How to Take Better Photos with Your Phone

1. Clean the lens first

A surprising number of blurry or hazy photos come down to a smudged lens. Wipe it with a microfiber cloth or the inside of a clean cotton shirt. Do this every time you plan to take a photo worth keeping.

2. Turn on the grid

Enable the rule-of-thirds grid in your camera settings. Place the subject near an intersection of the lines rather than dead center. For horizons, align them with the top or bottom third line so the image feels level.

3. Move your feet instead of zooming

Digital zoom crops and enlarges pixels, which quickly turns soft and grainy. Walk closer when you can. If you must zoom, stop at the optical zoom limit before the image quality drops.

4. Tap to focus and adjust exposure

Tap the subject on screen, then drag the exposure slider slightly down if the scene looks washed out. On most phones, locking focus and exposure prevents the camera from hunting while you recompose.

5. Steady the phone

Hold the phone with both hands, tuck your elbows in, and breathe out before pressing the shutter. In low light, brace the phone against a wall or use a tripod. Use burst mode for moving subjects.

6. Think about the background

Look at the edges of the frame before you shoot. A bright window behind the subject can blow out the image, and stray objects can look like they are growing out of someone's head. Shift your position to simplify what is behind them.

7. Edit lightly

Crop to improve the composition, straighten the horizon, and adjust exposure and contrast a little. Avoid stacking filters and heavy sharpening. A good photo should still look like the scene you remember.