Photography 101, Part VI: The Best Camera Phones

Many people are interested in documenting their lives via social media like Facebook and Twitter. Technology now allows us to take photos, upload them, and tag ourselves – and our location – all on the same device. Camera phones are now ubiquitous, so how does yours compare?

The iPhone 4 is top rated for photography. Nick Morris, all rights reserved.

Predictably, the slick Apple iPhone 4’s camera wins out in this category. Apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic make it even easier to edit and add effects to your snapshots after the fact. But for those of us not in the cult of Apple, there are other options. The HTC Evo3D, an Android phone, is another great choice, as are the Motorola XT720 and the Samsung Galaxy. Tech Radar has a great list – they’ve taken the same pictures with 10 different camera phones and reviewed them accordingly.

Of course the sky is (almost) the limit when it comes to a camera, but hopefully this guide has gotten you to think about what might work best in terms of your own needs and values. I encourage you to do plenty of research before buying your camera – the websites I’ve linked to above are great places to get expert advice and ensure that you make the best purchase possible. Happy shooting!

Four techniques for better photos

Angle, Closeness, Rule of Thirds & Light
This week we studied four basic techniques to improve our photography.

Angle
Angle can increase the drama or excitement level in a photograph. Below is flat, right-angle bench:



The angle influences the visual reception of a "subject" by the audience by manipulating the points of emphasis.

Closeness
Use closeness to compose a better photo. This first clock is too far away:



The distance from the "subject" in the first picture makes it hard to focus on the clock, while the second one draws the attention towards the theme of "time" and helps the audience to focus on the intended content of the photograph.

Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds encourages us to compose the subject of our photograph at intersections. In the first photo, our intended subject (the rock) is squarely in the center of our photo, causing us to lose focus on the subject, diverting our attention to other parts of the frame.



In the second image, the rock is made more interesting by placing the horizon line at 'rule of three' intersections.

Light
Another key to make your photograph better is to make the maximum use of the light. Natural light is almost always better than artificial light. Cloudy days often provide the best light. The first photo is taken indoors under fluorescent lighting.



The second photo is taken outside on a cloudy day.

If you'd like to see more of our photos, have a look at the DHSIdesign Flickr pool.