How to Take Better Photos With Your Phone
Phone photography has come a long way in the last handful of years, with manufacturers and app developers creating a number of ways for photographers to take control of their images. In the early days of phone photography, you were lucky if you had any options beyond just snapping the photo, but now most phones come standard with a fairly robust camera and controls that allow you to get the most out of your photos.
By Erika Haugen-Goodman and Victoria Obermeyer
Whether you’re a professional or amateur photographer, cellphones can be an empowering tool for capturing special moments. Thanks to the convenient, surprisingly powerful devices that most of us carry around at (nearly) all times, we can now take photos of both everyday and extraordinary adventures at a quality previously inaccessible to folks without professional cameras.
Over the last few years, smart phone camera technology has continued to improve. With a variety of new tools available, plus powerful internal systems, you may be impressed with the quality of photos you can take on your phone.
Here are WTA’s nine top tips and tricks to make the most of these features and start shooting on your phone like a pro.
Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman
-
Frame your photo: Most camera apps will allow you to turn on a grid overlay so you can easily see where your subjects fall in the frame. Utilizing the grid is not only helpful for determining photo composition but also for ensuring your photo's horizon is even.
When thinking about composition, be mindful of techniques you can use to improve your shot — such as the golden ratio, rule of thirds, leading lines. There are tons of resources online where you can learn more about these techniques including this great guide featured on Format. The more time you take practicing these techniques, the more your eye will be able to find them naturally. This will eventually give you the ability to turn the most mundane scene into something interesting. - Control your exposure: If you open up your camera app and aim the lens at your subject, nine times out of ten it’s going to determine the exposure of the image by taking into account the total available light that the lens sees. This approach is totally fine for a quick snapshot, but if you really want to dial in the exposure to make the rich greens of the forest stand out or to ensure the clouds aren’t too bright, you can use the exposure controls. On most phones you’ll need to tap on the screen to focus, which also sets the exposure automatically to the spot you’ve tapped. At that point, an exposure control slider should appear, which you can drag to customize the exposure of the image. Play with the exposure feature to see what results you can get!
- Photograph with intention, pause and reflect: The temptation to take a million photos (which can be great in some scenarios) is real. But to make the most of the photos you capture, pause and consider how you can frame and optimize the scene. Try shooting from a higher or lower angle to reframe your photo. Step back or step closer (while being mindful to be sure you’re staying on the trail and always follow best Leave No Trace practices). In nature, it can also be helpful to use subjects like fellow hikers to frame photos or to help scale the size or scope of your image.
You can even try taking the same photo several different ways and see what you like! Crouch down and try framing the subject with a tree or wildflowers. Get above your subject and play around with a fun angle. Turn your phone and shoot both vertically and horizontally. You can even set a timer on your phone and put yourself in the shot. - Turn on live mode (or motion photo): Live mode can be a useful tool for a variety of reasons — especially given the fleeting nature of photo-worthy moments outdoors. Someone blinked in your photo? Easy fix, find a different frame! You just missed that bird that landed on a branch in front of you? No you didn’t! This setting also offers options for getting creative with a “long exposure" effect which blurs motion in the frame.
On an iPhone you can select your photo and play around with the various options in live mode. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer. - Clean your lens: This sounds like something trivial but you even the smallest smudge can take away from your photo. Since most of us have our phones on us all the time, they’re bound to get a little dirty. Luckily, cellphones lenses are much less delicate than cameras, and you can easily wipe them off with a clean corner of your shirt.
- Selfie 101: Avoid using the front camera for your next group pic. The camera on the front is not nearly as good as the one on the back of your phone. Instead, try using .5 zoom and flip your camera around and say cheese! It may take a few tries to get used to it but once you have it down you’ll find yourself doing it all the time!
- Limit your use of digital zoom: Ever wonder why phones have so many different lenses on them these days? It’s because each lens has different functionality and can help you take better shots than ever before. Depending on the model of your phone you may have three different lenses (normal, wide and telephoto) which, depending on which lens is used, can make the distance from your subject appear closer. Digital zoom or “pinching” to zoom and going beyond the "numbered" options, however, has the opposite effect and can quickly degrade the quality of your photo. Instead of “pinching” to zoom, depending on your phone model, you can use the various lenses your phone may have to switch to a lens with higher zoom.
Here is an example of how the different lenses can make your shot look totally different from the exact same angle. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer. - Steady does it: Holding still can make all the difference in capturing the perfect photo. Use two hands to hold your camera and make sure you have your feet steady. Setting your feet spread slightly wider than your hips or crouching down can also provide a more solid base. You can even find small portable tri-pods designed specifically for phones that can help you capture the perfect shot.
- Fix it in post: It’s always a good idea to take the best possible image in the moment, but if things don’t turn out perfect, don’t sweat it. Most standard camera apps have some editing controls will allow you to adjust levels on highlights, shadows and even some color correction. Take advantage of these to clean up anything that doesn’t look quite right. Also remember that selectively cropping your photo can absolutely change the impact of your image (in the best way). Additionally, there are tons of free photo editing apps to try out that have more options than the app that came with your phone. This can also be a great moment to reflect on the techniques you used and what you liked and didn’t like about your photos.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2019 issue of Washington Trails magazine and was updated in July 2025. Support trails as a member WTA to get your one-year subscription to the magazine.