5 Mobile Photography Tips for Startup Businesses

Mobile devices have become so advanced today that it’s possible to take nearly professional-level photos and videos from your own phone. For startup businesses, this is good news: you can have high-quality photos with minimal to no investment!

Here are a few tips on how to get started with mobile photography for your business:

1. Set the focus and exposure

Not every photo has an obvious focal point, and your phone’s built-in auto-focus feature may not focus on where you want it to. This is a pretty straightforward tip: make it a point to set the focus of your photo before shooting to make sure your subject is in sharp detail.

The same goes for exposure. Simply adjust the exposure (brightness) before taking a photo. This makes sure that your photos are neither too dark nor too bright. It will also make post-processing easier for you.

2. Shoot in HDR

The high dynamic range (HDR) mode of your camera is always preferable when taking high-contrast scenes. Even when you try to manually set the exposure, the camera’s sensor may not be able to fully capture the details of high-contrast scenes without HDR—either the highlights are too exposed or the shadows are too dark.

With HDR, however, photos are evenly-lit and every detail is captured in both dark and bright areas.

3. Avoid zooming in

As much as possible, avoid zooming in—this makes the photo grainy. Instead, it’s better to get closer to your subject. If it’s not ideal, you can opt to switch the lenses of your phone’s camera if your phone model supports them. Some models support dual- or triple-lens cameras: wide-angle, ultra-wide, and telephoto.

Using these different lenses not only improves your camera’s digital zoom; it also helps in taking crisper and more detailed shots even from a distance.

4. Keep your camera steady

Invest in a good tripod to keep your camera steady; otherwise, it may appear blurry in some shots, especially those that are taken in low light conditions. Ensuring the stability of your phone while taking photos is also key in improving the quality of your shots.

5. Use natural light as much as possible

Using your phone camera’s flash often yields unflattering results—the photo looks overexposed and the contrast too sharp. Take advantage of natural light as much as you can.

However, if you want to use flash, do so during the daytime. In well-lit spaces, flash can help soften some of the dark shadows around your subject. It’s better, though, to use a makeshift diffuser and/or reflectors to achieve softer lighting.

6. Apply the rule of thirds

Composition is crucial in capturing great photos. Make use of your camera’s grid feature to apply the rule of thirds—that is, to position the most important elements of your photo on one of the intersections rather than in the middle of the frame to achieve a more natural composition.

However, there’s no hard-and-fast rule dictating that you always need to use the rule of thirds. This leads us to our next point.

7. Look for symmetry and repetitive patterns

Sometimes, placing your subject in the middle of the frame instead of on the intersections of the grid can be great as well. A central composition works great when the scene is symmetrical.

Using repetitive patterns in your photos will also achieve a striking look. These can be geometric shapes, lines, colors, etc. To make the most of patterns, it’s best to capture your photos where they appear unintentional or naturally.

8. Use leading lines

In the same vein as photo composition, add depth to your photos by using leading lines. These are “lines” that lead from the foreground to the background of your photo. The leading line doesn’t need to be straight—it can be a curving path, a circular staircase, a river, a railway, etc.

9. Use different perspectives

Another way to add depth and to make your photos more interesting is to play with different perspectives. You can choose to shoot downwards or upwards, wide or up close, behind the subject, use reflections, etc.

And don’t shy away from negative space. Simplifying your composition, paired with a unique camera perspective, makes for a striking yet elegant shot.

10. Use burst mode for action shots

For action shots, make use of your phone’s burst mode to capture every movement. You can then choose one best photo or you can choose multiple photos to create a GIF. Burst mode is great for capturing children, pets, sports events, water and nature shots, etc.

Take your business photography to the next level
Mobile photography is indeed a godsend for startup businesses, but it still has its limitations. It also takes skills, experience, and talent to shoot professional-quality photos, especially for marketing use.

If you’re ready to take the next step and have your photos professionally taken, Ilfusion can lend you a hand. Give us a call at 888-420-5115, or send us an email at [email protected] to get started!

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