Using Your Smartphone For Nature and Landscape Photography
Landscape photography is a passion of mine. But sometimes hiking with my DSLR camera isn’t practical. Especially if I’m exploring with my non-photographer friends. Plus, phone photography is quickly becoming a genre since Samsung rolled out the first camera phone in 2000.
But is it possible to capture beautiful nature scenes using only a mobile phone? Do we give up picture quality for the convenience of carrying less weight?
Phone Photography and Smartphone Cameras
I believe we can capture beautiful landscape scenes with our mobile phones. With today’s smartphones, picture quality has never been better. Phone photography has come a long way in the 20 years it’s been around. Cell phone cameras went from capturing 20 images at 0.35 megapixels to today’s unlimited cloud storage and up to 48 megapixels. Moreover, smartphones have put a camera in everyone’s pocket.
And to best utilize our smartphones for mobile photography, we first need a basic understanding of how our camera phones work. Plus, a few basic photography composition concepts.
Introduction To Smartphone Cameras
Before we get to photography composition, let’s start with the smartphone cameras. They may have up to 4 cameras – a front-facing one, and up to 3 on the back.
The iPhone 11 Pro, the Samsung s10-s20, and my OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone have 3 distinct cameras, the primary, a wide-angle, and a zoom. For example, without moving from my vantage point, I captured one photo from each camera of the Old Stone Church in W. Boylston, Massachusetts. Below are the unedited images of the view. As you can see, each camera photographs the same scene differently.
Wide-Angle Camera
While a wide-angle camera captures a vast field of view, it will also amplify and elongate objects closest to the camera. For instance, the grassy area dominates a majority of the photo, and the church appears much further away from where I’m standing.
I use this camera if I want my viewer to feel like they are standing next to me, as we view the scene together.
Primary Camera
The smartphone’s primary camera captures images similar to how we perceive the scene. I usually snap a quick picture with this camera first to see how the scene lays out in an image. Then after I scan the photo, I consider which camera best satisfies my intended goal and recompose the shot.
Zoom Camera
Lastly, the zoom camera compresses the scenery. Therefore, this camera eliminates almost all of the tall grass and shrinks distances between objects within the scene.
If possible, before using the zoom camera, try moving in closer. By using the zoom, the camera begins to magnify the scene and starts to decrease picture quality. Consequently, using the smartphone’s camera, full digital zoom significantly reduces image clarity.
2: Phone Photography and Composition Rules
Now let’s talk about photography composition. One reason photos fall short is they have no main feature or central theme drawing the viewer’s attention. Many beginners often include too many elements while not defining a clear focal point. Your viewer doesn’t know what or where to look.
Fill The Frame
Most well-composed photos have one common factor, a clear point of focus. There is no mistaking where the viewer should look. Filling the frame drives you to become more intentional with your photography composition. It encourages you to spend time considering how to tell your photographic story in the best possible way.
Take the spring blooms of the Wild Service Tree. In the first image, the bright sky is competing with delicate blossoms. And more lighted areas naturally draw attention first. By removing this competing distraction, the viewer can enjoy the beauty of the spring blossoms.
Before snapping a picture, remember to look at the corners and behind your main focal point. Determine if it adds or takes away from the story you want to tell. Every piece within your frame should work with and complement the main idea. Bring forward the details and patterns of the most significant elements. When you feel it does, then touch the big white dot.
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is one of the most popular and frequently used photo composition. It’s also one of the fastest and easiest rules to learn. Because this blueprint is highly visual, many new photographers start with this model first.
To create a balanced and more natural look, try positioning your subject off-center. This involves breaking your image into 9 equal parts using 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board. Then place the most significant details off-center along these lines and intersecting points.
This rule of photography composition also aids in where to place the horizon. Most landscapes look somewhat odd, with the horizon set directly in the middle of an image. Use the Rule of Thirds to position the horizon on the top or bottom third of the photo. And use the grid lines to help you decide what you would like to emphasize most.
Read more about the Rule of Thirds.
Use Leading Lines
Another photography composition technique is to use leading lines. These lines create a natural pathway. And help guide the eye through various parts of the image, steering the viewer toward the main subject.
Usually, these lines start in the foreground of the image, guide the viewer inward toward the background. They typically lead to the main subject. Leading lines are an excellent way of pointing towards something, even if only looking towards infinity.
Identify where the most compelling lines point, then think about how you can use them to improve your composition.
Read more about leading lines and other photography composition techniques. Simple and Easy Photography Compositions Techniques You Can Learn In A Day
Wrapping Up
Cell phone photography has come a long way since its inception. We can now choose an angle specific camera, apply a few photography composition rules, and dramatically change the feel of our photo. And we can do it moving from our starting location.
Have fun with your photography. And most importantly, take your time, appreciate the journey, and enjoy creating those memories. Leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed this article.
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