Taking better smartphone photos and videos

Greetings. It has been a very tough week for me. I have been at the lowest point and not many things went well. This blog has been published early Saturday morning. That said, welcome to this week’s blog where I share my experience in smartphone content creation.

From the onset, I have purchased all the applications mentioned in this blog. The accessories that you will find in here, I have bought and none of this is paid content from any of the manufactures or app developers. I will include some links to products so that you can read more if you are interested. I am using an iPhone 7 Plus for videos, photos and editing process.

We have many smartphones on the market here in Uganda. Not all of them can take good photos or videos. I will not mention brands that are terrible but almost everyone owns one. I have used some android phones and wish to have one in my creative bag. The entry android phone for a creative mind is Samsung S7. Today, one can get it for as low as She.300,000 in the used phone section. But I recommend using an Iphone.

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Most phone manufactures use the camera capabilities as selling points. The latest iPhone 11 has a triple set camera that gives many possibilities. The Huawei P20 pro was a game changer upon release. As a company, Huawei continues to set the stage when it comes to cameras. However, the Google pixels phones are still the best in my opinion.

Google pixel phones right from the first generation to the latest are a great pick for photographers. The phones have one camera that takes great photos in the dark compared to the iPhones or any other. 

How to take a good photo on a smartphone.

1. Always position yourself in good lighting. Smartphone cameras have small sensors that require a lot of light for good photos.
2. While taking photos, tap on the most bright part of your subject for autofocus.
3. Avoid using flashlight during day light. 
4. Do not use apps that beautify. 

How to shoot good videos on a smartphone.

1. Always lock the autofocus.
2. Use the guidelines on the screen.
3. Always shoot in 4k .
4. Use the primary phone camera lens.

Applications to use.

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1. Iphone camera: With IOS13, the camera has been packed with may tools to use.
2. Filmic Pro. Make the best looking mobile video in your life with the v6 update to FiLMiC Pro. Powerful new controls put the world’s best video camera app, light years ahead of the competition.
3. Filmic first light. This was released early November 2019. It’s powerful and gives you manual control.
4. Luma touch. This app is used to edit videos on your smartphone. I am not sure if its compatible with android phones. If you have used Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premire, you will find this packed with the best tools.
5. iMovie. All iPhones come with this app. It’s used to edit videos but is limited.
6. Documents. This gives iPhone users the files manager that they always longed for. With IOS13, the iPhone comes with Files app but its not as versatile as the Documents app.

Accessories.

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In order to get the full potential of your smartphone, you need to get some gear.

• External lenses. There are many smartphone lenses on the market. But there are few that are good in quality. My best pick is the Moment lens and Beast grip.
• Stability. Most iPhones from iPhone 6 Plus to the latest have builtin stabilisation. But its better to get a stabiliser such as DJI Oslo mobile 2. The gambles come with more options and give you as a creator more possibilities.
• Sound. In built microphones are not good enough. Get add on microphones for better audio quality. Best recommendation for now is the Rode Wireless Go.
• Light. There are many flash lights for m mobile phones now. But, you need something that does not flicker while shooting video. Light changes many things.
• Tripod. A tripod will give you stability for those crisp shoots. 

There are many ways you can overcome limitations while using smartphones. If you are ever stuck , please leave a comment below. I am glad to share with you my experience  and we do this together.