Killing with a smartphone camera: 5 ideas-CNET Japan

When you challenge something new or something that requires creativity, you not only get a blurry head, but you also get skills that will help you. The perfect tool for these creative challenges is the smartphone. Use your favorite smartphone, or even a smartphone camera, to fully rotate your brain cells. You don't even have to leave the house, so it's perfect for a refreshing life in a nest or family service at home.

It's not that difficult. Courtesy: Andrew Hoyle / CNET

The shooting tricks introduced in this article can be used with older models as well as the latest iPhone 13 Pro, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Pixel 6. It's perfect for killing time, but if you're looking for something to enjoy indoors with your kids on winter weekends, we'd love to see it.

1. Create an original composite photo

Composite photography takes some time to complete, but it's worth it. Courtesy: Andrew Hoyle / CNET

A composite photograph is a combination of parts extracted from multiple images to create a single work. From simple things such as replacing only the empty part of a landscape photograph with another photograph, various expressions can be made depending on the ingenuity.

This time, I created a composite photo of many people in the same scene, aiming to express the behavior of the day with one photo.

The whole flow is not so complicated. Let me show you how.

(1) Place your smartphone on a tripod.

(2) Determine the composition. If necessary, attach a lens for a smartphone camera.

(3) Set a 10-second timer on your smartphone (or use the Bluetooth remote control shutter).

(4) Go to the place you want to see, pose and shoot.

(5) With the camera fixed, move to the next location and take another picture.

(6) Start "Photoshop", combine the captured images, and delete unnecessary parts.

2. Hone your portrait photography skills

This selfie was taken in portrait mode using the front camera of the iPhone 11 Pro. I shot it with my face on the window in the living room to make it look like a mirror, and then edited it in Lightroom mobile version. Courtesy: Andrew Hoyle / CNET

Partners, family, roommates, pets-whether you're a subject or not, taking portrait photos is a great opportunity to be creative. Don't worry if you live alone. Invert the camera to take a selfie mode, or install a smartphone if you have a tripod and pose for the camera.

Look over the house and look for a place where you can shoot interesting scenes. If you have an old leather chair, you can sit there and pose, or if you have a weird rug, it's fun to lay the subject down and shoot from above. I definitely want to try a shot of looking out from the window.

Let's devise lighting (lighting to hit the subject). If you use natural light that comes in through the window, there are few mistakes, so it is recommended that you first shoot near the window. If you have an atmospheric lamp, you may be able to take dramatic pictures by dimming the room and using only the light from the lamp. It's also a good idea to procure an LED shooting panel from Amazon and combine it with other light sources.

3. Take a still life photo

Let's admit that it is a delicate result as a food photograph. But for now, the food I can cook is limited, and by appearance, this omelet is at least better than the baked beans I ate yesterday. I put the plate on a fancy table by the window and took a picture from directly above using my iPhone. Courtesy: Andrew Hoyle / CNET

There are various types of still photos, from bright and clear photos of delicious salads and prepared dishes taken from directly above, to notebook PCs, game controllers, and product photos of new shoes. be. You can take attractive pictures just by collecting things that look good in photos from all over the house and arranging them in a devised manner.

Regarding lighting, the basic rules are the same as for portrait photography. The brightest and largest light source in the house is the window, so use the window as much as possible. Food photographers are also actively using natural light to make their photographs more realistic. Arrange the position of the subject, change the angle, and shine light on the perfect place.

4. Make a short film

Shooting short films is also interesting because it has a lot of uses for my head. The first thing you have to decide is, of course, what to shoot. Is it a heavy crime drama in which a family appears, or a documentary that follows the day of a pet cat?

This time I made a short film about the process of brewing a cup of tea. After deciding what to shoot, the next step is to think about the procedure to complete the work. If you're making a crime drama, you'll need to write a script and organize the scenes that need to be filmed.

In my case, the procedure for brewing black tea is basically fixed, so I immediately came up with the scene to shoot. Pour water into the kettle, wait until it boils, and pour hot water. In addition, an introduction scene was added at the beginning, and a scene of drinking brewed tea was added to the ending.

All shooting was done with the "iPhone 11 Pro". In addition, edelkrone's camera slider was used to move the subject smoothly, and Moment's anamorphic lens was attached to the lens of the smartphone camera to achieve a movie-like aspect ratio. I used "Adobe Premiere" on the "MacBook Pro" for editing, but if I use the "iMovie" app on the iPhone and "Adobe Premiere Rush" on the Android device, I can easily edit the shooting data on my smartphone.

Shooting was a lot of fun. In my usual shooting, I pay attention to the angle and lighting, but this time I also focused on how to visually tell the story to the viewer. It was exciting to try new shooting methods and editing styles, and it was the best way to spend a quiet afternoon at home.

5. Challenge the editing work

Photo before editing (left) and photo after editing (right). I used the iPhone's long exposure mode to blur the surface of the water and edited it using the Lightroom mobile version of the color tools. Courtesy: Andrew Hoyle / CNET

It may still be difficult to go on a full-scale photography trip, but there is also a way to make effective use of photos taken in the past.

Go to the Android and iOS app stores and you'll find a number of creative image editing apps. The filters, frames and effects available are literally endless.

My favorite app, Snapseed, is available for both Android and iOS, both for free. In addition to various color filters such as HDR style and vintage style that dramatically produce images, it also has advanced editing functions such as brightening only specific parts. With apps like Photofox and Bazaart, you can create even more original photos. I also used these two apps in my portrait photo at the beginning of this article.

My recommendation is-first open the smartphone gallery and look back at the photos you've taken in the last few weeks, months, or years. Mark the ones you particularly like, then sit back and relax on the sofa, drink your favorite drink and play freely with the editing app.

Not only will you be able to bring new life to your long-forgotten photos, but you'll also learn new and fascinating techniques that you can take advantage of when you're ready to shoot again.

This article was edited by Asahi Interactive for Japan from an article from overseas Red Ventures.