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A National Geographic photographer shared 4 tips for taking better pictures with a phone
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
- In the age of camera phones, anyone can be a photographer.
- You don't need fancy gear or multiple lenses to take good pictures.
- I asked a National Geographic photographer how to make the most of the camera in your pocket.
Getting a degree in photography gave me the chance to work with all kinds of complex cameras, like the ones you see in old movies, where the operator puts a cloak over their head.
By the time I graduated, I was more comfortable with DSLRs and film cameras than the one in my pocket.
As a travel reporter, my work revolves around documenting the places I'm visiting. For some of that imagery, I've come to rely on my smallest, most nimble camera — my phone. So, in April 2022, I set out to improve my phone-photography skills.
And just like in school, I wanted to learn from a pro.
That's why I turned to Kiliii Yüyan, a National Geographic photographer who tells stories about cultures and their environments.
The magazine first published Yüyan's work in 2018, showcasing whale hunters in Alaska, he told Business Insider. Then, in 2023, National Geographic granted Yüyan the Eliza Scidmore Award for outstanding storytelling for his portfolio work, which included his July 2022 cover shot for a story documenting the lives of Indigenous people.
Yüyan said that nowadays, people are "drowning in photographs," but that doesn't mean yours have to look like everyone else's. There are ways to make your images stand out — even if you're just shooting on your phone.
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When Yüyan and I chatted about taking standout photos on a phone, he talked about uncommon angles, proximity to the subject, interesting foregrounds, and time spent shooting.
Here are his best tips for creating powerful pictures with a phone, along with examples of their success from my own camera roll.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
"The real secret of professional photographers is we shoot a lot and then edit it down to just one or two," Yüyan said. "You should do the same with your phone."
According to Yüyan, spending a long time in one location allows you to find optimal lighting and interesting backdrops. Truly immerse yourself in the environment to notice things that didn't stand out to you at first.
In the photos above, I spent between one and five hours at each location. I was able to take pictures with light I found inspiring, including a rainbow, the sun beaming through the trees, and a shot of a red-hued moon dimmed behind a cloud on a rooftop in Brooklyn, New York.
"Good photographs come from deep observation, and the muses reward those who slow down, stop running from place to place, and immerse themselves in the specific place and moment," Yüyan said.
So, stick around in one location, take tons of pictures, and "make room for life to unfold in front of your lens," he told Business Insider.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
To find the perfect angle, Yüyan said to start by considering how shooting with a lightweight, thin object can open up the realm of possibilities.
"It becomes a habit to use the phone at just eye level, but if you watch someone who is good at selfies, you can see they are always moving the phone around — up, down, and around to try better angles," he said. "The same applies to making any other kind of photo."
This was an important point I'd never thought about before, but it left me wondering how to tell which angle makes the strongest shot.
"One good criterion is seeing how much depth an angle will show in a photograph," Yüyan said.
For example, he said, if your subject is a child, pointing the camera down at the kid will typically result in a flat, boring image. It's the angle we're used to seeing, where the background is likely the floor. But shooting from beneath the child's eye level, looking up, can show the layers of the person and whatever is above them.
"We rarely get down below a child's height to look up at the world, and that perspective can be magical," Yüyan said.
Yüyan's example reminded me of how I photographed a small dog at parks around New York. When I took pictures of her from above or straight on, I couldn't get a sense of her expression or personality.
But when I got below her and snapped the picture while aiming up, I could see her exploratory nature and how she uses her environment to feel bigger, like perching on a rock at the edge of a creek.
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Yüyan's tip of experimenting with angles that add depth reminded me of another subject I've shot on my phone — the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in NYC.
The first time I photographed the famous tree, I shot from eye level. When I looked at my photo, I felt like I'd seen it many times before.
When I returned to try a lower angle beneath some foliage, I thought I ended up with a more distinctive image. I could now see layers of smaller plants in front of the tree and the tops of the buildings surrounding it, giving me a better sense of its scale, which had been missing.
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Yüyan said it's hard to take standout pictures of stunning natural landscapes because they've been photographed so much. His best advice is to find a good foreground subject to set your image apart from the rest.
"Great backgrounds, such as mountains or waterfalls, are easy to find because we're always looking for them," Yüyan said. "On the other hand, a good foreground subject, such as blooming wildflowers or a craggy tree, can be much harder to find in the right location."
Yüyan recommended searching for a foreground subject and framing your shot so you can see the scenery in the distance.
"It'll give your images depth, intimacy, and make your photos unique," he said.
His tip reminded me of when I photographed a beach across the street from the mountains in Santa Cruz, California. I started by photographing the beach from the shore. The mountains looked nice, but there was so much sand that I thought the bottom half of my image looked boring.
So, I took my phone across some ocean rocks and into the tide pools. The rocks and reflecting water spruced up my foreground, adding layers to my image. To me, this made it feel more dynamic.
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Yüyan's foreground tip reminded me of some photos I also took during a hike in Prescott, Arizona.
When I first arrived at the Watson Lake parking lot for my hike, I was entranced by rock formations I hadn't seen before. But my photographs from the lot didn't seem to do it justice.
Once I started hiking and immersing myself in the landscape, I found foreground subjects, such as shrubs, that better framed the lake scene.
I thought having these elements in the second image gave a better sense of what it was really like to be there, with more layers of the environment in frame.
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According to Yüyan, intimate photos of your subject are often more powerful because the viewer can feel how close you are to them.
That's why he suggested that when you're shooting with a phone, you should make it feel like you are standing right next to something for "a more human and intimate feeling."
But don't just use the camera's zoom function. Yüyan suggests standing face-to-face with your subject to "really get in close on what's happening."
This tip reminded me of photographing a 250-year-old Lebanon cedar tree on the grounds of Castello di Roncade outside Venice, Italy.
As soon as I saw the tree, I snapped a photo because it was alluring. But like my shot of Santa Cruz from the shore, I thought the bottom half of my photo was a bland waste of space. And like my shot of Watson Lake from the parking lot in Prescott, I didn't find my image nearly as impressive as the real thing.
As I walked closer, I realized the tree was even more breathtaking. In my second photograph, I stood right in front of the tree, capturing the details of its spewing branches and surrounding greenery.
My goal was to make the photo all about the tree, and I think I accomplished this in my second image because every inch of the frame showed its details.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Yüyan's advice to shoot up close with phones also reminded me of another experience I had in Italy.
When I went inside a fresh pasta shop in Vatican City, I was fascinated by the shaped dough on display. Their smooth texture and specks of flour that kept them fresh made me salivate, and I wanted to capture that feeling in a photograph.
My first picture of the display case expressed none of this. While I could see a large chunk of the counter, this image was supposed to be about the pasta, and I could hardly capture its texture from this distance.
So, for my second image, I got right up next to the glass and snapped a shot of the case with the widest variety of pasta shapes. I lit up as I peeked at the image because it elicited the exact feeling I was hoping for when I made it — a strong craving to taste the pasta, thanks to a front-row view detailing its shapes and textures.
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After getting these tips from Yüyan, I was pleased to find that some images in my camera roll supported them.
Now that I've identified what makes some of these pictures stronger than others, I'll go on my next trip feeling more inspired to shoot from my phone.
