There are more photographs taken each day on mobile phones than all other camera types combined. Welcome to the era of instant, available, affordable mobile phone photography.

Ten years ago serious photographers ridiculed amateurs using mobile phones for photography. After all mobile phones had sensors the size of a match head, ‘bottle tops’ for lenses and were considered little more than gimmicks to sell the mobile phone.

What a ‘c’ change we have experienced in the wonderful world of photography. Mobile phone images grace the covers of magazines, win competitions and are hung on the walls of art galleries. No other cameras are as ‘instant’ as mobiles, relegating the famous Polaroid era to horse and buggy status. Photographs taken in Cairo, Sydney or Paris can be sent to friends, pasted on social media or be on the editor’s computer in less than ten seconds. However, the biggest single social influence of mobile phone photography is its growing acceptability in an era where many people value privacy and are somewhat ‘camera shy’. The mobile phone is almost universally accepted in a positive light.

The Mastering Mobile Phone Photography seminar provides valuable yet simple tips on how to get the best possible quality from your phone camera using the basics of sharpness, lighting, exposure and design. The workshop is built around a series of practical fun exercises so you to learn to master your phone camera and improve your images. Follow these tips and your images will stand out from the rest.

The seminar also examines three of the most powerful and useful phone apps and teaches you how to process your images using these apps to give them that added ‘wow’ factor.

OUTLINE

• How good are mobile phone images?
• What makes a good mobile phone photo?
• Which is the best mobile phone for photography?
• Cleaning the lens
• Making sharper images
• Recognising good lighting
• Flash – forget it!
• Edit – don’t filter.
• Crop – don’t zoom.
• Self-timer
• Close-ups and macro
• Using the grids
• Selecting useful apps
• Practice with apps
• Transmission and back-up
• Privacy, copyright and practice.

THINGS TO KNOW

Please ensure your battery is FULLY charged for the workshop.

Bring instruction manual and your charger just in case!

Advances in mobile phone cameras in 2015 and 2016 have made many earlier apps redundant.
Most available apps are gimmicky and not worth downloading. However, there are a few apps that may prove beneficial to the mobile phone enthusiast. Apps may enhance what you have captured.

Most useful

• Snapseed (Google sometimes makes this unavailable)

Optional, specialised and useful Apps

• Canva for collages
• Camera + (plus) for frames and extended carmera options
• Sketch Guru for artistic
• Instagram for high level photo gallery
• Perfect 365 for face retouching

Tips

• Download one app at a time and learn how to use it.
• Your camera skills , eye for design and imagination may make you a better photographer.

This course will be held at The University Club of Western Australia.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided and is included in the cost.