How to Take High Quality Photos in Low Light With a Camera Phone
Turn on your phone if you haven't yet. , Activate the camera feature. , Change the settings: Navigate your way into the camera settings., Get ready., Hold the phone as still as you can., Press the "Take" button., Upload the images to your computer...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Turn on your phone if you haven't yet.
Changing these settings will help increase the quality of your photo.
Here are some things to look for:
White Balance:
Some camera phones have this feature that will allow you to change the settings for what environment you're in and will help optimize your photo with it.
Choose something in this category that will allow a lot of light into the camera lens.
Some of the most common choices are Darkness, Cloudy, Sunny, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Daylight.
Each are design for different environments.
Darkness:
This will increase the camera's light sensitivity to a higher level.
It will help in a low light environment.
Please note that when using this level, the frame rate will look really slow.
This is because it uses a lot of processing power to digitally allow more light.
Cloudy:
This makes the image look more a bit yellowish.
This was designed for environments with a cooler tone.
Using this preset in a warm toned environment will make it look too gold.
Sunny:
This is just as the same as the Cloudy preset, but less yellowish.
Tungsten:
If your using the camera in a really warm environment, use this setting.
This will cool down the image so it won't be to gold looking.
If you set it in a cool toned environment, it will look too blue in the image.
Fluorescent:
This will give a natural Fluorescent tone.
It won't make the image too blue or too gold.
It actually blends the two with balance of the color temperature levels.
Daylight:
This setting is best used in a daylight environment.
The light sensitivity is a little less then the Darkness preset.
Auto (or Automatic):
This preset will automatically adjust to the optimal setting based on the scene and what you're trying to take.
Resolution:
This is a critical aspect if you want very high quality images.
Increase this to the maximum resolution as much as possible.
Or use a resolution your comfortable in.
Many camera phones have from Photo ID size up to 5 megapixels.
Brightness:
Some camera phones will change the brightness level regardless of the actual light that is let in to the camera.
Do mess around this feature, some camera phones brightness controls will emphasize the highlight levels.
Some will do the shadows.
Highlight levels are focused on the bright-most parts of the image while the shadows are focused on the dark-most parts.
Flash:
This will enable the camera to flash while the image is being taken.
Flash though is not a critical aspect and it is better if the flash is turned off or set a low level (where possible).
ISO:
This is not usually seen in camera phones but if you do also have this feature, it would significantly help.
This will adjust to how sensitive the lens are to light.
Do note that when set to a higher level, the more noises you'll be experiencing in the image.
So make sure it's not set too high if the maximum ISO rating of the camera can go as far as
2000.
Most camera phones won't go as far as
2000. , Once you've set all the settings that are optimized for low light picture taking, then prepare the camera., It helps if you rest your phone on a table and hold it still or lean it against the wall.
It also helps if you used a self timer function (if applicable).
Pushing the "Take" button will cause your hand to move just slightly.
So the self timer will allow you take take the time to get positioned and keep still from there., If the timer is on, gives your self some time to carefully position the camera.
It will take the picture once time is up.
Otherwise, keep the camera really still and hit the "Take" button.
Keep in mind that once you hit the button, don't move the camera at all.
It will make it look a bit blurry due to the motion. (see Tips for details), This will only work if:
You have a phone with memory card and a memory card reader that will support the one on your phone installed on your computer; Your phone can upload and download images via USB connection and appropriate software installed on your computer (where applicable). , -
Step 2: Activate the camera feature.
-
Step 3: Change the settings: Navigate your way into the camera settings.
-
Step 4: Get ready.
-
Step 5: Hold the phone as still as you can.
-
Step 6: Press the "Take" button.
-
Step 7: Upload the images to your computer (optional): You can use the images you've taken and set it as your desktop background or upload it for more advanced editing.
-
Step 8: Do whatever else you want with the picture you just took.
Detailed Guide
Changing these settings will help increase the quality of your photo.
Here are some things to look for:
White Balance:
Some camera phones have this feature that will allow you to change the settings for what environment you're in and will help optimize your photo with it.
Choose something in this category that will allow a lot of light into the camera lens.
Some of the most common choices are Darkness, Cloudy, Sunny, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Daylight.
Each are design for different environments.
Darkness:
This will increase the camera's light sensitivity to a higher level.
It will help in a low light environment.
Please note that when using this level, the frame rate will look really slow.
This is because it uses a lot of processing power to digitally allow more light.
Cloudy:
This makes the image look more a bit yellowish.
This was designed for environments with a cooler tone.
Using this preset in a warm toned environment will make it look too gold.
Sunny:
This is just as the same as the Cloudy preset, but less yellowish.
Tungsten:
If your using the camera in a really warm environment, use this setting.
This will cool down the image so it won't be to gold looking.
If you set it in a cool toned environment, it will look too blue in the image.
Fluorescent:
This will give a natural Fluorescent tone.
It won't make the image too blue or too gold.
It actually blends the two with balance of the color temperature levels.
Daylight:
This setting is best used in a daylight environment.
The light sensitivity is a little less then the Darkness preset.
Auto (or Automatic):
This preset will automatically adjust to the optimal setting based on the scene and what you're trying to take.
Resolution:
This is a critical aspect if you want very high quality images.
Increase this to the maximum resolution as much as possible.
Or use a resolution your comfortable in.
Many camera phones have from Photo ID size up to 5 megapixels.
Brightness:
Some camera phones will change the brightness level regardless of the actual light that is let in to the camera.
Do mess around this feature, some camera phones brightness controls will emphasize the highlight levels.
Some will do the shadows.
Highlight levels are focused on the bright-most parts of the image while the shadows are focused on the dark-most parts.
Flash:
This will enable the camera to flash while the image is being taken.
Flash though is not a critical aspect and it is better if the flash is turned off or set a low level (where possible).
ISO:
This is not usually seen in camera phones but if you do also have this feature, it would significantly help.
This will adjust to how sensitive the lens are to light.
Do note that when set to a higher level, the more noises you'll be experiencing in the image.
So make sure it's not set too high if the maximum ISO rating of the camera can go as far as
2000.
Most camera phones won't go as far as
2000. , Once you've set all the settings that are optimized for low light picture taking, then prepare the camera., It helps if you rest your phone on a table and hold it still or lean it against the wall.
It also helps if you used a self timer function (if applicable).
Pushing the "Take" button will cause your hand to move just slightly.
So the self timer will allow you take take the time to get positioned and keep still from there., If the timer is on, gives your self some time to carefully position the camera.
It will take the picture once time is up.
Otherwise, keep the camera really still and hit the "Take" button.
Keep in mind that once you hit the button, don't move the camera at all.
It will make it look a bit blurry due to the motion. (see Tips for details), This will only work if:
You have a phone with memory card and a memory card reader that will support the one on your phone installed on your computer; Your phone can upload and download images via USB connection and appropriate software installed on your computer (where applicable). ,
About the Author
Beverly Collins
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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