Photo How To

Shutterbug readers tend to be a gear-happy lot, with a variety of cameras for different purposes. In addition to a DSLR or mirrorless camera (or both) with an arsenal of lenses, there may be a pocket-size compact with a large sensor, a lightweight super-zoom model, and perhaps a film camera or two. Despite all this equipment, we all shoot with our smartphones on occasion (whether we admit it or not).

Today’s advanced phones are capable of capturing high-quality images, especially if you know the ropes. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for experienced shooters to approach mobile photography in a manner they’d never consider with their “real cameras.” By that we mean ignoring the many photocentric features in their phones, shooting in Auto mode, and letting the phone make all the decisions.

If that sounds familiar we encourage you to pay close attention to the video below, which explains the finer points of mobile photography in terms of 13 powerful tips and tricks. You’ll quickly gains a better understanding of and appreciation for the gorgeous phone photos you’ve seen in the past.

Instructor Jamie Windsor specializes in uncommon tutorials “that don’t exist anywhere else on YouTube”—whether he’s dealing with gear or shooting techniques. It’s a very refreshing approach, as you’ll see below.

For this episode Windsor begins with an inspirational display of “opportunistic” phone images by long-time NY Times Magazine Photo Editor Kathy Ryan. These stunning images are part of her “Office Romance” series captured amidst the chaos at work with the building’s unique architecture as the backdrop.

As you might expect given her position at the Times, Ryan works at a frenetic pace, which is what makes her images so breathtaking. That’s because, apart from technical excellence, they convey a feeling of serenity and calm.

The four-minute display of Ryan’s work (with salient comments by Windsor) leaves you wanting more, but at this point he turns to some great mobile photography tips now that you’re in the mood. So watch the video, keep an open mind, and go shoot some great phone photos of your own.

There’s plenty of helpful shooting advice on Windsor’s popular You Tube channel, so pay a visit and subscribe. On a related note, we also encourage you to watch a tutorial we posted earlier this month, explaining what to do if you’re annoyed by your iPhone’s default photo settings.