15 Easy Ways to Boost Your Smartphone Photos

We all want our photos to stand out from the crowd – so here are 15 easy ways that you can up your photography game and take amazing images on your smartphone.

#1 Macro Shots

If you want to take great macro shots but you can't afford a macro lens use water instead!  You read that right!  A single droplet of water on the lens will help you take great macro images and because it is just one droplet it won't run off as you capture that standout image.

#2 Water Spray

Spraying some water onto a pair of glasses will provide a great filter and a stunning image. 

#3 Getting perfect exposure

If you are taking pictures in harsh or bright light you can create the perfect look by shooting through some sunglasses.  Not only do you make sure your image is not over-exposed, the tint on the sunglasses means that your picture will have a wonderful vintage look and feel.

#4 Use light and shadow

Using light and shadow is something professional photographers do well, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated.  Just switch on your flash and try different positions when capturing an image, then choose the one with the most interesting shadows.

#5 Get some zoom!

No need to part with a lot of cash for a specialist lens.  If you have digital zoom and some binoculars simply combine the two to produce great quality images. 

#6 Submerge yourself!

Getting a good underwater shot needn’t mean expensive underwater equipment, just pop your phone inside an airtight plastic bag and jump right in!

# 7 Multiply it!

If you want to capture many images of the same subject there is no need to waste time lining up multiple shots.  Switch your phone to panorama mode and ask your subject to move around.  Simply pan as if you are taking a panoramic shot and there you have several different, unique images of your subject. 

#8 Keep it stable

The best way to keep your phone stable for photography is to use a tripod.  Tripods can be an expensive investment, but making a  temporary one is easy.  Create your own but sitting your phone in a split cut in a paper cup or use binder clips. 

#9. Get dreamy!

Looking for dreamy images?  No need for filters – a little petroleum jelly on the lens will give that hazy, dreamy feel to any photograph.

#10. Taking the strain!

Colanders may be designed for straining vegetables but they are great for photographers who want to create an unusual pattern on their subject.  All you need is the colander and a light source and you can work all kinds of magic! 

#11. Use the grid feature

Using the grid make it easy to compose great images and make sure the camera is straight.

#12.  Buy a Prism

Placing a prism in front of your lens gives some amazing colour and pattern effects.  All you need to do is remember not to get too carried away and be sure to press the shutter. 

#13.  Remote firing

If you are looking for stable shots this is a great hack to use with the tripod (see #8).  If you put the phone on your tripod and plug in the earphone, the button on the ‘phones can be used to fire the shutter remotely.  No more wobble or ‘selfie-arm’!

#14.  Easy filters

Capture images using transparent plastic folders in multiple colors.  Simply pop them in front of the lens to create interesting and original images.

#15.  The Bokeh Effect

You can make an interesting bokeh effect by cutting shapes into some cardboard. Hold it against your camera lens and experiment to get unique bokeh images.