Seven must-have tips for better smartphone photos

With summer finally in full swing, it's no surprise that we see tons of people walking the streets with smartphones in hand taking pictures of any and everything in sight. Whether it's selfies, shots of landmarks or pictures of delicious patio eats, there's just no stopping the brigade of pocket photographers from snapping away. If you've ever wanted to enhance your picture-taking experience, though, we've got a few tips that'll help make your images come out just the way you envisioned. Even seasoned camera-phone shooters might learn a thing or two from these simple suggestions:

Know the settings

Before we even get to shooting, you should familiarize yourself with your smartphone's camera settings. Sure, it's easy to tap the camera app and start snapping away but what happens when you want to enable the flash? Do you know how to turn on the composition grid? What if you want to switch from camera to video mode? A quick refresher of the settings once in a while can save you from a missed photo opportunity and lots of frustration. Camera apps are also routinely updated so you don't want to miss out on added functionality either.

Clean the lens

Let's be honest here, most of us routinely wipe down our phones anyway just out of habit. Still, it's always a good idea to clean off your lens before taking a shot. Using your shirt, pants, or any soft material you have handy should do the trick.

Use a comfortable stance or tripod

Carrying around a tripod for a smartphone might be a bit of a stretch but getting into a comfortable position shouldn't be difficult. Because smartphones are insanely light and sometimes awkward to hold, getting into a steady stance could mean the difference between a nice landscape shot or a blurry throwaway. Frequent vacationers will certainly want to invest in a tiny tripod as you might not get a second chance to take those pictures.

Rule of thirds

Taking a shot with a subject smack-dab in the middle is pretty boring. Unless it's a family photo or something almost equally as serious, using the rule of thirds can help breathe some life into your images. Think of your final picture in a 3x3 grid. Simply line up your subject at any of the grid's four intersecting points for a more interesting photo. Most camera apps will have a setting for a grid which you'll want to use to frame your subject. Don't worry, the grid won’t show up in the final picture.

Hit the Focus Button

Now that you're all ready to go and hit the button, an easy way to turn a good shot into a redo is to have your subject completely out of focus. Even though camera sensors have built-in auto focus, a shaky hand or having people walk through your shot can trick it into focusing on something you don't care about. To avoid this, simply line up your shot and tap the touch screen on the area you want as your focal point. Voila!

Avoid Digital Zoom

If you need to get closer to your subject, consider physically moving rather than using the camera zoom. Even though this may not always be possible, using a computerized zoom, commonly known as digital zoom, can greatly decrease picture quality.

Shoot Often

Simply put: take as many shots as necessary. Digital storage is cheap and no shot is perfect so there are very few reasons why you would only take one shot of something. With famous people you might only get one shot, granted, but landmarks, mountains, buildings and food aren't rushing to hit the red carpet. Take multiple shots at different angles and perspectives just because you can. Sorting them out later might be a pain but you'll be glad you didn't take just one.

There you have it, seven simple tips to get the most out of your smartphone shooting. They say the best camera you have is the one with you so, if you know you'll be out all day, be sure to charge up or toss an external battery charger in your bag. Shoot early, shoot often and, most importantly, have fun!