At Nantucket Gate, beautiful nature is all around us if we just take some time to look. There are plenty of parks, miles of trails, and opportunities to see the great outdoors this fall. We encourage you to remember that the journey is the destination. To help you capture the natural beauty that is right outside your apartment, we’ve put together some mobile photography tips. You don’t need a fancy camera to save a beautiful moment here in Tacoma, WA.
Clean the lens. Because your phone is often in a pocket, bag, or your hands, it’s no surprise that the lens gets dirty. One of the best options for cleaning your lens is to buy a lens cleaning cloth, but distilled water and a Q-tip work just fine. If you’re going with the latter option, dip the Q-tip into the water and then squeeze most of the water out until it is just damp. Wipe the lens carefully, and don’t press too hard. A clean lens can make a huge difference with the results of the pictures that you take.
Adjust the exposure. Exposure refers to how bright or how dark an image is. While your phone’s camera will automatically set the exposure for the shot, it’s not always the best option.
Avoid zoom if possible. If you see a great photo op that’s too far away, get closer to it! Zooming in on a mobile phone is usually done by digital processes, essentially cropping the image, and the result is a loss of image quality.
Use the grid. The rule of thirds is a basic photography technique. In most phones turning the grid on and off is pretty simple. Using it to follow the rule of thirds will help you take photos that are balanced and pleasing to the eye. Of course, this isn’t a rule that you need to follow all the time, but it’s a great beginning point to take your photos in the right direction. Feel free to experiment.
Take shots from different positions. Seeing how phones are so light, it’s easy to move them to different positions. You might want to try taking a picture from a low point so the photo appears from a dog’s perspective. Trying out different angles or point-of-views will result in photos that couldn’t be taken in any other way. There’s no better opportunity for these shots than with something as light and portable as a mobile phone.
We hope you have fun capturing the moments from your adventures in nature around Tacoma. Where is your favorite place outside your apartment to take photos? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!