How to take BANGER photos with any phone.

no bullshit, non technical guide from a guy who takes photos just with his phone, to make “art” rather than just preserving memories through pictures : )

1. clean your lens. or heck, even smudge it.

the moment i pick my phone to take pictures, the first thing i do before opening the camera app is clean the lens. lame tip but it works.

OR keep it smudged. rub your finger or maybe put your nose on it. sounds weird but it works.

especially when shooting sunsets or light shadow prominent scenes. it gives a dreamy look to photos WITHOUT any filters.

2. turn this OFF

all the unnecessary options like hdr plus, ai scene optimizer, extra sharpening, chroma boost, vivid mode, all that.

it literally BAKES the photo.

imo this makes pictures look artificial and dead.

that is why apps like @zerocam_app and @halidecamera exist.

always take the most natural-looking photo. Edit it yourself later.

3. zoom wisely.

2x and 3x work best on most phones.

unless your phone has a dedicated telephoto lens, avoid heavy zoom.

KNOW when to stop.

if needed, take the photo. crop later.

4. use pro mode.

manually adjust the settings. if you don’t know anything, just start with white balance (WB), especially at sunset. see the magic yourself. does wonders in low light. sunsets, blue hours, evenings, moon, lightning, milky way, light trails and whatnot.

keep iso low. slow down the shutter speed. there’s no fixed number, try it yourself.

but for starters, set

iso to 50–100, shutter speed to 1–4 seconds and adjust based on light.

5. intentional camera movement (ICM)

same thing as above, but this time move the camera while shooting at low shutter speed.

this is a game changer.

one thing that single handedly makes photos look more artistic.

6. use lightroom.

can’t stress this enough. just start using it. edit your photos in lightroom. play with colors.

youtube is full of basics. that is how i learned.

try imitating a specific look from your favorite pinterest photos or movies.

its fun and this is the fastest way to learn.

7. learn the rules, forget them later.

it is important you learn them. but you can definitely choose not follow them. it comes automatically when you have taken enough pictures.

i was obsessed with rule of thirds, composition, framing, all that.

i dont care that much now.

i take photos the way i want.

a technically perfect photo is NOT always a great photo.

trust your instincts, capture emotion. if it makes you feel something it will make people feel something.

8. imperfection is the beauty of real art.

embrace grain. blur. low quality. mess.

a photo is not defined by its quality.

it is defined by its ability to make you FEEL something.

noticed more and more people choosing digicam photos over iphones lately? nostalgia. photo that feels like a memory. its a feeling. that is why.

9. gear doesnt matter.

“the BEST camera is the one you have with you right now.”

i used to hate this line.

coz people saying it already had the best dslrs and latest iphones.

now i say it. and no, i don’t have a dslr. not even an iphone.

i started with a potato android. i still take all my photos on android.

don’t fall for the “this is the best camera” propaganda. make the most with what you have.

alr, here’s the quick summary :

• clean the lens, smudge the lens.

• turn off unnecessary options.

• zoom smartly.

• use pro mode.

• ICM is a game changer.

• use lightroom.

• shoot how you feel.

• embrace imperfection.

• gear doesnt matter.

side notes:

this guide is based on my personal experience.

i am not a professional photographer. i am just a guy who likes taking pictures.

if you’re a beginner who loves taking pictures, one more thing, just take photos more pictures and that’s it. eventually you’ll get better at it.

if you’re a photographer reading this and have anything to add, feel free to do so.

if you made it till here, give yourself a pat on the back. you’ve done amazing job in this goldfish attention span economy :’)