Mobile phones are incredibly powerful imaging devices these days, if you know how to use them. Steve Thomas exposes the magic of mastering the humble smartphone.
It never ceases to amaze me how much snobbery still lingers when it comes to photography with cell phones. In fact, most people find it difficult to distinguish between a photo taken with the latest iPhone and a photo with a good camera without a mirror, and especially not when it comes to seeing them on the small screens of devices that now look like to govern our lives.
Yes, I am a professional photographer and have been filling the pages of this and countless magazines around the world for 30 years, and I use “big” cameras for most of my professional work.
Imaging technology and smartphone performance have advanced in recent years, with many cycling enthusiasts abandoning the larger cameras in favor of the humble phone.
That said, I also use a cell phone camera almost every day, and the images I produce are good enough to fill the same space in magazines, even if there are certain situations where more serious equipment is required.
The best thing about a mobile device is a bit of a cliché, as we always have them with us, most of them are in our pockets every time we go out. Of course, this means that we can capture all the improvised images we find on the road, either from the highway.
This is not the case with larger camera systems; unless you’re serious, it’s too much trouble, and you could have gotten the picture of this kangaroo chasing your partner before he had time to take a dedicated camera out of his bag.
Application-based image editing has dramatically changed the way we view images online and in print.
Add the incredible processing and publishing power all in one mobile device, and in one minute you’ll be able to edit and publish this fantastic online photo, which is hard to combine with a larger camera and computer.
However, there are caveats: this is not really just a case in point, or at least not if you want good results. As with regular photography, or anything else in life, it takes time and effort to learn the skills and operation of these devices.
The best camera
First of all, my advice here is not to worry about the camera – use what you have and work on it. Almost all recent mobile devices have very good cameras, and in most cases it is actually the processing power of the phone that adds this extra ounce of magic.
In general, the newer the phone, the better the camera, the more lens options and the more processing power it will have to make better images.
It is often said that “the best camera is the one you have with you”. This is especially true, most of the time, for cyclists … and especially for those who travel to exotic places at dawn and dusk.
But at the end of the day, it still depends primarily on the photographer, and even older models, such as the iPhone 4, are still capturing award-winning images on newer models.
There has been a big leap in capacity with the iPhone 7, and things have improved in low light situations since then (but no phone will get great photos in low light and, let’s face it, we use them mostly in the daylight for taking photos by bike).
Personally, I use an iPhone 12 Mini because I like to keep things as small and in my pocket as I can. The camera has 2 main cameras, which has been invaluable to have, and if you can afford a model with 2-3 cameras, better. Still, I certainly wouldn’t pay a crazy price for it; I prefer to work with what I have. Fewer options make it easy.
I’ve stuck with iPhones because I’ve been investing in iOS for a long time, although there are some great Android devices, some with better cameras for certain situations. But. at the end of the day, they all come with small sensors (some a little bigger than others) and so the extra megapixels they offer often pile up in this small sensor and really aren’t very relevant to most of us. and at the time I paid for it, there will be a newer model anyway.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a fantastic yet expensive camera (with 5 cameras and a large number of megapixels), as is the Google Pixel 6 Pro (with a 50 megapixel main camera), and the latest iPhone 13 is potentially the best. of the batch, even with its low 12 megapixel cameras.
It really comes down to the whole package that suits your needs, and chasing the latest and greatest in cell phones is a sure way to melt your credit card, when you take the time to learn the skills and practice it is Free.
Use it as you please
The first step in taking better pictures of your phone is to think of it as a real camera, not just a phone. Slow down and breathe, clean the lens, and hold the phone firmly with both hands, and shoot as you would if it were a larger camera.
The humble smartphone has the potential to deliver amazing high-quality images, especially when stabilized.
Compose the image, then grab the focus by tapping the screen. Exposes to preserve the most prominent detail (usually means the sky and preserving the details). This is usually achieved by touching a mid-tone gray area of the screen until the exposure is more or less uniform and then pressed to lock it.
On most phones, swiping your finger left or right across the screen also alters exposure (manual control apps are also available). HDR mode on newer phones is good for handling these contrasting light situations. If possible, try to avoid extreme lighting, such as large white skies along with heavily shaded areas.
Lighting is very important, so try to keep the sun behind you or better yet ¾ head to the subject. Of course, morning and evening light is best for any photo, so use it if you can.
Avoid using the digital zoom option – it simply cuts back on the scene and lowers the image resolution (apart from a few new high-end phones).
Many phones now come with multiple cameras and focal lengths, which are really worth the extra cost. Its wide-angle cameras are ideal for large landscapes with a rider inside, and also for shooting POV from the chair.
“… It’s also always worthwhile to rotate the phone upright, as vertical images have a very different feel …”
Steve Thomas
When capturing images, don’t just take a picture; try a few compositions and different exposures, as you would with a normal camera
Composition
Mobile composition should be approached in the same way as any other camera, although please note that you will not have aperture control for depth of field to blur backgrounds.
Good composition (and light) is what really separates a great image from a snapshot, and thinking about the scene and taking the time to find the best composition is essential.
There’s the old photo “rule of thirds” that is more or less based on dividing your images into thirds. When it comes to a cycling image, it usually means not having the cyclist at a standstill and trying to split the screen so that you have something resembling having the cyclist at 1/3 of the screen, preferably keeping the sky and earth alike. proportions.
With a combination of skills, camera modes and image enhancement applications, amazingly high quality images are possible.
It is always a good idea to try to show the pilot entering or leaving a scene with “main lines” instead of going straight or behind. If you can show a path or road leading to a scene and the rider entering or leaving it, this is ideal. It attracts you to the image and gives you the feeling of being there.
It is also worth rotating the phone upright, as vertical images have a very different feel. The vertical is also more favorable for scenes where you want a closer rider image. This format is also more popular on Instagram (although Instagram trims the image a bit, so allow a little more space).
For action shots, always use burst mode and remember that you don’t always have to see the whole rider or bike in the picture; a very close action image can add a lot of drama and mystery to an image.
Capturing the action
Most recent model phones have mostly autofocus and excellent tracking, which makes them pretty good for action images. However, you should always try to touch and lock the pre-focus before shooting and then pan with the subject (whether moving through your scene instead of facing you or away from you). When panning, keep moving smoothly and before shooting, make sure to see what’s on each side of your frame to avoid obstruction.
You will be amazed at what is possible with the right skills and a little extra input.
The images in this feature show the incredible and wide range of photography possibilities from the humble smartphone.
Manual photography applications
There are many dedicated camera apps available, and these allow you to take more manual control over your photography to clear exposures more accurately.
These applications typically also allow RAW / DNG capture (not processed by the phone), which allows more space for further processing; to be honest, I don’t find much more leeway compared to a standard JPEG, so I personally always shoot this format on a mobile.
My filming app is Filmic Firstlight (free for basic features / $ 12.99 for the professional version for both iOS and Android), but that’s mostly for filters.
Post-processing applications
Any serious photographer will post the processing of their photos. Snapseed is a free app for iOS and Android and is perhaps also the best and easiest to use.
Play and learn the functions. It will make a big difference to your final images, only …