These days just about everyone has access to a great camera…just don’t forget to use it. Read on to learn some of my favorite phone photography tips.

I’ve had both an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy siii (and now an s5) and have loved them both for different reasons. One of the best things about having a phone with a camera on it is that it’s with me all the time. If I had to rely on my “big” camera every time I wanted to document our lives I would miss a lot. There are a lot of times that I see something and am able to photograph it right away and don’t have to run to grab my camera – or carry it around with me wherever we go. When I upgraded my iPhone the last time I did it based on the camera alone. I was in the market for a point and shoot camera (I felt like I needed something that I could carry around a little easier than my big DSLR) and had heard that the iPhone’s camera was as good as many of the point and shoots that I was researching…and the bonus was that if I had a good camera on my phone, I wouldn’t need to carry two things. Big plus. Eventually I switched over to the Andriod market (a great choice for me) but I feel that both platforms offer really great cameras. I have only had Samsung phones so I cannot compare to other Android camera phones. I believe that the iPhone camera has better low light functionality as compared to my Galaxy siii, but that the Galaxy s5 is a huge step up from the iii and I’m very happy. There are differences in available apps as most companies develop for Apple first and then eventually roll out to the Android market (I also believe that app development is longer process for the Android) and some companies choose to stick with one or the other. For photographers, Apple apps tend to be more abundant, but there are some great Android apps as well…it’s all about learning your equipment and seeing what works out the best for you.

Some of my favorite phone photography images are in this collage above. One of the things that I love about phone photography is that the smaller device allows from more creative perspectives. It also allows for the ability to shoot in less desirable situations (like the rain) and I end up getting images that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t had my phone with me.

camera phone tips:

• use your regular camera app that comes with your phone to take the photos or find a good quality camera app, then edit (or add filters in other apps, if you desire)
• hold your phone steady when you shoot
• make sure that your camera app is easy to access on your home and/or lock screen – the easier it is to get to the more likely you are to use it
• don’t use your flash
• for low light with an iPhone, tap in a dark area of the photo to expose for the darker image (a function I missed greatly in my Samsung…but the s5 has the HDR preview which is awesome!)
• try not to use your zoom…digital zooms on most cameras (phones or point and shoot) are not reliable. Take the photo and then crop in after the fact.
• one thing that I really have noticed with my Samsung phones is that the lens gets a lot dirtier than my iPhone lens did and that results in halos around lights in my images. The trick here is to keep that lens clean (I use my glasses cleaner or the spray that we use for our computer screens)

favorite apps:

• instagram: Google play | itunes
• VSCO cam: Google play | itunes
• Rhonna Designs: Google play | itunes
• Studio Design: Google play | itunes
• Overly: Google play | Over: itunes
• Phonto: Google play | itunes
• InstaSize: Google play | itunes
• A Beautiful Mess: Google play | itunes

my android wishlist:

• PicTapGo
• HyperLapse
• Momento – not a photography app, but if I’m asking for things…I want this one, too.

my two biggest phone photography tips:

• Back up those photos on your phone – I use DropBox and it automatically backs up my images to my account whenever I’m in range of my wifi
• Print those jpegs. Please. Don’t let them sit on your phone.

This post is part of a 31 day series. Read the first post here about documenting everyday life and see a list of all of the other posts in the series.