Creative composition tricks with a smartphone
Phones are small enough to go places big cameras cannot. Creative angles, reflections and framing ideas for phone photography.
A phone’s small size and wide lenses open creative possibilities. Use them to your advantage.
Go low
Hold the phone upside down near the ground so the lens is at the very bottom. Low angles make puddles, streets and floors dramatic.
Use reflections
Puddles, windows, sunglasses and pools create symmetrical or surreal images. After rain in Mérida, streets become mirrors.
Frame through things
Shoot through arches, doorways, leaves or windows to create natural frames.
Shoot through glass
Press the phone lens directly against a window to avoid reflections when photographing from cars, planes or buildings.
Ultra-wide drama
Get very close to a foreground object with the ultra-wide lens to exaggerate perspective.
Overhead shots
Phones are perfect for flat lays of food and products. Hold them parallel to the table.
Silhouettes
Tap on a bright sky to expose for it and turn people into silhouettes at sunset.
Panorama vertically
Turn panorama mode vertical to capture tall subjects like towers or palms.
Next: Ultra-wide, wide or telephoto: choosing your phone’s lens
