[With examples] Photographer explains tips for taking beautiful photos with a smartphone

Hello, I'm Goto from the Web Services Division.
In my previous job, I worked as a photographer and web director.

As a photographer, I mainly take portraits and food-

Here are some examples of the photos I've taken so far:

 

More photos are available on Instagram

have you ever thought, " I want to be able to take better, more beautiful photos!"

If you are not good at photography,

• Even if you think you've taken a beautiful picture, it doesn't look very good in the photo
• I always end up taking dark and blurry photos
• I always end up taking ordinary photos

Do you have any of the following concerns?

When I first started using a camera, I was in exactly the same state

However, after gaining more than five years of practical experience as a photographer, I am now able to more clearly determine "why the photo doesn't turn out well" and "what I should do to take the photo the way I imagine it."

I would like to share practical tips for taking good photos with your smartphone , based on my knowledge and experience as a photographer

Anyone with a smartphone can practice this , so please take a look.

What you'll learn from this article

• Acquire basic knowledge of photography
• You will be able to understand the reason why you can't take good photos
• You can take beautiful photos with your smartphone

Can you take beautiful photos without an SLR camera?

Many people think that in order to take beautiful photos, they first need to purchase a high-end camera such as an SLR, but an SLR camera is not necessarily necessary.

(Plus, smartphone cameras are getting better and better these days.)

By keeping a few tips in mind, you can take beautiful, high-quality photos even with your smartphone.

We'll dig deeper below

First of all, what is a good photo?

The basic premise is that there is no absolute answer to what makes a good photograph, but here we will define a good photograph from a commercial perspective as "a photograph that accurately conveys the information you want to convey to as many people as possible."

High image quality is not necessarily required to take good photos

When thinking of the benefits of using a single-lens reflex camera, most people probably think of "high image quality"

Certainly, that's an advantage

(There are other benefits, such as interchangeable lenses, but we won't go into those here.)

However, I believe that "high image quality" a secondary effect as a means of conveying what you want to say through a photograph

How much difference is there in image quality between a DSLR and a smartphone?

To verify the difference in quality between an SLR and a smartphone, I took photos of the same subject in my room using both a SLR and a smartphone, trying to shoot in as similar a way as possible. All of the photos below are straight out of the camera and have not been edited

• Photo ①

• Photo ②

...I'm concerned about the dirt on the walls of the room。

If I make a successful investment, I'll renovate it

Aside from that, can you tell which of Photo 1 and Photo 2 was taken with a SLR?

 

The correct answer is Picture 1

Photo 1 was taken with a Canon EOS 6D full-frame SLR camera and a Canon EF24-105mm F4L IS USM lens. The camera and lens set cost about 200,000 yen in total

On the other hand, photo ② was taken with an iPhone 8 Plus

*Full-frame refers to a camera function standard that enables high-quality photography. The cameras used by many professional photographers are equipped with a full-frame solid-state imaging element (image sensor) standard

 

The difference is easy to see when comparing them on a large monitor, but when comparing them on a small screen like a smartphone, many people probably feel that there isn't much difference between photos ① and ②

As you can see, unless you think about how you take the photos, you won't actually be able to take very good photos even if you use an SLR camera.

On the other hand, with the latest smartphone features (here we use the iPhone 8 Plus's portrait mode) and some ingenuity in the way you take photos, you can take high-quality photos like those taken with a DSLR, like the one below. In fact, they are already high quality.

High-performance cameras such as SLRs are highly capable of conveying the texture of the subject and the atmosphere and three-dimensionality of the scenery more clearly , so if you are taking a photo under the same conditions, it is easier to take a better photo with an SLR camera than with a smartphone.

However, I hope you have understood from what I have said so far that photography technique is more important than the performance of the camera

we will delve deeper into practical ideas and techniques for taking good photos

Organize what you want to communicate with your photos [Using a mouse as an example]

When you take a photograph, isn't it because you have a message you want to convey through it

if you take a photo of a dish that you looks delicious and you'll try to take the photo in a way that conveys as much of its deliciousness as possible.

In this way, stopping to think before taking a photo and asking yourself, "What do I want to convey through the photo?" is an important step that forms the foundation

Now, let's use the example of your boss suddenly asking you , "I want to sell this mouse, so take a photo that will help sell it." Let's think together about how you can take a good photo that accurately conveys what you want to say.

"Um, mouse...?"

I can almost hear such voices

"Can I take an attractive photo of this...?"

friend

 

There probably aren't many people who look at a photo of a mouse and , "Wow! That's a great photo!!"

In other words, the difficulty level is high.

Even though you may be exhausted by your boss's unreasonable demands, let's try and challenge ourselves together through trial and error

All of the mouse photos posted from here on were taken with an iPhone 8 Plus (smartphone)

(Of course, it is unlikely that you will actually be asked to complete such a mysterious task in Beyond. Even if you were,I make an excuse and decline）

Organize the appeal of your subject

My boss has asked me to take photos of a mouse that looks like it might sell, so I'll start by trying to sort out what makes this mouse so appealing

I found the following to be attractive about this mouse:

• Metallic colors and matte textures are cool
• The size is good and it seems easy to grip
• The moderately rounded shape is adorable.

I praised him a little too much to help him take better photos in the future

The first thing to do is to increase motivation

Think about how to convey the appeal of your subject

After sorting out the appeal of the mouse, which is the subject of this photo, the next step is to think about how to convey

Obviously, this type of photo doesn't convey the charm of the mouse

It looks like a cicada rolling around in the corner of an apartment hallway in the summer

They're scary because they usually start acting violently when you get close

 

I want to take photos of mice that are likely to sell, so my goal this time is for people to look at the photos and think, "That's a great mouse!" or "I want to use that mouse!"

Taking this into consideration, how should you take a photo of the mouse that we have just outlined to convey its appeal?

There are two points to consider:

• Tip 1: Adjust the subject's composition

→From what angle would you be able to capture the most compelling information about your subject?

• Point 2: Adjust the light hitting the subject

→How can you use light to bring out the beautiful texture of the subject?

I will explain them in order

Tip 1: Adjust the subject's composition

When I first organized the image, I thought that the mouse's size, which seemed easy to hold , and its beautiful shape would be the highlight of its appeal, so I experimented with the composition by adjusting the placement of the mouse and other factors to convey these points.

Point 2: Adjust the light hitting the subject → Conclusion: If you're taking the photo indoors, take it by the window

Although this is something that only photographers worry about, adjusting the light that hits the subject very important .

When you think, "I don't know why, but this is a good photo..." the key to a photo is usually the lighting

By making the most of the light, you can take photos with sharp contrast

(This photo was taken with a single-lens reflex camera.)

Make use of natural light

When photographers actually take product photos, use multiple lighting equipment precisely control the light before taking the photo, but there are ways to create nice lighting without using such equipment.

The key to make use of natural light .

Natural light is light that is not artificial, such as sunlight

you can easily by a window before sunset when you can get enough natural light .

On the other hand, the light from indoor lighting , you may not get enough light, and your photo may end up being dark and blurry , so be careful.

Taking the above points into consideration, I took a photo of a mouse next to a window

The photo was taken at a slight angle so that the side of the mouse could be seen, allowing the thickness and shape of the mouse to be seen

The angle for taking the photo doesn't seem bad, but I'm a little concerned about the reflection

The bag that the book came in was lying within easy reach, so I decided to use it to reduce unnecessary reflections

There is formal equipment available for suppressing unwanted light, but I wanted to demonstrate how even something as simple as this can effectively control natural light, so I tried it with a bagThe other thing that was a hassle was preparing the equipment

a bag I found lying around the room , I was able to eliminate unwanted reflections.

I think I was able to take a photo that accurately conveys the shape and texture of the mouse in the way I wanted

So, can we say that we have now taken a photo of a mouse that will sell?

That can't be true

Needless to say, the reason is the dirty futon in my room is the background.

There are so many hairballs

So this time I changed the shooting location from the futon to the desk and tried taking photos using the natural light coming in from the window in the same way

(I wonder why I've been taking photos in bed up until now...)

I think the impression is much better now that the dirty futon is no longer holding me back

(However, because my desk is small, I can no longer take photos from a slightly oblique angle. It would be best if I could take a photo that also captures the side of the mouse, but I'll give up on that this time.)

This photo might sell if you list it on a flea market app, for example

However, when I spoke to my boss,

"Well, it's not bad, but this photo still doesn't make people think, 'I want this mouse!!'"

I was told that. I see, I was speechless

Up until this point, I had focused on bringing out the charm of the subject (the mouse) I realized that wasn't enough to take a photo that would move people's hearts

So from here on, focus on elements other than the subject and think together about how we can take photos that bring out the best in the subject (the mouse).

Add a story to your photos

Furthermore, in order to take a photo that brings out the charm of the subject (a mouse), it is necessary not only to highlight the appeal of the mouse itself, but information in the photo that allows the viewer to imagine a future life using this mouse .

It 's about adding a story to your photos

(In product photography, product shots , which are photos that accurately convey the color , shape, and texture , image shots photos that stimulate purchasing desire . In this article, we will proceed under the assumption that we will be taking image shots.)

I will summarize it below

Who uses a mouse?

First, imagine the type of person who will use a mouse. People who use a mouse are often students or working professionals who are doing some kind of work on a PC. Also, since the mouse we will be photographing this time is metallic red, we will create a story that will appeal mainly to men

The lifestyle that mouse users desire

It is likely that people who work using a PC and mouse want to work stylishly in a comfortable and stylish space

With this in mind, let's actually add a story to a photo

Props to create a story

It seems difficult to convey a story with just a photo of a mouse on a desk

Therefore, a PC , ballpoint pen , iced coffee , and imitation greenery on the desk as props and took a photo of them together.

It created a lively atmosphere and made it easier to imagine a life using a mouse, but that the white wall unnecessary for this concept , so I changed the angle of the photo so that the white wall was not visible.

when you are unable to take a photo that matches the image you have in your head , take a look at the entire photo and check to see if there is anything unnecessary in it how you can retake the photo to get it the way you imagined .

Also, the imitation green used this time was a little too cutesy a mismatch with the mouse and other props , so I decided to use a different imitation green.

Here is the photo I took again after correcting some of the imperfections

 

Compared to the previous photo, there is no excess or lack of information, and it is much easier to imagine the story of someone working stylishly using a mouse (the subject).

This is not bad if it's finished

the indirect lighting next to my desk , so I decided to try it out one last time.

Below are some scenes from the shoot

In this way, new light was added to the desk, creating a different atmosphere than natural light

Here is a photo taken using indirect lighting

deliberately narrowing the area where the light hits we were able to create a more stylish

In this way, by deliberately not capturing the entire subject clearly, and by intentionally leaving the PC and imitation greenery outside the frame , you can create a photo that gives a sense of depth and contrast

completes it for now .

As a general rule, we recommend not using indoor lighting and instead making use of natural light from windows, but indirect lighting can often be used effectively, as in this case. Please give it a try

Summary of this article

1. High image quality is not the key to a good photo. A good photo is one that conveys the message
2. To take a good photo, organize the subject's appeal in your mind before taking the photo
3. To take a good photo, adjust the composition and lighting to bring out the subject's charm (if indoors, use natural light coming in through a window)
4. Use backgrounds and props to tell a story in your photos

I would be happy if even one of the contents is helpful

Thank you for watching until the end!