Jun 9, 2023

How to Take Pictures Like a Pro

Yes, you can take professional photos!
How to Take Pictures Like a Pro

These days, smartphone cameras are almost as good as those the professionals use. Really. Camera phones have come a long way and you can get some beautiful shots with them. That's why it's worth learning how to use your smartphone camera well.

It's not difficult to learn how to take better smartphone photography, and learning to do so can make your holiday, personal, and professional photos even better. Never again will you cut off the top of people’s heads or leave family members out of focus! Seriously.

Follow these smartphone photography tips and you’ll improve your photography skills, take better photos, and have good pictures worthy of posting and printing.

1. For a professional photo, balance your shot by using gridlines

Man in an orange jacket sitting on a rock in the woods take a photo with a cell phone.

When you turn on your phone’s gridlines, it superimposes a series of lines on the screen of your camera. These help keep the photo parallel with any vertical or horizontal lines in the shot. If you place your subject – your grandchild opening a present Christmas morning, for instance – along the lines, your photo will be more level and balanced. It makes a huge difference.

To turn the gridlines on:

  • On iPhone: Go to "Settings," select "Photos & Camera," and switch "Grid" on.

  • On Android: Launch the camera app, go to "Settings," scroll down and switch the "gridlines" option to "on."

Apply the rule of thirds

Happy family sitting on the hood of a car taking a selfie.

In the rule of thirds, an image is split into nine equal blocks that form a three-by-three grid. You should aim to get the most interesting parts of your image near the corners of these segments, where the imaginary gridlines meet. Using the rule of thirds give a more natural feeling to the image and allows the eye to flow around the picture with ease.

2. Determine where you want your camera to focus

Cheerful dad and his son and daughter smiling for a selfie.

Your phone camera is automatically set to focus on the foreground of your frame, by default settings but if the image in the foreground isn’t what you want to be your focal point, you can adjust that.

To adjust the focal point:

Happy young dad and daughter, both in orange tee shirts, smiling for a selfie in the backyard.

Open your camera app and tap the screen where you want the focus to be. For example: In the foreground, your husband is eating a piece of pie. But what you want to focus on is your son photobombing him in the background. Tap your son’s face. A square or circular icon will appear on your camera screen. When it does, snap the photo. Tapping the screen automatically adjust how much light the camera lets in. If it's too much, you can edit it in the photo settings.

To take a portrait

Young woman in a baseball cap and a black and red check shirt standing in a cornfield with a tablet.

In your camera settings, select portrait mode for a detailed image of your subject. In the foreground, your subject will be crisp and clear, while the background will be more out of focus and softer looking.

3. Steady your camera

Smiling young couple sitting on a sofa and laughing.

Blurry photos are the worst, so for good photos and more professional photos, you need to really steady yourself and your camera before shooting.

To do so:

Lean on a friend or family member or lean against a wall to prevent your hands from wobbling. You can even prop your phone up using a phone stand, books or camera equipment like a tripod.

4. The digital zoom in is not the answer

Little boy and his dad smiling on the sofa and tapping on a cell phone.

It’s tempting to zoom in on something you really want to capture, but it’s not the best way to go. Why? Because when you zoom in, the result is typically a grainy, blurry, or pixelated photo. Instead, get closer to your subject physically. That way, you won't impact the image quality much of the photo and it will be easier later to crop it or somehow manipulate it as you’ll be working with a larger image.

5. Clean your smartphone’s camera lens

Young smiling couple checking a cell phone for directions as they walk down the street.

Ever take a photo and then wonder what all those tiny specks are on it? They’re dust and particles that have collected on the lens of your phone’s camera. Our phones live in our pockets, bags, and backpacks, and consequently, all manner of debris collect on the camera lens. Cleaning it with a soft cloth before you start shooting will go a long way toward giving you high quality photos you'll enjoy sharing.

6. Shoot in natural light, aka the outdoors

Young woman smiling and sitting on a porch swing while checking her phone.

The best photos aren't taken indoors. Just ask professional photographers. Sure, you can get good shots around the dinner table, in front of a fireplace, etc., but if you can get outside, in the natural light, to take photos, do so. Natural light is best for taking more professional pictures photos with your smartphone. It seems natural lighting not only helps capture the subject better, but it also imparts mood and atmosphere which create a more well-rounded result.

Young man in a blue denim shirt siting on a sofa and looking at his phone.

With landscape photography, the right time of day is very important. Frequently, the best and most interesting shots are taken in the early morning, at sunrise and during the golden hour, at sunset. Low light ca create a great photo.

Cool things to try

Young mom and daughter snuggling on the sofa and Facetiming a friend.

Shoot n bright light

Try shooting a subject in front of a bright light like the setting sun, and manually adjust your camera settings so all you're left with is an interesting picture of a dark silhouette against a background of light.

Young dad holding his daughter on his lap as she looks at his cellphone.

Perfect your pics by editing

Learn to edit photos right in your smartphone. Touch-ups, such as cropping, brightness adjustments, and color correction, can make the photo even better.

Just beware of doing too much. Less, as they say, is more.

Mom in a yellow dress and headband cooking while she's holding a baby and talking on a cellphone.

Burst photos enable you to take multiple shots at one time. The result is a great variety from which you can pick the best shots. Just go into your camera roll and see which ones you like.

Dad and daughter laughing hard at something on his cell phone.

Mix it up. Try taking photos from different angles. This can make them more interesting and memoriable.

Sweet young dad holding his daughter and smiling as she laughs at something on his phone.

Practice. Since you're not wasting film, the best way to learn to take a professional photo is to practice. You can take as many photos as you want, and you don't need to print them to see the results.

At Life Wireless, we believe in helping you do more than take professional looking photos with your phone. We believe in helping you get the phones and service you deserve for FREE.

 

To get free wireless service and a free cellphone, read on. 

What our customers are saying:       

"Life Wireless has been great. I have used it so many times for appointments and finding the proper care providers for my needs as well as for my family's needs. Thank you so much Life Wireless!"  Rebecca L., KY

Life Wireless offers government subsidized free cellular service through the Affordable Connectivity Program to qualifying individuals and families. And, if you’re unemployed or participate in a government benefit program such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, or WIC, you already qualify for this federally funded free cellular service. It’s not difficult to qualify for free cellular service from Life Wireless, if you meet certain requirements, and it takes just a few minutes to complete the application.

About the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

As we mentioned above, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a government benefit program operated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that provides discounts on monthly broadband Internet access service. ACP benefits may be obtained from any participating provider of your choice including Life Wireless. Only one member of a household can participate in the program and the service cannot be transferred to another family member or individual.

Because many families struggle to afford cell phones and Internet access, both of which are vital to daily life, the Federal Government offers ACP and another program called Lifeline. Using both doubles your connectivity and enables you as a parent or guardian to stay connected to doctors, employers, family and friends, and your student’s school.

About Lifeline

Lifeline is a federal program created to help qualified households pay for connectivity services such as wireless and internet plans. As with the Affordable Connectivity Program, only one member of a household can participate in the program and the service cannot be transferred to another family member or individual.

Examples of one household:

  • A married couple that lives together
  • A parent/guardian and child who live together
  • An adult who lives with friends or family who financially support him/her

Each of these are one household and must share one benefit.

Examples of more than one household:

  • Four roommates who live together but do not share money are four households. They can have one benefit each, for a total of four benefits.
  • 30 seniors who live in an assisted-living home are 30 households. They can have one benefit each, for a total of 30 total benefits.

Each state has different eligibility requirements such as receiving government assistance or having a household income that is at or below the federal poverty level for the state in which you reside.

In general though, you are qualified to receive Lifeline if you participate in any of the programs listed here:

  • Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Medicaid (not Medicare)
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Section 8 Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
  • Veteran's Pension or Survivor's Pension Benefit

Additionally, if you are a resident of a Federally-recognized Tribal land, you may qualify under the following programs:

  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
  • Tribally Administered TANF
  • Head Start (if you meet the income-qualifying standards)

Even if you’re paying just $20 a month for cell service, wouldn’t it be great to have that $240 to spend on groceries? If you apply for Lifeline and are approved, you’ll receive:

  • FREE Unlimited Talk & Text
  • FREE 15GB Data (+ more data for California residents)
  • FREE Smartphone (or bring your own)

Pair Lifeline with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and DOUBLE your connectivity

If you’re approved for Lifeline and you sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), you get two sources of free talk, text, and unlimited data that you can split between two phones. That means free cell service for you and free cell service for someone you love. Like your student. This is a terrific opportunity to provide him or her with talk, text, unlimited data, the ability to stay in touch with you, and access to the biggest library in the world: the internet.

Of course you don’t have to split the service between two phones, you can keep it all on one. But it’s a wonderful option if your spouse, student or relative needs a phone but has been unable to get one due to the expense.

Whichever option you choose – to keep the data on one phone or split it between two – Life Wireless will make sure you receive the free talk, text, and unlimited data to help you stay connected.

Option 1: Combine Your Data

Activate Lifeline and ACP on the same device and receive unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 5GB of mobile hotspot.

Option 2: Split Your Data
Split your data between two phones or supported devices and you’ll have one device with ACP’s free talk, text, and 6GB of data and a second device with Lifeline’s talk, text, and 4.5GB of data (6GB of data in California).

What our customers are saying:

“Without this phone I would be lost. It has helped me stay in contact with my daughter’s specialist. I schedule her appointments and they can call back if there are any complications with her results. Thank you, Life Wireless.” Amanda Z., PA

Additional, important, details

Life Wireless service is a prepaid service offered to those eligible for ACP discount benefits and those eligible for Lifeline benefits.  To maintain your service and benefits, you need to:

  • activate your service by calling someone,
  • initiating data usage (by going on Facebook, for example), or
  • by responding to instructions from Life Wireless to activate the service.

To keep your account active, you need to use the service at least once during any 30-day period by:

  • calling someone,
  • answering a call from someone other than Life Wireless,
  • sending a text message,
  • using cellular data (again, by going on Facebook or Amazon, for example),
  • purchasing additional service from Life Wireless,
  • or by responding to a direct contact from Life Wireless confirming that you want to continue receiving service from Life Wireless.

Should your service goes unused for 30 days, you will no longer be eligible for Lifeline benefits and your service may be suspended (allowing only 911 calls and calls to the Life Wireless's customer care center), and subject to a 15-day cure period during which you must use the service (as described above) in order to fully re-activate your service, keep your telephone number and remain enrolled in the ACP.

For questions about Life Wireless, visit our Contact Us page here. To enroll now, use the Life Wireless Online Enrollment form.

Quick facts about Life Wireless:

You can add more minutes and data

You can purchase additional minutes or data one of the following ways:

  • Go to www.LifeWireless.com and click "Add Minutes/Data"
  • If you have a smart phone, go to your MyLifeWireless app and click "Add Minutes".
  • Call Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620, or by dialing 611 on your Life Wireless phone.
  • You can also go to any Moneygram location and use Receive Code: 7924

You can track your minutes

Your minutes replenish each month on your anniversary date before end of the day. For example if you signed up and received your minutes on the 12th of the month, your minutes will replenish every month on the 12th of the month.

You can check your account balance the following ways:

  • Go to www.LifeWireless.com and click "My Account"
  • Go to your MyLifeWireless app on your phone, and click "Check Balance"
  • Call Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620, or by dialing 611 on your Life Wireless phone.

You can keep your current phone number!

If your application is approved, you have the option to keep your current phone number.

Once you receive your Life Wireless phone in the mail, call Life Wireless Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620 and a representative will assist you in keeping your current number. Make sure that you don't call from your Lifeline phone and have your account number and password from your previous carrier handy.

What our customers are saying:       

"Life Wireless has been great. I have used it so many times for appointments and finding the proper care providers for my needs as well as for my family's needs. Thank you so much Life Wireless!"  Rebecca L., KY

“Without this phone I would be lost. It has helped me stay in contact with my daughter’s specialist. I schedule her appointments and they can call back if there are any complications with her results. Thank you, Life Wireless.” Amanda Z., PA
 
“I've been looking for apartments, doctor’s offices, and school phone numbers, and my data provided has been a tremendous help in gaining access to this information. I'm very grateful for this service.” Maria R. AZ

Apply for free cellular service with Life Wireless now. You’ll be glad you did.

Posted 10 months ago