How To Take Better Photos With Samsung Galaxy Smartphones

Smartphones are becoming ever more powerful in the photography department, and the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus offer us even more power for great photography. 

They both offer the brightest lens available in any smartphone camera to date, (at the time of writing - 26 April 18) with an aperture of f/1.5 on the 12-megapixel camera.  As a photographer, you may want to be able to snap images on the go in situations where carrying a separate camera may not be practical. Here, we run through some top tips that will help you to use your Galaxy Smartphone to its full potential.

1. Get to know how the controls work

Learning how the camera functions is key to being able to use it quickly and effectively should a photographic opportunity arise. Because a phone is more than just a camera, it can pay to learn the quickest method to access it. On the Galaxy S9, the camera app opens up instantly with a tap and taking images is pretty much an instant process. A little experimenting and you'll quickly be able to easily find your way around the settings. 

2. Hold the phone with both hands

Often with smartphones, we are used to browsing them using just one hand. To keep the camera steady and minimise the chances of dropping it, especially when taking images in the landscape format, it's advisable to use both hands. hold the top and bottom of the frame and press the shutter with the index finger to keep a secure grip at all times. OIS built into modern smartphones like the Galaxy S9 can help to deal with this.

3. Hold your elbows into your body

Although the latest smartphones from Samsung are equipped with OIS, helping to reduce shake in images, you can help the camera out by keeping your elbows tucked into your body when shooting. This provides a firmer, more stable base when holding the phone and prevents potential arm wobble spoiling the shot when the image is taken. 

4. Use your feet to zoom

Samsung Galaxy smartphones are highly advanced, but the flat design of a smartphone means that it's difficult to include optical zoom as part of the package, as it'd have to extend the camera's lens out of the phone body in order to be achieved. This means that to get the best images out of your phone it's advisable to zoom by walking closer to your subject if you can and it's safe to do so. Although digital zoom has come on leaps and bounds, it's still only manipulating the image to create the close-up look, so will harm the overall resolution. 

5. Explore the effects on offer 

Smartphones today have a myriad of effects on offer to customise your images. From panorama shots to super slow motion video capabilities, there are a wide range of effects on offer. The S9 has 15 various filters giving you quick access to black and white or retro looking images very easily. 

6. Use "Pro" mode for more advanced controls

You can use the "Pro" mode, and adjust the ISO speed, shutter speed, aperture (S9/S9+), focus, white balance and more. You can even shoot raw images, so that you can process them in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.