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Anyone Can Take Smartphone Photos in These 8 Popular Photography Aesthetics
If you're interested in diversifying your photography game, there are many image styles to try using your smartphone. Here are some of my top recommendations; I'll provide tips on maximizing your photos as well.
Dark and Moody
I love taking dark and moody photos on my camera; the same is true on my smartphone. I think many modern smartphone cameras are very good at capturing dark clouds, for example. One of my top recommendations would be to find a vantage point (e.g. an observation deck) and capture a cityscape just before it's about to rain.
You can also photograph cloudy and rainy days on your smartphone from the ground; one idea could be to take pictures of reflections in the street. When taking dark and moody photos with your smartphone camera, I recommend dropping the exposure a bit; choosing one of the many filters available on your device is also a good idea.
For more inspiration, check out this guide on achieving a dark and moody photography style.
Foggy and Mysterious
This can sometimes cross over with the previously mentioned photography style, but in my opinion, you also have more room for flexibility. You can make your images brighter than you would with a dark and moody style, and you can also add silhouettes and shadows for a bit of extra fun.
If it's particularly foggy, you can get amazing photos of trees especially if sunlight shines through the clouds. Since the fog can often flatten your images, you might want to add a bit of clarity or sharpness in post-production.
Adjusting the aperture (if your phone allows it) might also be a good idea. Reading these tips on how to take photos in mist and fog is also a wise starting point.
Bright and Airy
The two styles discussed so far might seem a bit gloomy, so let's balance them with something a bit more cheerful. Taking bright and airy photos on your smartphone is challenging, but if you get it right, you can achieve great results.
If you're going to use this kind of aesthetic, it's a good idea to increase the exposure in your pictures. I also recommend taking a bit of the sharpness out of your photos and using the sun as backlighting rather than pointing your camera in its direction. Otherwise, you'll end up with harsh lighting and pictures that probably won't be what you're looking for.
Film-Style
I've been getting into film-style photography since the start of 2024, and I can confidently say that it's now my favorite aesthetic. Most of the work for film-style smartphone photography will happen in post-production, but you can still do a lot of useful stuff before you get to the editing stage. For example, you can focus on capturing interesting subjects that will translate well with a film style.
When it comes to editing, I'd suggest adding grain via Adobe Lightroom. VSCO is another tool that will allow you to use film-style presets. In your phone's camera app, you can add some warmth to your pictures and also reduce the clarity. Including some vignette is another aspect to consider.
You'll also find a handful of apps designed to give you a vintage/film-style look in your images.
Soft Lighting
I almost always shoot in soft lighting now because I simply like the aesthetic. In the past, I used to think that not photographing in other lighting conditions was cheating but to be honest, I no longer care what others think. Golden hour is a great time for photography (hence why it's popular).
While I photograph around golden hour in the summer because it's too bright during the day, it doesn't matter too much at other points of the year. I live quite far north, so November through February is sometimes just one long golden hour during the day.
Diffusing the light will make your subjects stand out, and you can do several things such as adding warmer tones via color grading or split toning to make your pictures even better.
Start by learning when golden hour is for photographers if you don't know much about it. You can also accompany your photos with these golden hour captions for social media.
Long-Exposure at Night
Long-exposure photography has historically been very difficult with a smartphone, but now, many smartphones have better image stabilization. I have an iPhone 13, for example, and the difference after upgrading from my 8 Plus was substantial.
Ideally, you should use a tripod when taking long-exposure photos at night. Without one, it'll become much more difficult to keep your device stable; too much camera shake will result in a blurry picture.
If you don't have a tripod, try using a flat surface or stabilizing yourself as much as possible. If you have an iPhone, see our guide on how to take long-exposure photos with an iPhone.
High-Contrast
I stumbled upon high-contrast photography by accident, but it's now something that I still do quite frequently. You can do this naturally by taking photos around midday and at other times when you have harsh lighting. However, I think it's better to make the majority of these changes in post-production.
Your smartphone's camera app has a contrast slider; you can easily slide this based on your preferences. If you need further adjustments, you can always play around with the exposure, brilliance, and brightness.
Monochrome and Desaturated
I don't do much photography without color, but it is something that I've started thinking more about. It's a great option if you want to take things a step further from high-contrast photos, and you can also edit your pictures in more ways than you think. For example, if you want to desaturate your images, you can still keep some colors involved.
You can also choose to make your tones brighter or warmer, along with adjusting the brightness and contrast. Like the other photography styles on this list, having a solid base and an understanding of what you want to achieve when desaturating your image is a good starting point.
Regardless of your interests and aesthetics, you'll find plenty of interesting photography styles to take your images to the next level. While you can change many of the effects in post-production, it's also possible to make your job easier by getting the original photo right.
