Take better pictures with your camera phone

Although mobile-phone pictures can't match the quality of those taken by real digital cameras, often your phone's camera is the only one handy for important photo opportunities. Here are a few simple techniques for improving image quality.

Keep your subject close: Mobile-phone camera lenses can capture details in a wide area but not a deep one. If your subject is too far away, it will appear small and indistinct. It's best if you keep your subject within one metre of the camera.

Avoid backlighting: Before snapping a picture, think about where your light source is coming from. When the light source is behind your subject, the subject will often appear too dark, almost like a silhouette. Whenever possible, stand with the light behind you, not behind your subject.

Avoid low light: Camera phones have difficulty capturing details in low-light environments. Taking pictures in bright environments provides a faster shutter speed and more depth of field. If you must take photos in low light, hold the camera as still as possible; the camera will compensate for the low light by slowing the shutter speed, so if you move the phone while you shoot, the image may come out blurry.