7 Tips for Taking Impressive Photos with Your Nokia Phone
Nokia smartphones, such as the Nokia Lumia 1020, are renowned for their remarkable photography features. Despite having the technology to enhance the quality of photos, it takes more than that to get magnificent photos. Here’s how you can get the most out of your Nokia smartphone’s impressive camera.
Tune the aspect ratio till you get the largest possible image
Normally, Nokia phones’ factory settings are not set to optimal which means it is usually in a lower resolution. Although this offers a better digital zoom, it doesn’t give you the largest possible image. To achieve this, just tune the aspect ratio till you get the largest possible image.
Insert a microSD card for high-resolution images
Since high-definition images consume a lot of memory space, it’s best to store them in a microSD card so you can have more memory left for other files and apps. However, if your handset doesn’t come with a microSD slot, then save your best pictures and delete the ones you don’t need before taking more photos.
Clean the lens
Before taking a picture, make sure the camera lens doesn’t have dirt and fingerprints. Since phones spend most of their time in the pockets or purse, the dust and dirt can get on the lens. To eliminate fingerprints and dirt, wipe the lens with a cloth before taking a picture. A microfiber cloth or an optician cleaning cloth are recommended since they are smooth and will not scratch your phone’s lens. If you don’t have these items, facial tissues will do just fine, however, they often leave behind pesky dust.
Determine the right exposure settings
There are three essential settings for taking photos: the ISO, exposure time, and the aperture. Their values determine how blurred is the image of the object in motion, how strong is the exposure of the photo, and how well is your device focused on the background.
ISO
ISO determines the light sensitivity of the camera. A higher ISO value means it’s more sensitive to light. This also allows you to truncate the exposure time, hence, providing sharper photos. A high ISO value is also needed when taking photos in dark settings. But there’s a downside to having a high ISO value on your phone’s sensor – that is more noise in the photo. The level of noise depends on the smartphone model; some smartphones experience noise issues at ISO 400 and above, while others experience the noise problems even at a lower ISO value. That is why you should know how your phone’s sensor manages this and determine which ISO value provides decent results. In most cases, an ISO value of 200 is acceptable enough.
Exposure time
This is a setting that improves the illumination of an image which comes very useful in dimly lit settings. Capturing moving objects while the exposure time is set to a higher value often leads to a photo that is marred with streaks. However, this can be used creatively for night views of the hustle and bustle of a city or for rivers.
Aperture
Most smartphone cameras come with fixed values for aperture, meaning you cannot adjust it. Thus, it’s important to determine the right settings for ISO and exposure time since they can be adjusted. Normally, the aperture comes with two modes: automatic and manual mode. The latter provides better and sharper results.
Tune the focus manually
Great images are often captured by using the right focus. Thus, it’s important for smartphone photographers to set it right. The autofocus is helpful at times but it is infallible since it doesn’t know the right focus. Using the touch or manual focus, on the other hand, solves the issue and allows you to focus anywhere you want, capturing sharp photos with no blurriness.
Take multiple snapshots
Capturing a single shot of your subject isn’t always the perfect snapshot, so it’s best to take multiple snaps of it and sort the images later. For instance, if your only image of the Eiffel Tower in Paris is blurry, you will most likely regret it later. But if you take several shots of the subject while paying attention to the focus, you will probably get at least two or more decent images. Today, most of Nokia’s top-of-the-line flagship smartphones come with a burst mode that enables its sensor to take multiple photos in a series with just one press of the button.
One-handed photography is not enough
Taking several shots of your subject quickly can result in shaky and blurry images. Smartphone photographers often produce such results when they only use one hand for taking photos. But your photos can be improved by holding your smartphone using both of your hands. While doing this, make sure your arms are completely extended to lessen the movement of the smartphone. With that, the resulting images will appear steady and sharp. You can also use a tripod that provides more stability.