Getting Better Photographs from your Phone Camera (including for large prints)

I very much liked this video and your approachable style

Thank you for reminding us that we can take good photographs with mediocre cameras. Seeing, framing and being in the moment helps. I’m sure you are familiar with the work of Kathy Ryan, Office Romance.

I have an s23 ultra, any chance you could do a video explaining how to edit videos in LR mobile and getting them printed without any strange colours on the prints? I only shoot in RAW. Many thanks.

Thanlyou sooo much h

russsia - is a terrorist state

What a motivational tutorial Sean. Thanks for sharing.its always a pleasure to listen to your flow of information. 👏👍

What app?

Another great video! I just bought the Samsung S23. It wasn't cheap, but since the best camera is the one you have on you, I wanted to be sure that what I always have on me is solid! I'm amazed how good the pictures are, especially those 50 MP shots!

Tip 1. Always clean the lens on your t shirt first.

Serious question here…(not meant in any way to disrespect the GR)… with the capabilities of the camera in the latest iPhone, is there any real need for the GR? Maybe just the larger sensor size? Since sharp prints can be nicely made from the iPhone 14 Pro, it leads me to ask this question before making the purchase of the GRIII. Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.

Some lomograpthy photos are stunning took with a plastic camera. Every thing is about the image. Our grandparents loved their crinkley black and white photos of their uncles and aunts and relatives.

it's nice that you give these explanations, the only problem is that the people who are really interested in photography know these tips. all the others, who always find an excuse for not being able to take good pictures, won't take good pictures now either. but thanks for making the effort.

I'd love to see you update this video using one of the new 1" sensor phones.

That was a great video thank you Sean, I’m starting out as a photographer (hobbyist, nothing more) and I love using my phone as it really forces me to think and work for a good capture. I’d love a DSLR but I’m reluctant to upgrade until I can absolutely get the best out of myself and my iPhone 14 Pro first. Great to hear your thoughts on using phones for photography and to learn that there are pros that use phones for their work!

I brought as Kodak child but in last few years had both Apple & currently Samsung S22.Find that lens in Samsung S22 better then Apple.Yes I m amateur photographer do have a Flickr page for last 15 years plus.

I can relate to all you mention. My photographs have been exhibited in 3 exhibitions, and 2 of them featured photos that were taken from phone! Most of photos I still take and post on my feed are from phone.

I have been around long enough to remember every “keyboard warrior photographer” spouting to the hills: “digital will NEVER replace film.” Or, “dslrs will NEVER die or be replaced.” Or “mirrorless cameras will NEVER replace dslrs.” Or, “mobile phone cameras will NEVER (pick your idiocy).” The truth is that all things advance and evolve. They change sometimes in very unexpected ways both for the better and sometimes not. I have learned that anyone who says that things will “never” blah, blah…… is often just a dude, behind a Keyboard that makes him feel powerfully prescient albeit erroneously so.

Thank you Sean. I have a small Canon camera with a very small screen and have been contemplating buying a better camera with an additional monitor for better viewing. But my phone is always with me and it has a nice sized screen. This video is one of several that has me convinced I should seriously begin using what I already have in my smartphone in order to learn "on the fly", as it were, before stepping up to better equipment. I'm playing around with the LightRoom app for starters. Just a side note, a friend of mine, Robert Herman, released a book called "The Phone Book", a collection of street photos taken entirely on his iPhone and it has attracted serious attention. Robert is no longer with us, I just thought his work was worth mentioning here. Cheers.

I have been shooting photos since 1996, and did some work professionally. Nowadays, I use a 13 Pro Max, and S22 Ultra 99% of the time. I traded all my pro gear in for a Nikon D5600 and kept a few primes. I strived to only carry lightweight instead of heavy gear that made me look like a target. It’s the image you shoot, not the gear you use.

The economy took a toll on my business several years ago, forcing me to sell most of my gear to pay bills. But I still had my phone. I spent a year using only the phone to satisfy my need to make images. What I learned from that time cannot be underestimated. Two lessons stand out - the first, as you mentioned, is that if you understand the limitations and shoot within those boundaries, you can create remarkable work. Second is that using only the lcd to frame at roughly arms length, you may not see all the details, but you do see the elements of your composition.
I often now urge beginners to use their phone for this purpose.
Of course, getting new photographers to practice photography is a challenge in itself.
Thanks for yet another insightful video.

Most midrange and entry level phone doesnot support raw. Unless its google pixel or iphone se.

I was in a camera club and had many competitions, which I won many times, but what everyone never knew is that the images taken was from my phone, even the prints submitted were A3 and still nobody noticed. Phone photography is underestimated, unless you require very difficult conditions, then you need a camera.

What’s that in your hand?)

This is all great device. I have a Samsung Note 10 along with my usual Fuji X series cameras. Sometimes I don't want to bring my camera but still want to take a photo as they arise. We are in an age when we have so many mediums at our disposal and can get creative with how we use them.

Thank you!

I use my iPhone for wide angel shots , leaving my camera with a walkabout prime glued to it for most shots and a portrait lens for those special occasions . This negates the kit zoom which has its uses , but the primes are faster and not much larger .

By reducing options to one lens on each camera (phone and camera body ) reduces missed shots as I’m forced to move my legs to substitute the zoom options .

Excellent video .

Some of the music I grew to love I first heard as extremely bad tape to tape recordings.Good music was never spoilt by the lack of fidelity. I think good photos have the same resilience.

This video is a joy

Unfortunately, the iPhone 14 Pro does not allow the user to turn off over sharpening or the HDR processing. I shoot with the LR app for raw images.

I hope you’ll update this with iphone14 and with prints. Great video!

Hi, what camera gear was used for boy and girl photo on wall behind you?
Thank you,

I'm just an amateur...experimenting with mobile photography..but I still have a little fear that if this turns out to be something good...how do I make sure it is protected...I understand i can purchase copyright...but before i go to that stage I'm trying to get inputs from vloggers from different fields ...about how they protect their content...can I request an episode about copyright and protecting the content we create

You've said some valuable words about mobile camera sensors...can i request a video about comparison between Samsung , iPhone and Google pixel..discussing just their sensors...and if the pixels they are giving are actually translating into quality pictures...and sensor limitations

This was some good advice...I'm experimenting a little with mobile photography and have some questions for u...how do we manage without the polarizing filter especially in cases like a beach sunrise or sunset where the reflection from the water is too much....2nd qstn...when I try to zoom and crop a picture taken in low light its always pixelated...I'm using a basic version of a Samsung phone...don't know how to overcome this

This is an inspiration. You are an inspiration. Thank you 🙏

I started making music videos for bands/solo artists with an iphone 7. A couple of those videos remain my favorite work.

Fantastic video. I use my Samsung all the time.

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Thank you for the video, good advice as usual. I have a Nikon main camera and a small Sony RX100 mk1 as my pocket camera but I have started to seriously explore using my phone camera, that's how I found your video. I have to say the egonomics are horrible and I have had to invest in a good strong case with plenty of bounceablity.
I know this defeats the minimalism of phone photography but I have also got myself a small phone tripod, it's very sturdy and use it with a little remote for low light and long exposure photography. I'm enjoying myself. I'll never get a selfie stick though, really don't like them.

Think of 70% of iconic pictures in photography books or even hanging in many photogalleries , they could all be taken on half decent camera phones and often a dam sight more easily.

Very good episode

Very informative Sean. I’ve shared this as I have many folk interested in photography who haven’t got cameras, many don’t realise just how good a camera built into their phones are. Only having a phone shouldn’t hold you back. It’s also great having a single tool where you can shoot, edit and share around the world. ❤️

Top man .. it’s great to hear someone say this .. it’s too easy to make excuses

Thanks for reinforcing the message that learning to see a compelling image and use whatever tool you have available is really important!

I really appreciate your thoughtful, and respectful (to novices especially) approach to these videos. I recently went back to some of my favorite photos and found they were in fact, taken on a much older iPhone—who knew?

Very nice video, informative and learning

But I think that cell phones are getting worse. The idea of putting several cameras in them is horrible for those who want to take good photos. In 2015 I bought an LG G3, it has a single camera with focus capabilities, beautiful bokeh and a very short minimum focus. With a little magnifier I can take very good macro shots. But in July 22 I had to buy (for memory issues) a new Xiao Mi Note 10 5G, and the camera is soooo disappointing. I really miss my single camera on the LG. I couldn't take macro photos anymore. And the colours on the new one are crappy. 😠

The way you explained everything is great. It's encouraging.
Thanks