MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY VS IMAGES FROM A PROFESSIONAL CAMERA

maria04126
Jun 8
5 min read

Don't worry, I am not going to get into technical specs and start comparing different types of gear and settings. This is a letter of encouragement to you, my friend, if you want to take beautiful photos but think that you can only start doing so after you buy a professional camera.

During the pandemic, I did not have access to my usual gear (Fujifilm XT-2 at the time), so I spent about two years taking photos with a Samsung S21 Ultra phone. That phone was released, in January 2021. It is not a cheap phone, but the technology in it, by today's standards, is quite old. There is a high chance that whatever phone you have these days has better lenses and better processing power plus a bunch of AI features that make taking photos easier. Keep that in mind when looking at the images below.

Remember: All photos below are taken with an old Samsung S21 Ultra from 2021. They are scaled to 1200px horizontally to keep this page light and fast to load.

Snow-capped Teide volcano peak with clouds swirling around, under a soft evening light. Sky is clear, creating a serene, majestic scene.

Disclaimer - in no way I am trying to diminish the technical advantages of professional gear. Seasoned photographers, please take your fingers off the keyboards and erase your angry messages - this post is not for you. My goal here is to show that everyone can start taking good images with whatever they already have at hand. And through this new-found self-confidence and passion they will hopefully start making their own educated conclusions if and when they need to upgrade. This post is my attempt to prevent beginners from buying expensive gear in hope that it will magically make their photos better. Like buying expensive paints and brushes won't automatically improve your painting skills.

Sunset over the ocean with a solitary sailboat. The sun reflects golden hues on the water, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere. Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Let's take a look at some of the mobile photography examples and see what you can learn from them to help you take better photos.

As a viewer, where should I be looking?

People often try to capture too much. Start with one main subject. Your instinct might be to place it in the center of the frame. Instead, place it in the frame following the rule of thirds (see the examples below). imagine dividing your frame into nine equal parts. Placing key elements along these lines or at their intersections helps to guide the viewer's eye and makes your images more compelling.

Many phones allow you to turn on the Rule of Thirds overlay grid in the settings; just google it for your phone model.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Two people run along a wet, rocky beach with waves crashing. Mountains and cloudy blue sky in the background create a serene mood.

Photography rule of thirds. Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Two people run on a rocky beach at sunset, waves crashing nearby. Mountains and a cloudy sky form the scenic backdrop.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Two people silhouetted against an orange sunset over the ocean, standing on a rocky shoreline with vegetation in the foreground.

Photography rule of thirds. Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Two people silhouetted against an orange sunset over the sea, standing on a rocky shore. A calm and serene atmosphere.

Like with any rule, it’s not about following it 100% and never breaking it. As Pablo Picasso said, "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."

The image below follows the rule of thirds in some parts (the top of the wave and the concrete barrier are close to the horizontal lines), but the main subject is at the bottom center. But this image still works. Why? It has something much more powerful within it: a story.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Person in red shirt stands near crashing ocean waves against a pier. Grey clouds fill the sky, creating a dramatic, intense scene.

What story are you trying to tell?

Your interpretation of this story might differ from mine. Perhaps, it's Man vs Nature. Or it makes you think of the bravery in the face of danger. Or maybe you suddenly asked yourself "Would I stay or would I run?"

This is the beauty of art - is speaks to everyone differently.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Person in an orange jacket walks on a deserted, sandy beach with waves approaching. The sky reflects blue on wet sand, creating a serene mood.

Some stories sound more like questions: "Where is he going?" "Where is he coming from?" "What's on his mind?"

But not every story needs to be deep or thought-provoking. Some stories are light. Like the one below. Is it about a predator looking one way and his prey enjoying their freedom in the sky? Or is it a cat simply bathing in the sunlight and having a good day?

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Black and white cat on a red-orange balcony with green door numbered "22." Birds fly in a clear blue sky, plant nearby. Tranquil setting.

Seeing stories everywhere is what our brains do subconsciously. This world is chaotic and strange and our nature is to come up with ways to make sense of it all. Looking for stories is not something you should force yourself to do, you are already doing it without realizing it. You just need to pay attention to what your eye is drawn to.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Three seagulls perched on a vibrant yellow and blue rooftop under a clear blue sky, surrounded by green palm and shrubbery leaves.

Look for contrasts

Very often you will find yourself looking at things that contrast with their environment. Things that stand out. Color contrast, for example, is very powerful.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Red wall with a green door, black lamp, and small plant. Two mats hang over a winding stair railing, creating a rustic, warm mood.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Color wheel with 12 segments showing a spectrum from red to violet. The center is white, creating a circular gradient effect.

The opposite colors on the wheel above look good to us. Red vs Green, Yellow vs Purple, Blue vs Orange.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Blue car parked on a cobblestone street beside a yellow and blue building. Sunlit, with a license plate reading "1234 DLC".

There is no story in a photo of a car parked near a yellow wall. But there is something cool that in this universe that seemingly has no order a blue car ended up stopping by a wall that has the same blue painted on it. The yellow from the opposite side of the wheel helps to emphasize that.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Street scene with a mural of a beach, palm trees, flowers, and a boat. A red car is parked nearby under a bright blue sky.

As you start paying more attention to what your eye is drawn to, you’ll see that very often it’s the light. Light is the true magic that makes our world so beautiful. You might have heard about the golden hour - a term that generally refers to the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. This is the time when everything just looks magical. This is the time when you should be going outside and practicing your newly found passion for photography.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Lighthouse by a rocky coast at sunset, with silhouetted people walking. Waves crash in the background, creating a serene mood.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Silhouetted jagged mountain peaks at sunrise, with soft pink and blue hues, and sun rays creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Taking photos during the golden hour helps, but it does not mean you cannot do photography during the day. Light does not exist in a vacuum, it interacts with everything around us. Look for clouds or objects that cast shadows, look for interesting patterns that light creates. The two photos below were taken around lunchtime.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Pine trees on a misty hillside with sunlight casting long shadows, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Blue geometric balconies with triangular shadows create a repeating pattern on a building facade under sunlight, enhancing depth and texture.

Edit your photos

I edit almost all my photos. Most of my edits are very light: a small change in the contrast or saturation, minor color adjustments.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Two identical landscape images show a lush, green valley with a village, winding road, mountains, and a distant blue ocean under a cloudy sky.

The photo on the left was edited. I increased the contrast and saturation.

Most phones have built-in apps for editing. Just open it and play around. There is no better way of learning than dragging the sliders and seeing for yourself what changes in the image. Find what looks good to you.

When should you be considering getting a professional camera?

After you start having thoughts like:

"I know that this exact framing would look great, but tmy phone's lens is not long/wide enough to allow me to capture it".

The image below was taken with a 10x lens on Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Not every phone will have a lend that can zoom in so much.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Aerial view of an old, abandoned bullring surrounded by colorful buildings. The arena shows signs of decay, with overgrown grass and torn tarps.

But keep in mind that most phones these days shoot images in pretty high resolution (meaning the photos contain many pixels). If you have enough memory go to your camera settings and set your camera to take photos in the highest resolution possible. If you mostly use the photos to post on social media or share with the family, you can often crop them significantly and they’ll still look good. Every phone has built-in editing tools that allow you to crop - give it a try!

Ocean waves crash against dark cliffs under a pink and blue dawn sky, creating a serene and moody coastal scene with layered mountains.

"I would love to capture more photos during late evenings and nights. When I do that with my phone, dark parts of the image become blurry and there are no more details visible".

Phones are getting better and better at producing high quality images when it is dark (in low light). There are also ways to get better quality images with your phone if you do long exposures. But my guess is by the time you start paying attention to the noise in your images and understand what shutter speed does, you will be able to make educated conclusions about your specific gear needs.

Rocky coastline at sunset with distant mountains and calm waves. Sky shifts from pink to blue, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to reach me on Instagram or through the contact form on the website.