DENVER — Leaf peeping season is upon us, and Denverites are flocking to the mountains to capture stunning pictures of the fall foliage. A University of Denver Enrichment instructor has tips on how to get the best possible pictures with just your phone.
Jeannette Burkle, who teaches cell phone photography classes through DU Enrichment, believes that cell phones have come remarkably far in their photography abilities.
“If you know the basics of photography, and you know the strengths and the limitations of your smartphone, I think you can get some very outstanding photographs that rival those taken with professional cameras,” she said. “The fact that our smartphones take such great photos now, I think that has opened it up to so many more people to just hop in their car, take a hike and get photographs of the leafs.”
Her first tip: Make sure you take some time to find the best spot to take your pictures, and don’t be afraid to use your camera’s different lenses.
“Get out and walk around,” she said. “Find different angles. Take the time to use all the lenses to tell your story about your leaf peeping adventure. You can take an ultra-wide shot, you could take telephoto shots, and it’s fun to share all of them. They all tell a little different story about your adventure.”
Her second tip: Activate your camera app’s grid lines and level.
iPhone: Settings/Camera/Composition
Press buttons for Grid and Level
Android: Camera Settings/General
Press button for Composition Guide
“Every smartphone has the ability to put a grid on it. I think it's helpful to learn a little bit about the rule of thirds, about composition, and where you can line that subject up according to the rule of thirds,” Burkle said. “Every time you open up your camera, you will have that grid on there.”
Her third tip: Learn how to lock your camera app’s focus and adjust the exposure.
iPhone: Touch and hold on the screen to lock the focus onto your subject. Drag up and down on the screen to adjust exposure. You can now take multiple pictures at that focus and exposure level.
Android: Touch and hold on the screen to lock the focus onto your subject. Drag left and right on the screen to adjust exposure. You can now take multiple pictures at that focus and exposure level.
Her fourth tip: Try to take your photos at The Golden Hour.
“That means either right after sunrise or right before sunset,” she said. “It is truly golden. There’s more of a balance between the lights and shadows. It’s just a gorgeous time.”
Her fifth tip: Be thoughtful about the pictures you are taking, and shoot them with a purpose instead of just pointing at a tree and clicking the shutter.
“When you see a scene, understand to yourself what story you’re telling about that scene and what the subject is,” she said. “Mindfully understand what it is you want to capture.
Her sixth tip: Edit your photos after you take them, but do it in moderation.
“I do believe that less is more when it comes to editing,” she said. “One of the things I recommend for editing is to zoom in on your photos as you’re editing it. It is very tempting to try to up the saturation or up the sharpening, but if you look at the details, you end up understanding how much you will degrade that file if you do too much.”
