Clean the lens
Smartphones are grubby. Dust, make-up, hand sanitiser – all of these will end up smudging your lens and your photo. "The first tip is to clean your lens," says Darragh Shanahan, a tutor at the Gallery of Photography Ireland.
Be ready
Know the shortcut to the camera function. Fumbling to type in a code and find the function could mean missing the moment. "All phones have a shortcut. Learn how to open up your camera in one move because there is the decisive moment. If it takes too long, you will lose it."
Think like a photographer
Everything in the frame is going to appear in your photograph, so be aware of the background. Otherwise you'll have an electricity pole growing out of grandad's head. "Some people just focus on what they like on the screen but forget the camera is recording everything," says Shanahan. Many screens have a nine- square grid to help with composition.
“You are looking for balance and tension within the grid; it just brings more energy and interest to your photograph. It might be better if you move closer to your subject or go at an oblique angle so that you are getting a better background.”
Get focused
Your phone has functions that can make a picture better. "When you open your camera and you are looking at your subject, tap the screen in the place where you want the focus to be emphasised," says Shanahan. Be aware of the light source too, whether it's the sun or a window. "Your smartphone isn't good at balancing the light in a shot. You kind of have to tell the phone where it is reading the light from. If you tap the phone, you will see a sun motif. Drag that up or down to over or under expose the shot. That's really good for indoor shots."
Don't chop up your children
Snapping loved ones, you'll be focused on their beauty and not that your frame has lopped off their hands at the wrist or feet at the ankles "No unexplained chopping out of limbs," says Shanahan. "This was common with cameras when you couldn't see what you were doing. But I kind of love those photographs, too, there are whole albums of them with body parts missing ."
Keep shooting
Most cameras have single-shot and multiple-shot options – choose the latter, advises Shanahan. "There is no point tapping the screen every time you want a photo. Just hold your finger down and shoot 10 frames of someone kicking a ball, or blowing out their birthday candles. You can edit down to the shot you want to keep."
Print and learn
Printing your snaps will make you a better photographer. You can see what works and what doesn't.
“I would encourage people to print a photo to a 10cm x 8cm size and buy a frame you can use multiple times. Enjoy that photo for a month or two and then replace it with another. Get used to your images being in a printed frame. I think it’s encouraging and you’ll also get feedback from people. ”
In Our Own Image: Photography in Ireland 1839 to the Present is at the Printworks, Dublin Castle, until February 6th
