartphone camera will help you make better purchasing decisions on camera equipment in the future.
Begin improving your smartphone photography with these eight simple tips.
Adjust Image Size Settings
For best results, adjust your photo file size to the highest quality available. Bigger is always better in terms of photo file size because a larger file provides more information and detail. This means you can crop the image (to focus on one important thing or eliminate distractions) and it will still look good. And yes, a bigger file size actually does mean a bigger number in your image size settings (e.g., 2592 x 1963 pixels is larger than 648 x 484 pixels).
Clean the Lens
Your phone has been in your pocket or purse, you’ve handled it while eating french fries at lunch, and 75 percent of you have even used your smartphone while on the toilet. Chances are the lens has a fingerprint (or worse) on it. If you don’t want hazy photos that look out of focus, then take a second and clean the lens. Please.
Keep Composition Simple
You want viewers to focus on the subject of a photo, so don’t distract them by having too many other things in the frame. Refrain from shooting artsy or edgy photos—you are trying to show viewers something specific and an abstract photo won’t do that! Use negative space to create drama, and use the rule of thirds to frame the subject in a more interesting way.
Stabilize the Phone
You love your smartphone because it’s so small and light, but its size and weight are the very things that make it difficult to hold your phone steady when you’re shooting a photo. Stabilize your phone by holding it close to your body with your elbows tucked against your ribs. Still shaky? Use the timer feature to avoid shaking the camera while reaching for the (shutter release) button. Still shaky? Consider using a tripod.
Use a Good Light Source
Smartphone cameras perform better in sunlight than any other type of light. But as a small business owner, you might shoot a lot of your photos indoors, which often offers less-than-optimal lighting for your smartphone. While using an external flash with a smartphone is not really an option—and using your smartphone flash will usually give you bad results (the flash is too close to the lens and underpowered)—you can use an artificial light source such as an LED panel, desk lamp or inexpensive shop lights from a hardware store. When choosing an external light source, consider one that emulates sunlight (like an LED panel) because you'll end up with more natural colors. Otherwise, your photos may have a yellowish cast.
Avoid Digital Zoom
Digital zoom on your smartphone does not function the same as the zoom lens for your camera. With digital zoom, you are simply blowing up the image and then cropping it, which results in a lower quality image. And keep in mind that digital zoom will magnify any and every camera shake, thus making it even more difficult to get a clear image. The solution? Move closer to your subject. Be the zoom.
Understand the Devil Is in the Detail
You can take interesting and dramatic close-up shots with a smartphone camera, but close-ups present some challenges: The wide angle lens on a smartphone can cause a lot of distortion when shooting close to your subject, your camera may have difficulty focusing, and you may block your light source.
Learn to use the camera’s autofocus lock feature to control focus in close-ups and pay attention that you don’t get so close to your subject that your camera won’t focus. Place your phone on a flat surface or use a small tripod to hold the phone steady, and make sure that you're not standing between your subject and the light source.
If the purpose of the close-up is to showcase product detail, the distortion may be too distracting for your e-commerce site but it can create an interesting shot for your blog or social media.
Use Great Apps
Consider using a camera app other than the default one that comes with your smartphone, especially if you’ve mastered the basics of using your phone’s camera. The right app will offer more features and greater flexibility. Some of the features offered in smartphone apps include:
- Separate exposure and focus points
- Image stabilization
- Visual aids for composition: grid for rule of thirds, horizon line
- Filters
- Social media sharing from within the app
(Need a recommendation for a camera app? Stay tuned. Better yet, subscribe to our Business Notes e-newsletter so you don't miss out.)
Are you ready to take your photography to the next level? Join us at the Improve Your Small Business Photography in 3 Simple Steps workshop tonight.
