OT: How to take AMAZING pictures with cellphone cameras

[VTR1000SP2]

I've been told by friends and family (no one happens to be a professional or amateur photographer) that I take great pictures with my iPhone which is an iPhone 6s currently. My only suggestions are to try and keep the phone as still as possible, align your shot with the horizon and always keep that lens clean. I try not to edit my images as much as possible and sometimes it all works out to something like the image I'm sharing below, it's my favorite capture with the phone using the native app and without any editing.

[palincss]

So where's the image?

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by azrider

Samsung camera way better than our 7’s unfortunately

Maybe a bit better but not way better, from reviews I've read. Anyway, I've had two disappointing Samsung phones in the past so I'm not about to go there again.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Maybe a bit better but not way better, from reviews I've read. Anyway, I've had two disappointing Samsung phones in the past so I'm not about to go there again.

If you do make the switch to Apple, I'd wait till the next OS release

[weisan]

So...er...ahem, please bring this down to a language that I can understand... Apple is Campagnolo...and Samsung is Shimano?

[ntb1001]

Originally Posted by weisan

So...er...ahem, please bring this down to a language that I can understand... Apple is Campagnolo...and Samsung is Shimano?

To me...

Apple is Campagnolo is Canon, is Hasselblad...all though I almost never use the Hasselbad gear anymore


Samsung is Shimano is Nikon




Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by weisan

So...er...ahem, please bring this down to a language that I can understand... Apple is Campagnolo...and Samsung is Shimano?

And the Google Pixel is SRAM

[Vonruden]

Originally Posted by eBAUMANN

As a photographer and professional photo retoucher...I have been a proponent of cell phones as cameras for as long as I can remember, based primarily on the basis of "best camera is the one you have with you" mentality.

As much as people make a big deal about megapixels and whatever other whiz-bang killer feature of the year might be...photography, at its core, is about MOMENTS. Which can be captured by any capable camera. The easier the camera is to use, the more likely you are to capture that moment you see in front of you...which is the true brilliance of the phone-camera, they are (for the most part) very very quick (or at least as quick as you are) in the from-pocket-to-photo time trial.

I even went so far as to shoot one of my weekly projects in a senior level college photo class (like 10 years ago) with an iphone 3g...i converted all the images to BW, cropped to 2:3, and NOBODY noticed.

These days, most phones have cameras that are more than enough for 95% of the population (considering most photos will never be viewed on anything other than screens) and for that other 5%, there are a number of high-end phones (apple, google, samsung) with truly impressive cameras worthy of your time/pocket.

Just remember to keep your lens smudge free!
Seriously, it makes an ENORMOUS difference.

This, being there in the moment. Early morning / golden hour works best for me.

[ergott]

Optical image stabilization is a must for many conditions. I think the latest iPhones have them, but I know Samsung and other android phones have had this feature for a few generations.

[VTR1000SP2]

Originally Posted by palincss

So where's the image?

Can you not see it?

[Frankwurst]

Originally Posted by weisan

What’s the proper technique in holding a phone for taking pictures?

Use your hand.Sorry weisan pal I just couldn't help myself.

[cadence90]

One of the USA's leading living photographers, Joel Sternfeld, published his book "iDubai" in 2010...all work done on his iPhone as opposed to his usual 8" x 10" view camera.

iDubai / Joel Sternfeld / Steidl


.
.

[zmudshark]

FWIW, my DIL is a pretty good photographer, as is her husband (my son). She just got an iPhone 8, and both are blown away by the pictures. They will soon be selling their Canon DSLR with multiple lenses. No longer see the need.

[Anarchist]

Originally Posted by azrider

As someone who has researched this I can assure you it is way better. Just google camera iphone vs samsung and you'll see that 'experts' all tout one as being far superior over the other.......but hey, you sound like you're pretty in the know so maybe the 'experts' got it wrong

the iphone pics listed on this thread are 'ok'................the Samsung pics below are amazing.

See, to me those pictures look way over processed. They don’t look real.

As said above, 90% of the picture is the framing/ the composition.

Arguing over which phone camera is “way better”is just pointless.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by VTR1000SP2

Can you not see it?

No, there's no image visible there.