CamCyclopedia
We all want to know how to click a good picture using our smartphone cameras. But, before getting into that we must be acquainted with the basics of photography. ‘Photography’ originates from the Greek words ‘phōtós’ (light) and ‘graphê’ (drawing) which literally means ‘drawing with light’. To click a good picture, you first need to understand the lighting conditions.
Things to set up before filming
1. Wipe the camera lens of your galaxy phone.
You can do almost everything on a smartphone camera automatically, except for cleaning the lens. So, we recommend that you make a habit of cleaning the camera lens before filming.
A photo without cleaning the lens
A photo after cleaning the lens
2. Take a good look at the subject you are going to click.
Trying to click a picture without taking a good look at the subject is like trying to earn money without working for it. It’s never going to work out well.
Characteristics of a smartphone camera
- A smartphone camera does not do very well against light as the sensor is small.
- A smartphone camera lens is a wide-angle lens by default.
- A wide-angle lens enlarges an object close to it and minimizes objects far away from it which can easily distort an image. With that being said, you can elicit highly emotive portraits using high-angle and low-angle distortions, where the camera looks at the subject from above or below.
- A smartphone camera is fully automatic; hence you only need to focus on the composition and story as opposed to the technical settings.
Zoom with your body
Smartphone cameras today come equipped with telephoto lenses and have an in-built zoom feature. Unfortunately, there is a clear drop in image quality when you use these features. In these circumstances, it is always better to physically bring the camera closer to the subject rather than just relying on the in-built lens and zoom feature.
Good photography subscribes to the formula of subtraction, wherein you get closer to the subject and eliminate unnecessary elements from the frame. If drawing is adding details to a blank space one by one, then photography is deciding which details to subtract from an already full space. Keep in mind, a good photo does away with all unnecessary elements.
Tips to click a good portrait on a Galaxy phone
- Using the golden ratio (rule of thirds) to shoot
- Knowing what to avoid
- Understanding and capturing light
- Making the legs look longer and slimmer
- Taking shots using the portrait out-focus
- Clicking portraits at different angles
- Retouching portraits using editing tools
1. Using the golden ratio (rule of thirds) to shoot
The Golden Ratio = The rule of thirds. This is the golden rule to shoot portraits. You will come across the following screen (as shown in the image below) when you open the camera settings in Galaxy.
If you enable ‘Grid lines’ under ‘General’, you will find a grid of nine squares on the camera screen. A total of four intersections appear on the screen. You can easily compose the subject in the golden ratio by placing the subject on any intersection you want. The goal is to calibrate the subject on top of any of the four vertices and then take the photo.
Alternatively, you can place the subject’s face on any of the vertices. [2]
When you are shooting portraits in landscape orientation, leave a space along the subject’s line of sight to capture a stable composition and compelling story. [2]
A dictionary describes the adjective ‘portrait’ as ‘vertical or upright orientation’ as opposed to horizontal or shorter on the sides. Hence, the portrait orientation is more conducive to capturing portraits. This is because a portrait angle lends itself to capturing more of the subject and less of the unwanted elements around it.
Moreover, smartphones do usually take more portrait photos with a vertical composition, since the smartphone screen is vertical by default. Which brings us to the question, how can your portrait composition benefit from the golden ratio?
Things may vary as per the angle of photography, but a portrait composition for burst shots is better if the eyes of the subject are aligned right above the topmost line of the 3X3 grid. Of course, there is no right or wrong angle when it comes to photo composition. But, is it not always better to stick to universally-liked aesthetically pleasing compositions? In case your composition is slightly off, you can crop the photo using the photo editor to balance it out. But, it is always better to aim for a better portrait by framing the eyes at the top of the grid line in a composition.
Example of Golden Ratio being applied to portraits
You can always edit the composition using the Galaxy photo editing tool as shown below.
2. Knowing what to avoid when it comes to portrait photography
One of the most common mistakes people make while taking portraits is cutting off the joints of a body. While that might sound unsettling, what we mean to say is that many people end up cutting out joints such as ankles, knees, the waist, or the neck from a portrait. This inevitability makes a portrait look incomplete or unnatural.
To compose a good portrait, you first need to scan the whole subject through the lens of your camera to see if any element is missing or needs to be removed. Also, remember not to place structures such as columns right above a person's head.
Another common mistake is when the horizon or the skyline is cutting across the neck of the subject at the beach. Usually, heightening or lowering the camera angle helps in this case. The composition of the portrait will be a lot more stable if you frame the horizon above or below the neck.
3. Understanding and capturing light
Light and shadow are the two sides of the same coin: shadow follows where the light goes. Hence, understanding how light and shadow work is imperative to take good photos.
Soft light and hard light
Think about the difference between the natural light on a cloudy day and a sunny day. Soft light, such as natural light on a cloudy day, is great for portraits. On the other hand, the scorching light on a sunny day does not make for good photos. The overall difference between light and dark is too pronounced and the pictures do not turn out great. However, if you want to take a good portrait on a sunny day, your best bet is to schedule a photo shoot when the sun has gone down, preferably below head level.
So, what kind of light is the best lighting for smartphone portrait photography?
There are five fundamental portrait lights. These can be divided into 5 categories based on their placement, as seen in the image above:
1 Flat light/ Front light
Sunlight right in front of the subject
Flat light is even lighting in front of the subject. It is one of the most common lighting setups used by photographers. There are next to no shadows because the lighting is uniform. However, photographs in this lighting can lack depth which is necessary to capture unique and personal traits in an expression.
Flat light is better for landscape photography as opposed to portrait photography because a vast amount of light is showcased in a large area. Hence, it is considered good lighting for sceneries as it can give a brighter feeling.
2 Plain /Split light/ Loop light
Sunlight at 45 degrees of the subject
Plain light hits only a side of the subject making one half bright and the other half dark. This lends a sort of 3D effect to the portrait and allows the facial expression of the subject in the photo to look more natural. The best place to take photos in plain light is by the window. The soft light filtering through the window creates a good effect. Why else do you think people get such great photographs sitting by the windows in serene cafes? Plain light is also great to capture the nuances of a model’s expression in a portrait.
Example of plain light [2]
3 Side light/ Photometry
Sunlight at the left or right side of the subject
Side light emphasizes the contours of a subject and creates a strong contrast. This lighting gives a very dramatic vibe to portraits. Then again, side light is rarely a natural occurrence and it can be relatively difficult to shoot a portrait using a smartphone in this lighting.
Example of side light [2]
4 Back Light/Line Light
Sunlight is against the subject
In backlighting, as the name suggests, the subject has their back against the light. The subject effectively blocks light and this creates a silhouette portrait on a smartphone. Light emitting from the back of the subject gives a rather three-dimensional appearance which is great for impressionistic portraits and outlines of landscapes.
Backlight creates bright and slender lines along the contours of the face. You can create deep psychological depictions, both dramatic and romantic, using backlighting. But, taking portraits using backlight has its limitations. For instance, while taking a portrait against the sunset, you will have to choose between the person and the background as the main focus. Unless you want to take silhouettes, we don’t recommend using portraits in this light as backlighting pictures do not capture facial expressions well.
Example of backlight photo [2]
5 Rembrandt Light/ History light
Sunlight falls behind the shoulder and the head of the subject
When compared to backlighting, Rembrandt light showcases the background and the subject. Both are well distinguished and the face stands out in this light. This lighting occurs naturally as the sun starts to go down, also known as the golden hour, and is the best kind of light for portraits.
Rembrandt Light[2]
4. Making the legs look longer and slimmer
How can you use the Galaxy camera to make someone look slimmer and taller? First, go to the camera and flip the screen, then point the lens downwards.
Make sure the grid lines are on. Now imagine assigning numbers to each of the 9 boxes in the grid, with the top left box as 1 and the bottom right box as 9 (refer to the picture below). Now, place the face of the subject in box 5 and tilt the phone towards the body a bit. The face will appear smaller and the legs will look longer with this method.
Remember not to tilt the phone too much, as the legs may appear abnormally long due to excessive distortion. Essentially, the default camera in your phone uses a wide-angle lens, and this technique is nothing but a distortion of those lenses.
The key is to allocate imaginary numbers 1 to 9 and place the face within grid 5 before clicking.
Also, just pressing the shutter and regulating the exposure before pressing the shutter will make quite a difference in the portrait. So, if you want to focus on the face of the subject, tap on their face, adjust the exposure, and lock it in place with the AE AF lock for a better portrait.
5. Taking shots using the portrait out-focus
As mentioned earlier, photography pertains to subtraction. The lesser unnecessary elements, the better the photo. 'Out-focusing' is one such element that helps focus on the subject in a portrait. In your Samsung Galaxy camera, you can easily use out-focus in the 'Portrait' mode.
By applying out-focus in portraits, you will be able to capture vivid expressions and details at a close range without any disorientation. This mode is highly recommended if you want to closely focus on a subject, especially for still-life photography.
6. Clicking portraits at different angles
Let’s experiment with angles to keep the portraits interesting. There are mainly three portrait angles we should know about, i.e. low angle, high angle and eye-level angle. Every angle has a distinct character, so it is up to the photographer to choose the right angle for the right shot.
Low angle
The camera is positioned lower than the subject. This angle makes it seem as if you were looking at the subject from down below. Shooting at a low angle makes the subject look larger than life, imparting strength, dominance and vitality to the subject.
A full shot from a low angle has the effect of making the legs look longer and the face smaller. A low angle bestows a grave and authoritative air on portraits. It is always better to shoot with a wide angle if you want the low-angle effect to be more prominent.
Low-angle shot for a model [2]
High angle
The camera shoots the subject from above at a high angle, giving the impression of looking down at the subject. High-angle portraits make the eyes look bigger and the chin thinner, but that is offset by the fact that this angle makes the face looks larger and the legs shorter. Hence, we must recommend selfies rather than full shots from this angle.
With that being said, it is much easier to accommodate everyone in a group photo using this high angle. A low angle for a group photo may make the person closest to the lens may look unflattering. A high angle on the other hand equalizes everyone’s face in the photo making the group shot look so much better.
High-angle shot for a group photo [2]
Eye-level angle
An ‘eye-level angle’ as the name suggests, is the angle that we most commonly use. It is suitable for realistic depictions. The eye-level angle is a person’s line of sight, in essence. The photographs taken are not subject to unnatural angles, instead, the subject is clicked rather objectively.
Eye level shot for a puppy [2]
7. Retouching portraits using editing tools
There is a difference between taking a photo and making a photo. In the past, analogue photography required you to take a picture, develop the film and print them out. If you did not like the final result, then that was just too bad. Now, the process is much easier! You take the photo and simply retouch it.
Let's say you take a portrait and go into the Galaxy's Photo Editor Folder to retouch it. You can apply various filters to change the tone, adjust the basic brightness, change the contrast, and so on to create the look and feel you want.
Example of an edited portrait
Once you are done with the basic tone correction, you can go to the face retouch menu and retouch the jawline, change the eye size and even adjust the skin tone for a better portrait. But when it comes to retouching, remember less is more.
You may think that focusing on the beautiful and compelling parts of the subject is the best way to get a good portrait. In reality, it takes great lighting, good photography skills, an understanding of camera angles and just a little bit of editing to capture that perfect portrait. Come to think of it, aren’t our handy smartphone cameras just the best?
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Notes
[1] The article is written by Kang shin Lee. The content of this article is not indicative of Samsung’s official stance and only reflects the opinions of the author.
[2] The images are for illustrative purposes and have been taken with a pro camera.
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